by Mercedes Westbrook | Mar 19, 2019 | Venues
South Africa is a vast and diverse landscape encompassing a rich cultural history. International safari travelers to its world class wildlife reserves and heritage sites are always curious regarding both is past dynamics as well as the country’s modern-day political characteristics.
We have compiled a list of rich and inviting fiction and non-fiction books and films by South African authors and playwrights which portray a glimpse into some of its past and present events, people and influences which blend into a many-hued interpretation of South Africa as it is today.
Fair Game: A Hidden History of the Kruger National Park 
By David Fleminger
Non-fiction
Fair Game is the story of the hidden history and heritage of the Kruger National Park. It’s an engrossing and little-known tale filled with boisterous personalities, twists of fate, unlikely heroes, stubborn perseverance, greedy villains and (luckily) a very happy ending. So, prepare yourself for a grand historical safari as it recounts the unlikely tale of an unwanted wasteland that grew into the one of the greatest game reserves in the world.
Conversations with my Sons and Daughters
By Mamphela Ramphele
Non-fiction
In these conversations with people of a younger generation Mamphela Ramphele responds to the growing despair among young South Africans about the cracks that are appearing in South Africa’s system of governance and threatening the idealism of the country that reinvented itself with the dawn of democracy in 1994.
Born a Crime – Stories of a South African Childhood
By Trevor Noah
Non-fiction
Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. The stories collected here are by turns hilarious, dramatic, and deeply affecting.
No Future Without Forgiveness
By Desmond Tutu
Non-fiction
Desmond Mpilo Tutu won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 and was only the second black person ever to receive it. In 1986 he was elected archbishop of Cape Town, the highest position in the Anglican Church in South Africa. In 1994, after the end of apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela, Tutu was appointed as chair of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate apartheid-era crimes. His policy as described in his book is one of forgiveness and reconciliation and serves as an international example of conflict resolution, and remains a trusted method of post conflict reconstruction.
Power of One
By Bryce Courtney
Fiction
In 1939, as Hitler casts cruel shadow across the world, the seeds of apartheid take root in South Africa. There, a boy called Peekay is born. His childhood is marked by humiliation and abandonment, yet he vows to survive and conceives heroic dreams, which are nothing compared to what life actually has in store for him. He embarks on an epic journey through a land of tribal superstition and modern prejudice where he will learn the power of words, the power to transform lives and the power of one.
Life and Times of Michael K
By JM Coetzee
Fiction
Written by South African novelist J.M. Coetzee, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2003, and the Man Booker Prize for both this novel and another book of his, Disgrace, is a bleak, but haunting and entirely captivating novel about the physical and spiritual journey of a man who travels throughout war-torn South Africa on a mission to return his ailing mother to her rural home.
The Covenant
by James A. Michener
Fiction
Set in South Africa, beginning 15,000 years ago and ending with the Boer War, this is a novel about people caught up in the march of world history. It is a story of adventure and heroism, love and loyalty, and cruelty and betrayal.
The Day of the Dead Moon – 5 part Audio book series
by David Rattray
Non-fiction
The Day of the Dead Moon is a beautifully narrated and captivating chronicle of the events leading up to the destruction of the Zulu capital at Ulundi and the subsequent impact of this campaign on the Zulu people, including the battles of Hlobane, Khambula and the death of the Prince Imperial. David Rattray devoted much of his life to the exploration of these troubled times by studying books and documents relating to this period and collecting stories handed down through the oral tradition of the Zulu people.
Diamonds, Gold, and War: The British, the Boers, and the Making of South Africa
By Martin Meredith
Non-fiction
Southern Africa was once regarded as a worthless jumble of British colonies, Boer republics, and African chiefdoms, a troublesome region of little interest to the outside world. But then prospectors chanced upon the world’s richest deposits of diamonds and gold, setting off a titanic struggle between the British and the Boers for control of the land.
The result was the costliest, bloodiest, and most humiliating war that Britain had waged in nearly a century, and the devastation of the Boer republics. Meredith expertly shows how the exigencies of the diamond (and then gold) rush laid the foundation for apartheid.
In his review, celebrated author in his own right, Wilber Smith writes: “Despite the depth of scholarly research it contains, this book reads not as dry history but as a vivid and thrilling account of the forging of southern Africa into its present distinctive shape and character. Martin Meredith captures the colours and textures of the land and brings to life the extraordinary figures who peopled it and whose influence lingers on. His descriptions of Rhodes and Kruger, of Robinson and Barnato and all the other actors, rogues and heroes of this epic drama played out upon the scorched African veldt are filled with fascinating insights and rich with anecdotes which bring them bursting from these pages.”
Jock of the Bushveld
By Percy Fitzpatrick
Fiction
Jock of the Bushveld is the classic and much-loved South African story based on the true experiences of Sir Percy Fitzpatrick and his Staffordshire bull terrier, Jock. The story begins in the 1880s, at the time of the South African gold rush, when a young Fitzpatrick worked as an ox-wagon transport rider in the old Transvaal. There he came across a man who was in the process of drowning a puppy, the runt of the litter. He saved the dog and the story of his ever-faithful and loving companion was born. This book can be enjoyed by adults and children alike.
Long Walk to Freedom
Nelson Mandela
Autobiography
“Long Walk to Freedom” the autobiography of Nelson Mandela, describes the South African anti-apartheid struggle; his childhood; his development into a freedom fighter; his twenty-seven years in prison; and his remarkable role in the construction of a new, democratic South Africa. A must read.
Selected stories
By Nadine Gordimer
Fiction
A selection of short stories written over the years sees characters from every corner of society come to life, along with the South African landscape they inhabit. The stories have a strong focus on racial issues, yet their implications are universal. They include moments of vision, often ironic, sometimes shocking, mostly dealing with the hair’s breadth balance of racial tension still current in many different parts of the world today.
Mafeking Road and Other Stories
By Herman Charles Bosman
Fiction
These slyly simple stories of the unforgiving South African Transvaal reveal a little-described (and rarely romanticized) world of Afrikaner life in the late 19th Century. Much like Mark Twain, Herman Charles Bosman wields a laughing intolerance of foolishness and prejudice, a dazzling use of wit and clear- sighted judgment.
An Instant in the Wind
By Andre Brink
Fiction
An Instant In The Wind is arguably André Brink’s masterpiece. In the guise of an historical novel set in the eighteenth century, Brink presents a superb portrait in miniature of the dilemmas and contradictions facing a South Africa organised by an assumption of apartheid. Unlike many stories of conflict, however, an Instant In The Wind is no tragedy. Unusually, the novel is a remarkable tale of fear, struggle and eventual survival that leaves the reader with an uplifting positive message on the value and potential of human cooperation. This is a historical novel, it’s a travel book, it’s a road story, it deals with relationships between consenting adults and there are several battles with nature.
Cape Town: The Making of a City
By Nigel Worden, Elizabeth van Heyningen and Vivian Bickford-Smith
Non-fiction
This richly illustrated history of Cape Town under Dutch and British rule tells the story of its residents, the world they inhabited and the city they made – beginning in the seventeenth century with the tiny Dutch settlement, hemmed in by mountains and looking out to sea, and ending with the well-established British colonial city, poised confidently on the threshold of the twentieth century.
This social history of Cape Town under Dutch and British rule traces the changing character of the city and portrays the varied lives and experiences of its inhabitants – black and white, rich and poor, slave and free, Christian and Muslim.
FILMS
E Lollipop
This is the extraordinary story of two inseparable South African children which follows an inspirational story line against the breathtaking backdrops of a dramatic African landscape and New York City in the mid-1970s “e’Lollipop” is a life-changing story that reminds us of the true value of friendship, community, sacrifice and family – despite our colour or creed.”A South African classic of international stature it manages to transcend the boundaries of its day imposed by Apartheid
Cry Freedom
Made in 1987, Cry Freedom is based on the best-selling book by South African newspaper editor Donald Woods. It tells the story of Woods’ attempts to uncover the truth about the arrest and subsequent death of black activist Steve Biko, and the way in which he was forced to leave South Africa because of it. Directed by Richard Attenborough, it stars Kevin Kline and Denzel Washington. With South Africa still firmly in the grip of apartheid at the time, Zimbabwe stood in as the location, with filming taking place in Harare. It was nominated for three Oscars and numerous other awards.
Tsotsi
Winner of the 2006 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Movie, Tsotsi is gritty, raw and profoundly moving. A tale of teenage angst in modern South Africa, it is set in the hard world of the Johannesburg townships. Tsotsi (which means “thug” in township patois) gets more than he bargains for when he steals a car and finds he’s got a baby to look after. Directed by Gavin Hood, it is based on a novel by South African writer, Athol Fugard, originally written in 1960, but left unpublished for 20 years. The protagonist is played by Sowetan native Presley Chweneyagae.
Catch a Fire
Directed by Philip Noyce and starring Tim Robbins and Derek Luke, this movie follows the story of the apartheid struggle, starting with the armed insurrection of Umkhonto we Sizwe (the military wing of the ANC) in the 1960s. It focuses on the story of a young black man who unwittingly gets caught up in the struggle and the policeman who arrests him. The real Patrick Chamusso, on whom the film is based, appears as a walk-on, while writer Shawn Slovo’s parents, leaders of the South African Communist Party and famous anti-apartheid activists, Joe Slovo and Ruth First, also appear.
District Nine
This science-fiction fable, directed by newcomer Neill Blomkamp and produced by Peter (“The Lord of the Rings”) Jackson, takes the form of a mockumentary about ugly aliens which invade South Africa and are herded into a slum. The film’s South African setting brings up inescapable parallels with its now-defunct apartheid system of racial segregation. The title “District 9” evokes Cape Town’s historic District 6, where Cape Coloureds owned homes and businesses for many years before being bulldozed out and relocated.
by Mercedes Westbrook | Mar 14, 2019 | Lifestyle
For some, travelling through the endless miles of the hot and dusty Karoo is a journey to be gobbled up as fast as possible, leaving a trail of dust between departure and arrival as fierce and wind-whipped as the dust devils that dance among the brush.
Photographer and author Louis Botha used to be one such traveler until the Karoo’s great silence and complex simplicity crept into his soul.
“It’s difficult to explain why, although I am convinced it is because photography taught me to ‘look differently’ at things but I started to plan my journeys to include the network of dirt roads that track through the various regions of the Karoo’s vastness,” he says.
Stopping as often as possible on his journeys, Louis Botha began to observe and appreciate from a new perspective: “I discovered a wealth of beauty and diversity I had never connected to before. This process gained momentum, pulling me in, until I realized I had lost my soul to the Karoo and I bought an old Victorian house in the 250 year old Prince Albert.
After a qualification in the field of commerce and several years in the corporate world as an executive, Louis Botha came to realise that Life is short, and Art is long!
“I decided to rearrange my lifestyle completely in order to make more time to express my vision and feelings through using Light reflecting off my subjects. It’s only when one becomes part of the Karoo community that one fully appreciates the meaning of the words ‘less is more’!”
Captured by the quality of natural light available, the atmosphere of stillness, exposed human emotions and the character of its ancient landscape, Botha says, “In slowing down my life, my senses were sharpened. I was able to see again, to smell, to hear, to taste and to feel, almost as if for the first time.”
Photography of Voice
“For me photography challenges me to communicate without words, to evoke emotion without saying anything, to tell a story or to present the ordinary in an unordinary way, to make the viewer look again, think again, feel again, appreciate again. I am attracted by discovering the other side of people and things, the treasures waiting to be discovered in seemingly empty relationships and vast open spaces. The challenge is to remove the clutter and the pretentions, to reveal what is real.”
Simple Images Big Photo Art
Using an old Hasselblad from the 1950’s Louis Botha’s new knowledge gave rise to his first book ‘SLOW DOWN look again’offering 148 pages of black and white storytelling portraits on film of the people of the Karoo, their ordinary lives and the mystery that will always remain firmly part of Karoo for those who are destined to be just visitors.
His second book ‘Karoo’ is an even deeper look into the wide open spaces, silence and timelessness of this unique and ethereally beautiful landscape.
“Why go to Tuscany or Provence for peace or photographic opportunities when we hold such treasures on our own doorstep. Here, in the Karoo you are offered a chance to discover yourself, to figure out where you stand in relation to your creator, your loved ones and your next of kin. Thinking about who you are, what you stand for, your purpose in life and what it means for others, it also then becomes easier to engage with the environment, to connect with people, with places, with weather conditions and objects in your everyday life.
Adds Louis Botha, “After a while, one’s images start to reflect back at you, the true spirit of the subjects, and of oneself. This experience corresponds with the saying ‘every photograph says something about the subject, and something about the photographer’!”
When shooting, Louis Botha uses digital photography in general. Occasionally, and depending on availability, he may opt for medium format film when doing portraiture or panorama landscapes. His preferred end product is an image that is printed on high quality fine art paper or canvas, to be displayed on a very special wall.
Gallery Showing at De Bergkant Lodge
To meet the many perspectives of the man behind the camera, step into 4-star De Bergkant Lodge at the top of Main Street, Prince Albert where Louis Botha’s framed images adorn the walls.
Says De Bergkant Lodge proprietor Michael Sönnichsen, “We are fascinated how Louis Botha has captured the essence of the region and its people and we are honored to be able to bring this beauty to others in the form of a gallery showing his photographic works.
“Visitors to Prince Albert are welcome to come in from the heat outside and view his selection of works or purchase one of his photographic works, or books. His first book Slow Down Look Again retails for ZAR 490.00, his latest book Karoo retails for ZAR 690.00 or you may purchase both for ZAR 1 000.00.”
Photographic Workshops in Prince Albert
Hoping to share a little of his gift of sight and the beauty of the Karoo with others, Louis Botha offers a four-day photography course in Prince Albert which includes a landscape and a portrait practical workshop and addresses both the visual and technical skills required to capture images with greater impact. It is a very special workshop designed to introduce visitors to the abundance of silence, space, timelessness and beauty of the Karoo and its people.
“It’s not about the camera. If you can see it, feel it, you can capture it,” says Louis Botha. “I am intensely aware of the importance of light and time, for our lives, for the longevity of the earth and everything on it, and for the impact it has on every image captured.
“In friendly Prince Albert, people are warm, humble, rich in knowledge and stories, kind and sincere. Here, there is an abundance of form, texture, structure, colour, contrast, solitude, emotion, space and safety, and an absence of clutter, pretentions, materialism and noise.”
by Mercedes Westbrook | Mar 5, 2019 | Firehorse Media
For some, travelling through the endless miles of the hot, dusty Karoo is a journey to be gobbled up at speed, leaving a mere trail of dust between departure and arrival as fierce and wind-whipped as the dust devils that dance among the brush.
Photographer and author Louis Botha used to be one such traveler until the Karoo’s great silence and complex simplicity crept into his soul.
“It’s difficult to explain why, although I am convinced it is because photography taught me to ‘look differently’ at things but I started to plan my journeys to include the network of dirt roads that track through the various regions of the Karoo’s vastness,” he says.
Stopping as often as possible on his journeys, Louis Botha began to observe and appreciate from a new perspective: “I discovered a wealth of beauty and diversity I had never connected to before. This process gained momentum, pulling me in, until I realised I had lost my soul to the Karoo and I bought an old Victorian house in the 250 year old Prince Albert.
After a qualification in the field of commerce and several years in the corporate world as an executive, Louis Botha came to realise that Life is short, and Art is long!
“I decided to rearrange my lifestyle completely in order to make more time to express my vision and feelings through using light reflecting off my subjects. It’s only when one becomes part of the Karoo community that one fully appreciates the meaning of the words ‘less is more’!”
Captured by the quality of natural light available, the atmosphere of stillness, exposed human emotions and the character of its ancient landscape, Botha says, “In slowing down my life, my senses were sharpened. I was able to see again, to smell, to hear, to taste and to feel, almost as if for the first time.”
Photography of Voice
“For me photography challenges me to communicate without words, to evoke emotion without saying anything, to tell a story or to present the ordinary in an unordinary way, to make the viewer look again, think again, feel again, appreciate again. I am attracted by discovering the other side of people and things, the treasures waiting to be discovered in seemingly empty relationships and vast open spaces. The challenge is to remove the clutter and the pretention, to reveal what is real.”
Simple Images Big Photo Art
Using an old Hasselblad from the 1950’s Louis Botha’s new knowledge gave rise to his first book ‘SLOW DOWN look again’offering 148 pages of black and white storytelling portraits on film of the people of the Karoo, their ordinary lives and the mystery that will always remain firmly part of Karoo for those who are destined to be just visitors.
His second book ‘Karoo’ is an even deeper look into the wide open spaces, silence and timelessness of this unique and ethereally beautiful landscape.
“Why go to Tuscany or Provence for peace or photographic opportunities when we hold such treasures on our own doorstep. Here, in the Karoo you are offered a chance to discover yourself, to figure out where you stand in relation to your creator, your loved ones and your next of kin. Thinking about who you are, what you stand for, your purpose in life and what it means for others, it also then becomes easier to engage with the environment, to connect with people, with places, with weather conditions and objects in your everyday life.
Adds Louis Botha, “After a while, one’s images start to reflect back at you, the true spirit of the subjects, and of oneself. This experience corresponds with the saying ‘every photograph says something about the subject, and something about the photographer’!”
When shooting, Louis Botha uses digital photography in general. Occasionally, and depending on availability, he may opt for medium format film when doing portraiture or panorama landscapes. His preferred end product is an image that is printed on high quality fine art paper or canvas, to be displayed on a very special wall.
Gallery Showing at De Bergkant Lodge
To meet the many perspectives of the man behind the camera, step into 4-star De Bergkant Lodge at the top of Main Street, Prince Albert where Louis Botha’s framed images adorn the walls.
Says De Bergkant Lodge proprietor Michael Sönnichsen, “We are fascinated how Louis Botha has captured the essence of the region and its people and we are honored to be able to bring this beauty to others in the form of a gallery showing his photographic works.
“Visitors to Prince Albert are welcome to come in from the heat outside and view his selection of works or purchase one of his photographic works, or books. His first book Slow Down Look Again retails for ZAR 490.00, his latest book Karoo retails for ZAR 690.00 or you may purchase both for ZAR 1 000.00.”
Photographic Workshops in Prince Albert
Hoping to share a little of his gift of sight and the beauty of the Karoo with others, Louis Botha offers a four-day photography course in Prince Albert which includes a landscape and a portrait practical workshop and addresses both the visual and technical skills required to capture images with greater impact. It is a very special workshop designed to introduce visitors to the abundance of silence, space, timelessness and beauty of the Karoo and its people.
“It’s not about the camera. If you can see it, feel it, you can capture it,” says Louis Botha. “I am intensely aware of the importance of light and time, for our lives, for the longevity of the earth and everything on it, and for the impact it has on every image captured.
“In friendly Prince Albert, people are warm, humble, rich in knowledge and stories, kind and sincere. Here, there is an abundance of form, texture, structure, colour, contrast, solitude, emotion, space and safety, and an absence of clutter, pretentions, materialism and noise.”
by Mercedes Westbrook | Mar 4, 2019 | Lifestyle
In 2019, art lovers and home interior decorators follow the latest visual trends from around the globe turning away from a one-size-fits-all art design and décor movement to deliver radical personalisation – putting you squarely in the spotlight.
This couldn’t be more relevant to core of art and design because – whether we are creating it or responding to it – visual design is a reflection of us; both our tastes and our deeper selves.
#1 Trend: Personalisation
When we choose and hang a piece of art on our wall, either at home, in our office or on a client’s new home interior, it’s meant to mean something, right? Art should be speaking a language; one that you can hear. Today, we are no longer being asked to accept the monologue of mass produced ‘decorative’ items.
Thanks to technology, art is no longer static concept on a wall either. Personalisation has taken a giant leap into our everyday lives thanks to art-on-demand merchandise and print giants such as Fine Art America, Saatchi Art, and Work Art. Today, we can replicate that same original art piece which hangs above our bed and which we love so much and have it reproduced again across at least 15 ordinary items we use each day.
The advantages of custom printed art branding mean we can serve cocktails on coasters that match our art on the wall. We could get so personalised in fact, that we can commission a self-portrait by our favourite artist and have it printed as our own brand across greeting cards, throw pillows as gifts to the family, tee-shirts, clocks, laptop sleeves, cellphone covers, scarves, leggings, shower curtains, aprons, tiles, sheets and duvet covers, fridge magnets, notebooks, bags and totes and yes, even your baby’s onesie… While most of us would never take personalisation this far, its interesting to note that it is possible to reach for celebrity brand inspirations in personalisation at the level of ‘Kardashian’, if we so choose.
#2 Trend: Space and Mass Participation
Today, the aesthetic of contemporary art and art prints are there to elevate the spaces we live and work in. It’s a reality that in an ever-burgeoning world where real estate prices are climbing, the spaces themselves and the art we place in them are diminishing.
Decorative interiors can still be manipulated with the selection of one focal art piece as the anchor visual or the use of a gallery wall of smaller collection art pieces or even the creation of a running theme reflected throughout the different rooms, hallway, bathroom and kitchen in the home or office space.
#3 Using Fine Art as Prints
Artist David Barkham, not only paints in triplicate (he enjoys painting three canvases at any one time in his Scarborough studio), he also produces series of artworks such as his Bicycle Series and Nude Series. “I have been called a memory artist. My series offer many smaller pieces reflecting different moments of emotion. Large, domineering art has taken a step back, instead we are asked to step closer, to look in, to find the echo across a series of pieces from different moments in time.”
Barkham’s themes take an old school approach to the modern trend of the memories of aesthetics from past decades. And right on trend, since most contemporary art buyers don’t have masses of empty wall space to fill, his pieces are smaller yet make up a wistful collection of motion and moment that rather than making a room looked crammed, provide a running theme over backdrops, landscapes and a variety of wall interior throughout the home or office space.
#4 Trend: Neutral Outdoors
Perhaps because spaces are smaller, 2019 brings a return to neutrals and the colours and textures of the outdoors.
Where before we might have leant towards minimalist and pale, the neutrals of 2019 are more dramatic, where patterns reflect that of the artist’s hand and brushstroke, using natural pigments like ochre and terracotta, sourced from clays and volcanic rocks, which have been used by artists all over the world for generations. Here we are asked to witness a certain natural imperfection, using the flow and inconsistency of Nature.
#5 Trend: On Being a Maximalist
According to www.wantedonline.com, a new term for 2019 is ‘maximalism’, a maxi trend of ‘more is more’ where we use our spaces to embrace personality and character through a generosity of layering rather than quantity, using patterning, texture and collections of treasured travel finds.
Says decorator Liam Mooney quoted in the article: “Having a lot of stuff that you don’t love makes you a hoarder, not a maximalist. Constantly edit and refine your eye, forget about interior design and rather focus on populating your life with objects that turn you on!”
Here’s to being turned on in 2019 by nothing more than your own personal taste in art curation. To view fine artist David Barkham’s series of oil painting and prints visit www.davidbarkhamartist.com
by Mercedes Westbrook | Mar 3, 2019 | Lifestyle
Its official! Beige underwear is as dead as a Dodo. Our mothers may have been obliged to put up with underwear in three standard shades: beige, black and white but modern trends have propelled underwear onto the colour wheel when it comes to ‘keeping things in place’, thanks to the custom shapewear designs of www.Amazonezz.com
Owners Adriana and Maxi are the newest fashion icons creating Amazonezz underwear that is fun, funky and so cheeky you will want him to take a peek!
Amazonezz Shapewear is defined by high quality elastane fabrics and custom colour designs that can be appreciated as outerwear. Its modern corset-style dress features a ‘bodice’ which sit just beneath the breasts (you wear your own bra support) with longer length shoulder straps and adequate length in the leg to reach just below mid-thigh.
The Spring Collection 2019 is defined by turquoise and blue leopard print and other surreal palates and colours in seven size variations of XXS to XXL sizes, all retailing at R1 600 each.
Re-igniting your Passion
Says Creative Director Adriana Holzmann: “I have been wearing shapewear for 15 years and for 10 of those years I searched from Monaco to Majorca, Ibiza to New York to find something more stimulating than beige, standard white or lacy black. When my husband came straight out with it one day that he found my underwear a passion-killer, I decided to do something about it!”
Starting with what she knew about herself as a fulfilled and confident woman and how she liked to look and feel in underwear, Adriana started off with a few tentative drawings. “I had no idea where it was going to lead. I just kept connecting to my passion. It wasn’t until I asked my best friend Maxi, another strong woman, to partner with me that we really ignited our ideas and took our business forward. We work well together as we both bring our own unique set of skills to designing, sourcing, fabric printing, manufacturing and marketing the business.”
Calling on 500 years of proud independence
Explaining the name Amazonezz, Adriana says she has always been intrigued by the 500-year old story of a tribe of women who lived in the Amazon. “They were independent and lived according to their own law; they didn’t need anyone to look after them. Once a month, they would meet and couple with the men but otherwise they would live and hunt only with other women, raising their male children until 4 years of age when they would go and join the men’s quarters. They were so fierce in their independence that they even cut off their right breast so they could take better aim while hunting from horseback.
“I believe that the modern woman needs to take some of that independence and claim her beauty and stature in life. We need to be proud of our bodies and love them exactly how they are. Wearing Amazonezz Shapewear is a bold statement. It says I am not afraid of my curves, I wear them with delight. Our underwear must bring us joy, it must make us feel unafraid and beautiful!”
Designer-quality Underwear
Adriana sources the highest quality fabrics and the manufacturing team at Oggi Cape Town use only the highest quality yarns to give it a quadrupled stitch. “I started the business from scratch according to my own standards of what is ‘best’. This is our first collection with fabric sourced in Spain. We are now busy with our second and third collection and looking at designing shorts as well.
“We are intent on doing something that has never been done before. Each collection will be a stand-alone design with a ‘placement print’ and its own recognizable pattern and colours. Just like Versace, Missoni and Ed Hardy prints, you will be able to recognise Amazonezz lingerie by our custom fabrics, for example, an item might feature a tiger on the stomach or a goat’s head and roses on the small of the back.
We want to bring the entire textile and printing operation to South Africa and keep it local so we can also make Amazonezz Shapeware available to the larger community. Rather than just being a high-end, luxury underwear, we want to create a price point of R800 to R1000 a piece, so everyone can afford a beautiful item of Amazonezz Shapewear.
“I believe being voluptuous is beautiful. For women who feel they are already perfect, Amazonezz Shapewear proves you are worth it, it shapes and tones you even more.”
To help you celebrate your shape, Amazonezz is giving away a 40 ml bottle of Wilderer’s Gin and a voucher with every first purchase of Amazonezz Shapewear.
About Adriana Holzmann
Growing up in East Germany, the Wall came down just right in time for Adriana to conquer the world. Her parent’s plans for her to study medicine in Berlin were quickly exchanged for a career as an estate agent which helped her to fund her travel adventures around the globe. Adriana found her business niche and her husband when she landed and fell in love with South Africa. Passionate about bringing beautiful Shapewear to women everywhere, Adriana is firmly fixed on bucking the beige and setting the trend for outrageously beautiful intimate wear.
She can be contacted on C: 0824933990
About Maxi Huber
Maxi grew up in rural Bavaria overlooking world-famous Lake Chiemsee, in a hotel owned by the family for over 100 years. Hospitality was a natural career progression for her, qualifying as a Chef before the age of 23 years, despite a creative calling for the world of fashion. Her travels brought her to South Africa where she opened Maximilians Restaurant frequented by global food celebrities, and a successful boutique hotel and where her 20-year friendship with Adriana began. As Financial Director, Maxi’s extraordinary past inspires her ambitions to dominate the world so women may wear extraordinary luxury Shapewear every day.
She can be contacted on C: 0836266965
Follow Amazonezz at @amazonezz_shapewear on Instagram and @amazonezz on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.
by Mercedes Westbrook | Feb 9, 2019 | Lifestyle
Designer lifestyle with ‘priceless’ 180-degree views of Hout Bay and Chapman’s Peak in Cape Town, South Africa.
Erf size: 897.28m2
Ground floor: 122.80m2
First floor: 125.20m2
Mezzanine Level: 49.40m2
Balconies: 24.00m2
With priceless 180-degree views across Hout Bay of one of the most spectacular marine drives in the world, Chapman’s Peak Drive, this designer home is now available for sale on the private property market.
Commanding attention from its front row position in Hout Bay Heights overlooking the Bay’s private Yacht Club, popular Bay Harbour Market and vibrant fishermen’s wharf, its three-story elevation is a marvel of expansive space which stretches across three levels of floor to ceiling glass.
Designed and built just four years ago, it stands as homage to owner Dieter Losskarn’s passion for German precision, sleek lines and superlative lifestyle living.
Architecturally exact, Bay Harbour House maintains a light-steel ‘bone’ structure complete with exposed ceilings which anchor a ‘rib cage’ of steel lines as an interior design feature. The intention is a replica of a classic luxury car showroom, mirrored by smooth polyurethane floors and vast silent sliding steel-framed doors and windows.
Bay Harbour House is open plan living at its finest, whether you are looking for a home filled with space and light or a space to fill with a commercial business or retail brand.
Grand ground floor welcome
Its impressive entrance gate set on the lip of the property features a sweeping exposed aggregate driveway which mirrors the surrounding granite as it descends the incline into the ground floor triple-size garage.
The ‘garage’ space with its high gloss polyurethane floor and uniformly spaced windows at both seated and standing eye-level towards the panorama of mountains and secluded bay is an exact replica of all the lines and finishes rendered throughout this three-story home.
Its three en-suite bedrooms each command one entire level of their own and feature signature wrap around windows. A high-tech lit stairwell leads up to the second floor, where a 7-metre high ceiling comes into play across on expanse of dining room, fireplace, kitchen, pantry, guest bathroom, the second bedroom en-suite and a stainless steel encased veranda.
Double story Majesty
Step out onto the balcony and a fresh breeze rushes to meet you as you take in a visual cocktail from the Noordhoek side of Chapman Peak Drive and visitor’s lookout point across the sweep of the Hout Bay harbor, beach, Hout Bay village and into the lush hips of the Constantia valley and Kirstenbosch Gardens just beyond the lip.
In the bathrooms, expect heat treated metal doors, metallic silver mosaic bathroom tiles and European interior fittings as well as steampunk style exposed copper fittings and a modern double-volume copper bath in the main bedroom overlooking its own Romeo and Juliet verandah.
The Third floors Eagle’s eye
The third floor is dedicated to the main bedroom, with a separate alcove shower, enclosed toilet and a study area overlooking the second floor below with its own row of elevated windows with views onto the mountain range above Hout Bay.
With imminent fully development of the harbor and developments already underway, Bay Harbour Houses’ sweeping views are assured since there is no available land to build in front and the neighbouring mountainside is already claimed by a Russian business man continuing development of the renowned Lichtenstein Castle and surrounds.
Features:
- Ground floor private entrance
- 1st Floor Entrance via a suspended walkway to front door.
- 3 bedrooms 4 bathrooms
- Dining room with double volume
- Kitchen with separate pantry
- Living room with double volume, wood fireplace with double volume
- Study area
- Double showroom garage
- Laundry and scullery
- 24-hour manned security with alarm, electronic beams and intercom
Love this property? View by appointment: Call Mercédes Westbrook on C: +27 789707633 or E: mercedes@firehorsemedia.co.za
About Hout Bay:
Hout Bay, or the Republic of Hout Bay as it is affectionately known by locals, is a fantastic Atlantic seaboard beach lifestyle neighbourhood in Cape Town that offers something for everyone, any day of the week. Just +- 20kms (around 30 minutes) from Cape Town’s CBD it is just around the corner from Llundudno and Camp’s Bay offering less tourist traffic and more equitable property prices.
Hout Bay nestles between the mountain, valley and sea with a community focus on its bustling harbor, horse farms, international schools, hiking trails and sea sport activities and trendy restaurants and art galleries.
Hout Bay is well known for its vibrant Bay Harbour Market, Chapman’s Peak Hotel, the five-star Tintswalo Atlantic and the world-famous Chapman’s Peak Drive, its yachting marine, fishing and boat trips to Duiker (Seal) Island.
Hout Bay is so called by the Dutch meaning Bay of Wood, when passing ships would repair and build their wooden vessels from the thickly-forested mountain slopes which also offered a good water supply.
The area was originally made up of two farms, which were slowly subdivided to make way for urban expansion. While still maintaining its rural atmosphere, the area of Hout Bay is home to about 12,000 residences inhabited by a population of about 42,000 people.
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