I drove Limpopo — South Africa’s northernmost province — from top to bottom and around again. I visited towns with lyrical names: Mookgophong, Mokopane, Polokwane, Tzaneen, Giyani, Makhado. I stayed in luxury lodges and self-catering chalets. I gaped up at a full moon from beneath a towering white tree that’s been dead for more than 30 years. I got lost in an orange grove. I drank gin and tonics. I ate a hamburger on a bun so stale I could have used it as a hockey puck. I ate macadamia-crusted trout and rare beef fillet and vegan burgers and beetroot quinoa.
I sat alone and cried in a birdwatching hide. I faced down a warthog. I watched monkeys copulate. I hung out with honking geese at sunrise. I photographed women embroidering elaborate masterpieces. I drove up a mountain on a dry, pockmarked dirt road and gazed down at a sacred lake. I communed with an ancient baobab. I saw the dusty grave of a Canadian First Nations soldier who died in a savage South African war. I visited a macadamia nut factory and a dragon fruit farm and a man who makes beautiful art out of rubbish.
The art of Pilato Bulala.
This isn’t even half of what I did last week in Limpopo.
I’ll have more to say about this journey in future blog posts. But for now: An ode to Limpopo.
Ode to the People (and Places) of Limpopo
Ode to my dear friend Bridget Hilton-Barber, trying to reason with her gaggle of geese at Kings Walden in Agatha. I’ll tell you more about Kings Walden in another post.
Ode to Nipper Thompson, cheesemaker at the Wegraakbosch organic dairy farm. Wegraakbosch produces cheese the old-fashioned way, in a giant copper pot over a fire using milk from grass-fed cows.
Ode to Ngwako Ramolefo (left) and Emmanuel Mohlalohanyi (right) who make gin infused with blueberries, mandarins, and moringa at the Old Packhouse Distillery in Tzaneen.
Ode to Howard Blight, owner of Amorentia Estate and Nursery, who grows sweet dragon fruit and saves endangered cape parrots and treasures the 2000-year-old matumi trees that lived at Amorentia long before any humans did.
Ode to Angie Paterson, who runs the beautiful, sustainable, mostly vegetarian Magoebaskloof Farmstall and Café on a bend in the crazy winding forest road between Haenertsburg and Tzaneen.
Ode to the visionary artist Irma Van Rooyen, who founded the Kaross embroidery studio in Letsitele. What a magical place this is. Irma doesn’t like to be photographed but I accidentally caught her in this shot, far in the background to the left.
One of many masterpieces at Kaross.
Ode to (left to right) Lucky Ramaliba, Triphinah Ravele, and Eric Mananzhe, the staff at Khojas Modern Store in Louis Trichardt (also called Makhado). Khojas is the best place in Limpopo to buy Venda and Tsonga fabrics.
Ode to Sarah Venter of EcoProducts, which makes the most wonderful things out of baobab fruit collected by women in remote corners of South Africa.
Ode to Noria Mabasa, the first and only female Venda woodcarver. (Woodcarving is traditionally only for men.) Noria has a street named after her in Joburg and is a total badass.
Ode to Charles Leach, one of South Africa’s foremost authorities on the Anglo-Boer War and particularly on Anglo-Boer War events in northern Limpopo. I’ll definitely be doing a longer post about Charles — this is one of several Anglo-Boer War monuments he erected in an area known as the Soutpansberg.
Ode to scrap metal artist Pilato Bulala, whose work is pictured at the top of this post. Here he is holding a piece of junk that he plans to turn into a dolphin. Pilato is brilliant.
Ode to Rhulani Gift Mkhari (left), a great guide who showed me around the Ribola Art Route the last time I was there and took me to meet Pilato this time. Follow Gift at Tourist Guide Gift Mkhari.
Ode to Lucky‘s family in Venda. I stayed with Lucky’s family a couple of years ago, and while Lucky wasn’t there this time I managed to remember where his parents’ house is and stop by to visit them. Pictured here are Lucky’s mother Anna (blue jacket), his niece Khulisiso (blue hoodie), his sister Matodzi (tank top), his other sister Rendani (white top), and his nephew Andani.
I also went up the road to Lucky’s new house and hung out with his wife Vhutshilo (top left), his sister-in-law Alfina (middle), niece Shudu (middle left), son Adi (bottom left) and nephew Tendi (bottom middle). It was great to see them all again. (Photo: Musa Matchume)
Thanks Limpopo. This wasn’t my first trip to visit you and it certainly won’t be my last.
it is my favorite part of South Africa as well! meeting Noria Mabasa is indeed quite an experience, the area is so authentic and full of creative people…thanks for taking me back there….
I can’t wait to read about Madi a Thavha, we have been visiting there since 2008 when they had just opened, it is such an amazing place, and Marcelle and Aart are very committed to the community….
This is such a great trip Heather thank you. I’m definitely keen to do a road trip like this. Would you mind mapping it out, if i’ts not too much trouble?
I actually thought about making a Google map of my stops but ran out of time. But here it is verbally: I drove from Joburg to the Nylsvley Nature Reserve near Mookgopong (formerly Naboomspruit), spent one night there, then drove north to Tzaneen (stopping briefly in Mokopane and Polokwane to visit a couple of museums), spent two full days exploring Tzaneen and Magoebaskloof (soooo much to do there), then continued north to Louis Trichardt with stops in Letsitele (to visit Kaross) and the Giyani area (to visit artist Johannes Maswanganyi). I spent two days in Louis Trichardt exploring the surrounding area, then returned to Joburg. There is still so much more to do! Next time I need to make it up to Mapungubwe.
I throughly enjoyed your writing style, my reading precipited by your ownership of a Jimmy, albeit the new shape whilst my own experience relates to the former shape. My experiences with my little “go anywhere Honey Badger” covers most of Gauteng urban on a daily basis but a specific road trip in company with my wife Kia through Botswana, exiting into Namibia via Maun, to Grootfontein (Hoba Meteorite site) to Walvis Bay, into Goanikontes (Lunar-scape environment) then to Windhoek then home via Nakop Border post. The trip was primarily to plot a motorcycle challenge for VOG, at the time, our motorcycle owners Group. Sadly for reasons pertaining to business logistics we disposed of our Jimny in favour of a panel van. Regretting it until today, now in a semi retired status.
I’m an American writer/blogger/photographer living a quirky life in Johannesburg. Follow along as I explore Johannesburg, South Africa, and the rest of the world.
Thanks so much for this
My pleasure!
Absolutely beautiful! Makes me want to go back too.
It’s fast becoming my favorite part of SA.
it is my favorite part of South Africa as well! meeting Noria Mabasa is indeed quite an experience, the area is so authentic and full of creative people…thanks for taking me back there….
Only a pleasure 🙂
Sounds amazing. Except for the frisky monkeys, maybe.
Even the monkeys were charming.
It looks wonderful – all of it!! Look forward to your detailed blogs – some great talent up there with crafts.
That’s for sure.
Sounds like an amazing trip. There is a stall at Vic Yards that sells the baobab seeds, powder and ice-cream, so thanks for adding the insert on that.
Yes! That shop is run by the people who own Madi a Thavha. I’m going to blog about it soon.
I can’t wait to read about Madi a Thavha, we have been visiting there since 2008 when they had just opened, it is such an amazing place, and Marcelle and Aart are very committed to the community….
I loved it so much!
I love your portraits!
Thanks 🙂
This is such a great trip Heather thank you. I’m definitely keen to do a road trip like this. Would you mind mapping it out, if i’ts not too much trouble?
I actually thought about making a Google map of my stops but ran out of time. But here it is verbally: I drove from Joburg to the Nylsvley Nature Reserve near Mookgopong (formerly Naboomspruit), spent one night there, then drove north to Tzaneen (stopping briefly in Mokopane and Polokwane to visit a couple of museums), spent two full days exploring Tzaneen and Magoebaskloof (soooo much to do there), then continued north to Louis Trichardt with stops in Letsitele (to visit Kaross) and the Giyani area (to visit artist Johannes Maswanganyi). I spent two days in Louis Trichardt exploring the surrounding area, then returned to Joburg. There is still so much more to do! Next time I need to make it up to Mapungubwe.
Thank you so much. This is awesome.
Love your blog, your writing & great pics! Limpopo has found a wonderful ambassador!
That’s a big compliment coming from you!
I throughly enjoyed your writing style, my reading precipited by your ownership of a Jimmy, albeit the new shape whilst my own experience relates to the former shape. My experiences with my little “go anywhere Honey Badger” covers most of Gauteng urban on a daily basis but a specific road trip in company with my wife Kia through Botswana, exiting into Namibia via Maun, to Grootfontein (Hoba Meteorite site) to Walvis Bay, into Goanikontes (Lunar-scape environment) then to Windhoek then home via Nakop Border post. The trip was primarily to plot a motorcycle challenge for VOG, at the time, our motorcycle owners Group. Sadly for reasons pertaining to business logistics we disposed of our Jimny in favour of a panel van. Regretting it until today, now in a semi retired status.
Sounds like a great trip!
Thank you for sharing all the information with us, dear Heather! Great ideas for the next trip.
Thanks so much Peter!