ARE YOU READY FOR THE COUNTRY?
Ever wondered what it’s like to move from the city to a South African dorp?
In their years of travelling through Small Town SA, Karoo-based photojournalists Julienne du Toit and Chris Marais have encountered all kinds of new arrivals to the platteland. They include animators, sculptors, cartoonists, movie set designers, geeks, hotel owners, chefs, stock market analysts, writers, editors, photographers, nurses and teachers, tattoo artists and moonshiners.
Julienne and Chris are also part of this ever-growing group of former city-based semigrants now based in the countryside. Moving to the Platteland records some of what they experienced when they left Johannesburg and moved to Cradock in 2007. But even more valuable are the recorded insights, observations and advice from dozens of other people who have also made the leap from the city to the fresh air, open spaces and relative peace of the South African platteland.
How did they do it? What made them do it? Where do their children go to school? How did they get their restaurants, guesthouses and businesses going? How did they find their niche, their creative sweet spot, their perfect little dorpie?
The answers to these and many more questions about life in the country are tackled in Moving to the Platteland. This illustrated book offers you a decade of insights, warts-and-all experiences and advice on the practical and the social aspects of thriving in a small South African town.
This ebook is available as a PDF (with 140 pictures) or as text only on a Kindle-friendly app.
5 reviews for Moving to the Platteland
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Klaradyn Grobler –
It is such a lekker read. There are so many “moments’ in the book.
Louise van der Walt –
Dit is ‘n great boek wat julle geskryf en ge-foto het. Kan dit nie neersit nie. Wil sommer my tasse pak en trug na my roots toe.
Jeremy Witts-Hewinson –
I’ve spent the afternoon browsing through it. My initial response – “A simply delightful read and a damn useful book to acquire!”
Dene Coetzee –
Congratulations on a well written and absorbing book. You have got the balance perfect, between case studies of those that have made the successful transition to the platteland and good practical advice to those who are contemplating the move. I also enjoyed Chris’ photographs.
Eddie Blignaut, author of Karoo Chuckles –
I am staggered by the extent of background research and interviews you have done across the length and breadth of RSA to collect such a wide variety of reflections.
You really have provided would-be settlers in the countryside with some very useful inside information indeed.