!Khwa ttu Nature Reserve strives to restore dignity and cultural pride, navigating a practical path between the old ways and the new World. They are committed to the dynamic preservation of indigenous knowledge and the development of skills to equip San to thrive in a rapidly changing Southern Africa.

The Heritage of the San and its restitution, conservation and responsible tourism practice creates a powerful learning experience for young San from across Southern Africa. By sharing their example, expertise and information with visitors, and through forming partnerships, they leverage the impact locally and strengthen indigenous initiatives in remote communities across Southern Africa.

THE HISTORY OF THE SAN PEOPLE- "The San people are members of various Khoe, Tuu, or Kx'a-speaking indigenous hunter-gatherer culture. They are the first cultures of Southern Africa whose territories span Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe and Zambia. They have called these regions home for tens of thousand of Years. In 2019, Botswana was home to approximately 64 000 San people, making it the country with the highest population of San people- hence the strong relationship with the Botswana people!

San people were traditionally semi-nomadic people- moving seasonally within certain defined Areas, based on the availability of natural resources such as: "water; game-animals and edible plants." The tribes are well known for there remarkable connection and knowledge of their land and natural surroundings. They have astonishingly maintained this for Millions of Years in this Area. The sad reality is that their unique way of life will be destroyed if their Heritage is not preserved and passed on to the youth. Hence why !Khwa ttu was established. To serve as a workplace and learning centre which delivers individual designed job-training to 50-75 San people, a Year."

The San people are threatened with a disenfranchisement from their Culture, language and knowledge of their way of life. This is largely due to climate change and the developing World, leaving behind this delicate niche of people! (This generally goes for all of humankind)."

This San culture and education centre, was founded in 1999 and is located 70km from Cape Town. It's a non-profit company managed jointly by: the San and a Swiss-based 'Ubuntu Foundation' !Khwa ttu Nature Reserve story begins with: Irene Staehelin. In 1998, the Working Group for Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa (WIMSA) decided that the San needed assistance in unlocking potentialTtourism opportunities and showcasing San culture to the World. They turned to Swiss anthropologist Irene Staehelin for this. She agreed to help! In 1999, she was guided by her own vision, and inspired by the Heritage Centre's in the USA and Canada, Irene bought an 850 hectare, Wheat farm, on the West Coast of South Africa for the !Khwa ttu project. Irene, later set up the Ubuntu Foundation in Switzerland, to help guide and support the project.

!Khwa ttu Nature Reserve, opened to the public in 2006. In the following Decade, Farm Buildings have been restored andthere is a steady development of its Tourism. This offered the San more development capabilities. Outside, the Area was carefully rehabilitated and wildlife reintroduced.

In September 2016 Ubuntu Foundation, committed a substantial portion of the funding needed to build !Khwa ttu’s San Heritage Centre. This paved the way to fulfilling the dreams of many, and launched the next exciting stage of !Khwa ttu’s development! 

Yzerfontein Lime Kilns where established and a the refreshment station at the Cape of Good Hope; by the VOC there was no cement available for building purposes. The Dutch built lime kilns to burn mussels to form a binding material to be used as cement.

There is also many Outdoor Activities: The Schaapeiland Hiking Trail (Link in Further Reading). The 'Schaapeiland Hiking Trail'; skirts the edge of the Village of Yzerfontein. Approximately two kilometres long, it starts from the Main Beach – or Sixteen Mile Beach as it is also known – and then runs in a Southerly direction.

What sets the Agulhas National Park apart is its rich diversity of flora and archaeological significance. The coastal plains of this Western Cape Nature Reserve in South Africa hold many secrets for nature lovers. You'll discover fascinating ecological habitats, Shipwrecks, National Monuments and signs of ancient Settlements, in this nature conservation area. The Agulhas National Park is the mainstay of the Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative, whose aim is to address the main threats to the globally significant: 'Lowland Fynbos Biodiversity Area of the Agulhas Plain'. This then improves the livelihoods of the region’s Local Communities.

Agulhas has a number of Wetlands, where endangered flora and fauna can be found such as: 'the Cape Plantana and the Micro Frog as well as a large number of Bird life.' The coastline is home to diverse marine and intertidal life. This intertidal zone is: an ecosystem found on marine shorelines, where a multitude of organisms living on the shore survive changes between high and low tides.  Here you could spot the rare African Black Oystercatcher, and in the second half of the year you can keep a lookout for Southern Right Whales on their seasonal migration.

You can also enjoy a variety of hikes, walks and trails, also bird watching and fishing in the park. There are plenty of pubs and restaurants, shops, banks, and other amenities to be found in surrounding Towns of: Agulhas, Struisbaai or Bredasdorp. You could also visit the Cape Agulhas Lighthouse and Museum in Agulhas. The Cape Agulhas Lighthouse Museum was opened in 1994 and is the only one of its kind that is found in Africa. The museum is a wonderful historical source of not only the lighthouse but also of the old fish traps that were used hundreds of years ago by the indigenous Khoisan people, these traps are made out of stone!

The Museum at Cape Agulhas Lighthouse, invites you to explore and discover all that it has to offer. If you’re feeling fit enough you can make your way up the 71 steps to the top of the lighthouse. ("The view is breath taking and well worth the trip!")

With its pristine Coastlines, where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet at the Southern-most tip of Africa. With its headquarters in Bredasdorp, the Overberg District Municipality is a category C Municipality governing the four local Municipalities of Cape Agulhas, Overstrand, Swellendam and Theewaterskloof.

The Municipal Area covers 12,241 km2 and currently has an estimated population of 300,285 people in 86,716 households. (This is according to a survey done in 2020. The link is in FURTHER READING.)

The Overberg is a Region in South Africa, to the East of Cape Town, is beyond the Hottentots-Holland Mountains. The name is derived from: 'Over the Berg', which means: "over the (Hottentots-Holland) Mountain". It lies along the Western Cape Province's South coast between the Cape Peninsula and the Region known as the Garden Route, in the East. The boundaries of the Overberg are the Hottentots-Holland Mountains in the West; the Riviersonderend Mountains in the North; the Atlantic and Indian Oceans in the South and the Breede River in the East.

The Overberg has always been considered as the breadbasket of the Cape and is largely given to grain farming, mainly wheat. The wheat fields are a major breeding ground for South Africa's National bird; the 'Blue Crane'. Another important food farmed in the Overberg is fruit. Grabouw, being the second largest supplier of fruit in South Africa. Nestled in the Overberg, one can find the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, (which is recognised and registered with UNESCO). Populated with a large diversity of flowering plants not found anywhere else in the; 'Fynbos Biome'.

Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve was the first South African Biosphere Reserve. This Biosphere Reserve was established to preserve the biological diversity, of a particular Region in the World. These Reserves protect the plants, animals, natives and overall environment of the Area. They also help in conserving the lifestyle of plants and animals, that are conserved in it. It covers 103,629 hectares, more than 80% of which consists of Mountainous landscape ranging from high Mountain Peaks and deep Valleys to gentle Hills and lower Mountain slopes. The remaining area comprises a gently rolling coastal plain and a marine area, which covers about 24,500 hectares. The coastline is mostly rocky with sandy Beaches and Estuaries. The main economic activities in the Area are: apple farming and commercial pine plantations.

Tourism, specifically Eco-Tourism, has the potential to become a major Economic activity, (with some 60,000 people visiting the Area during the holiday season!) The major Towns are Hermanus, Caledon, Bredasdorp, Grabouw and Swellendam and the Region includes Cape Agulhas, the Southern most point of Africa. The landscape is dominated by gently to moderate Hills enclosed by; Mountains and the Ocean.

The Karoo is one of the World’s most unique, arid zones. In South Africa it stands alone, globally it is an: "envied rarity." Situated in the Western parts of the Eastern Cape. "Steytlerville is the home of peace and tranquility." Here one can rest, relax, refresh yourself and recharge the inner batteries of your soul, while exploring and enjoying yourself by indulging your need, for some unusual entertainment. As is common with many of the far flung Towns and Villages of the Karoo, Steytlerville had its origins as a parish for the Dutch Reformed Church. In the arid Valley between the Groot Winterhoek Mountains and the Baviaanskloof Mountains to the South and the Grootrivierberge to the North, the Farm; 'Doorspoort' was a welcome oasis for the Voortrekkers or Nomadic Farmers. These were the first settlers in the District. The Farm was purchased by the Dutch Reformed Church, in Uitenhage in 1875 to serve the spiritual needs of the local farmers and the Town was subsequently established in 1876.

Steytlerville was named in honour of the Reverend Abraham Isaac Steytler, a Minister of the Dutch Reformed Church and later Moderator of the Cape Synod between 1909 and 1915. Steytlerville became a Municipality, in 1891. The original Church was built in 1876 with some 300 members, however this first Church was replaced with the large neo-Gothic style Church in 'Sarel Cilliers Street' on the site of the original Town Square. The new Church was designed by the architect; F.W.Hesse and built by building contractors from Cape Town, H.H. Moon & Ledbury.

During the Anglo Boer War the town was garrisoned by British Troops as a protection against raiding Boer Commandos. In 1911 work was begun on a steel bridge to span the Groot River in the direction of Uitenhage. The bridge was officially opened in in 1913 and named the Lady de Waal Bridge honouring the wife of the Administrator of the Cape Province at the time, Sir Frederick de Waal. The Bridge was washed away in the flooding of the Groot River in 1916 and 1921. On both occasions it was rebuilt and remains today unused, due to its replacemnet, by a concrete bridge spanning the tempestuous Groot River in 1974.

The introduction of Merino sheep into the district, in 1915 was an important factor in the growth and development of the district for many decades and together with the Angora goat they have been farmed, in the district since 1870. This has been the central in the economic well-being of the community. In more recent times and largely at the instigation of; the former Minister of Agriculture and Water Affairs, Sarel Hayward whose roots were in Steytlerville. Many farmers introduced indigenous wildlife to their farms, given the precarious grazing conditions, resulting from persistent drought in the District. Fortunately nature has endowed Steytlerville with, exceptional beauty and it is known for its astonishing variety of semi-desert vegetation which includes dwarf shrubs, tiny succulents, umbrella-shaped wild plum trees and ancient cycads.

Visitors to the small Karoo Town will immediately be struck by the Town’s exceptionally wide; Main Street. This was designed when the Town was established in 1876. This allowed ox wagons to turn around at both ends. Nowadays the wide streets are divided by flower boxes planted with Bougainvilleas and the street lamp poles are adorned with the coats of arms of families associated with Town and Area. The Town’s houses provide beautiful examples of Edwardian and Victorian architecture. Steytlerville lies in the heartland of the Mohair production Area. The Angora goats, which produce the mohair, thrive in the natural Karoo scrub and dry climate which is just perfect for mohair production! Port Elizabeth, which lies South-East of Steytlerville, is known as the Mohair Capital of the World because most of the mohair that is produced Internationally, passes through its brokerage and processing systems. The surrounding area that adjoins Port Elizabeth has developed an agriculture/tourism product known as: the Mohair Meander. Tourists are encouraged to visit working mohair Farms and see for themselves how products associated with mohair are made! Then to share in the Karoo lifestyle of the Area that produces this rare natural wool.  Several outlets along this route sell mohair products.

Steytlerville lies at the entrance to the Eastern parts of the 'Baviaanskloof' and showcases a host of architectural gems like: 'quaint Edwardian- and Victorian-era houses with tin roofs and large street-facing verandas complete with 'broekie' lace and stained glass windows.' "This is one of the best Towns the Karoo has to offer is Steytlerville, with its Bougainvillea-lined streets and horse-drawn carts, it is a 'diamond' waiting to be discovered!"

The Transvaal, is one of the former Province of South Africa. It occupied the North Eastern part of the Country. The Limpopo River marked its border with Botswana and Zimbabwe to the North, while the Vaal River marked its boundary with Orange Free State Province, to the South. It was bounded by Mozambique and Swaziland to the East and by Cape Province to the West.

The Transvaal’s name, which means “across the Vaal,” originated with the Afrikaners who in the 1830's migrated to the region after crossing the Vaal River. The land between the Limpopo and Vaal Rivers was originally inhabited by the Sotho, Venda, and other Bantu-speaking peoples. In the 1820's and 30's they were unsettled by invasions of the Ndebele and other Bantu tribes fleeing from the warring, Zulu. Another migration was that of seminomadic pastoral Afrikaner farmers called Voortrekkers, or Boers, who in the mid-1830's began to probe Northward beyond the borders of the Cape Colony with the aim of organizing an exodus from British-controlled territory. Some 12,000 of these Boer emigrants moving Northward from the Cape crossed the Vaal River and entered the Area, where they settled in isolated Farms. After driving the Ndebele North of the Limpopo River in November 1837, the Voortrekker leader, Hendrik Potgieter, was able to claim all the land between it and the Vaal River. More Boers moved to the Transvaal when Great Britain annexed the nascent Boer Republic of Natal (1843) and established the Orange River Sovereignty (1848). Rivalries between Potgieter and his fellow leaders Andries Pretorius and W.F. Joubert prevented the Boers from forming a strong government in the Transvaal. This was because the Area lay out of reach of the administration in the Cape Colony, the British in 1852 recognized the independence of the Afrikaners north of the Vaal River under the terms of the Sand River Convention. Throughout the 1800's, the boundaries of European influence spread Eastwards, from the port of Durban, Natal. Settlers pushed Northwards, further and further into the land of the Zulu. From the mid-1800's, the Voortrekkers coalesced in two land-locked white-ruled Republics, the South African Republic (Transvaal) and the Orange Free State. The Boers drafted a constitution in 1855, and the communities centered at Pretoria, Potchefstroom, and Rustenburg, joined in 1857 to form a Transvaal state called: 'the South African Republic'.

It was governed by a Volksraad of 24 elected members and had Marthinus W. Pretorius, the son of Andries, as its first president. The new Republic’s authority was limited to the South Western Transvaal, though it claimed sovereignty over the entire area between the two rivers. The government tried to expand its territory, but more important to the Transvaal’s future were discoveries of diamonds and gold deposits (1868–74) along the Vaal River and other sites, which heightened British interest in gaining control of the region but did little to help the Boers’ stagnant agricultural-pastoral economy. In 1877, Sir Theophilus Shepstone annexed the financially bankrupt Republic to Britain over the halfhearted protest of its then-president, Thomas F. Burgers. The British failed to fulfill their promises of internal self-government to the Boers, however, in the late 1880's the Afrikaners revolted against the British and declared a new Transvaal Republic. They regained their independence—subject to certain provisos—in 1881 after overwhelming British forces at the Battle of Majuba Hill. Paul Kruger became the new republic’s first president. South Africa’s diamond mining industry dates back to 1867, when diamonds were discovered near Kimberley in what is today known as the Northern Cape. The Kimberley diamond fields, and later discoveries in Gauteng, the Free State, and along the Atlantic coast, emerged as major sources of gem-quality diamonds, securing South Africa’s position as the World’s leading producer of diamonds, in the mid-twentieth Century.

The discovery of large gold deposits in the Witwatersrand Area in 1886 resulted in a tremendous influx of miners and fortune seekers, primarily English and Germans, who were called Uitlanders. These foreigners eventually came to outnumber the Afrikaners two to one in the Transvaal, but Kruger refused to grant them voting and other rights. The British immigrants speeded the building of rail links between the Transvaal and the Cape Colony, and their growing urban populations stimulated the Boers’ commercial agriculture. The Transvaal government, however, refused to undertake political reforms and was unable to mediate between the rural, agricultural, staunchly Calvinist Afrikaners and the new British financial, mining, and commercial classes. Tensions with Britain increased greatly after an English adventurer, Leander Starr Jameson, led an abortive raid (December 1895) into the Transvaal in an attempt to provoke the Uitlanders to an internal uprising against Kruger’s rule.

The Transvaal government subsequently began to arm itself and also strengthened a defensive alliance with its sister Boer republic, the Orange Free State. War between the two Boer republics and Great Britain broke out two days after the Transvaal gave the British an ultimatum (October 9, 1899) demanding the withdrawal of British troop reinforcements that had been sent to the Cape. The British were able to occupy the capital, Pretoria, in June 1900, and in September they formally annexed the Transvaal. Fighting between the Boers and British continued, however, until the resources of both Boer republics had been broken by unceasing strain against superior forces. The Peace of Vereeniging (May 31, 1902) ended the independence of the Transvaal, which became a British crown colony under the administration of Sir Alfred Milner. The British restored internal self-government to the Transvaal in 1906. In elections held (1907) under the colony’s new constitution, the former commander of the Transvaal’s forces in the war, Gen. Louis Botha, led his Het Volk party to a majority and became prime minister with the support of Jan Christian Smuts. Their government promoted unity between the Afrikaners and the British, and in 1910 the Transvaal became a province of the Union of South Africa, a status that was maintained when the Union became the Republic of South Africa in 1961. The Transvaal’s History in the rest of the 20th Century was primarily economic. The Province was extremely rich in mineral resources, especially gold and uranium. The gold deposits were concentrated in the southern Transvaal, in a highland area known as the Witwatersrand, where Johannesburg is located. The Province also contained reserves of platinum, chromite, tin, nickel, diamonds, and coal. The complex of mining, industrial, commercial, and financial activities arising from this vast mineral wealth made the Southern Transvaal the economic heartland of South Africa. In 1994 the Transvaal was split into four provinces: Northern (now Limpopo), Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vereeniging (now Gauteng), Eastern Transvaal (now Mpumalanga), and part of North-West. KRUGER NATIONAL PARK . An extraordinary and very interesting History of; the Kruger National Park including the San people, Voortrekkers and various gold prospectors. The first explorer to set foot in the region was the Dutchman François de Kuiper who led a Dutch East India Company expedition to explore. However, the expedition was attacked and driven by local tribes-people near Gomondwane.

Only around 1838 Voortrekker expeditions led by Louis Trichardt and Hans van Rensburg were able to successfully establish forward outposts. Hundreds of Europeans and farmers came to the Lowveld lured by hushed whispers of gold and the great quantity of valuable commodities such as ivory and skins. This caused the number of game to dramatically decrease due to hunting and trading of animal skins and horns. President Paul Kruger was told about the rapid destruction of wildlife in the area by hunters, after which he succeeded to persuade the Transvaal parliament to establish a protected area for wildlife in the Lowveld region. The very first ranger in the reserve was Paul Bester who made his residence in a rustic Rondavel (hut) which is now the site of the headquarters camp, Skukuza. Documents concerning the History of the Kruger National Park can be viewed at the Skukuza Library. Half a million Years ago, the first stone age hunters roamed the plains in search of game. Later the plains were inhabited by modern day Bushmen who have left fascinating rock paintings all over the Republic of South Africa. The Kruger National Park contains over one hundred sites of these paintings. The Kruger National Park is a living memorial to President Paul Kruger and those who have upheld his vision of a protected wilderness Reserve, which will forever remind us of that which we are so dangerously close to losing. (Learn more about the fascinating history of Kruger National Park by clicking on the Link in FURTHER READING.)

This spectacular Kloof (which is part of the R332 route) links the Western section of the Baavianskloof with the higher Karoo hinterland, and more specifically, the Towns of: Willowmore and Uniondale, (which are standard places to refuel before ascending the Baavianskloof Pass).

The Pass needs to be driven slowly to best appreciate its dramatic, unique geology. This is a big Pass and that involves multiple River crossings - none of which are conventionally Bridged. (Should you find the first two crossings difficult or the current too strong, rather turn back, as conditions get much worse the further down the Kloof you proceed!)

The Pass contains 41 bends, corners and curves within its length, which includes 1 full horseshoe bend and 10 other bends in excess of 100 degrees. The gradients are generally fairly easy and never exceed 1:12, but the road surface can vary between quite good (the road had just been graded on the day of filming) to badly corrugated and rutted and the road is also frequently damaged by floodwaters, so make your way too cross, at the river crossings.

Located in the Limpopo Province outside of Phalaborwa. This Area of Mbaula stretches over an area of 3.032 squared kilometers. There is a Population of 2 700 of which 42.8% are male and 57.2% are female. The Median age is- 19 (which is the age that divides the population in two parts of equal size, that is, there are as many persons with ages above the median as there are with ages below the median.)

The name is derived from the Nyanja language and means: 'the heater'. In the Village this device is used for heating and cooking. ("This often results in inhalation of smoke and shack fires!"). This is a Niger/Congo language and a Bantu member of the Benue-Congo family of languages, spoken by c. 5 million people, mainly in Malawi, where it is an official language (together with English), as well as in parts of neighbouring countries (Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe); also called: Chinyanja; Chewa or Chichewa. The language is spelt in the Roman Alphabet. There is a variety of dialects spread over: Chewa, Ngoni and Mang'anja being one of them. Like most of the Bantu languages, Nyanja is also a tonal language.

The Mushroom Farm offers a delightful array of eateries, play areas, local retailers and a nursery. "The Mushroom Farm is one of Hillcrest's hidden gems, offering something for everyone - from kiddies to moms, antique collectors, animal lovers, foodies, gardeners and everyone in between! Family owned and run, this farm has literally 'mushroomed', from a small wooden farm stall to the vibrant centre it is today, drawing visitors from the greater Durban Area. Just off the M13 and around the corner from the Hillcrest Private Hospital." The Mushroom Farm must surely be the most relaxed shopping experience in the Upper Highway area, with country charm that harks back to the days when the Assegai was quickly tucked away, off the beaten track!"

The Mushroom Farm site is located on the old working 'Chef Mushroom Farm'. It comprises different but very unique shops that cater to both; residents of the surrounding areas. This site also 'caters' for those who enjoy shopping amongst the chickens and rabbits. There is a farm yard and jungle gym, so come and enjoy a fun day out with the whole family! Dog walkers are welcome provided that their pooches are on a leash, and the neatly paved walkways are perfect for strollers or joggers. (Entrance is free and there are Security Guards to ensure safety at all times.)

Mushroom farming remains relatively small, in South Africa. This is despite the rise in popularity of mushrooms among South African consumers. This demand is expected to grow in the coming Years. There is a huge market when it comes to mushrooms in South Africa and the rest of the World. There are a number of reasons for this, including the growing demand for healthy foods, as well as an increase in commercial production and distribution of mushrooms.
According to the South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association, mainly white button and brown mushrooms are grown in South Africa. There is also a market for exotic mushrooms, such as Oyster and Shiitake, and medicinal mushrooms, however, these are still very limited in South Africa. 
One notable advantage for commercial mushroom farmers is the ability to not only sell their produce directly to customers, but also capitalize on opportunities in the Hospitality Sector going from; catering to Hotels and Restaurants.

"The sector is, however, not without its challenges. Mushroom farming requires specialized knowledge and expertise. The lack of training for South African mushroom farmers is significant limitation for people who want to enter this industry." according to 'Agrimag.'