Roxy Burger prepares to be a mom
The Top Billing star on her new home, plans for the nursery and why she couldn’t have chosen a better dad for her daughter
THE house is a gorgeous, light-filled affair full of stylish fittings and treasured collectables. The floors are gleaming, the furniture pristine, the walls white and the kitchen immaculate. But chances are by this time next year the place will look rather different. By then there won’t be only two people living here but three – one of them a baby. And babies don’t give two hoots about things being neat and tidy. They just want their needs met. Now. So hop to it, Mom and Dad.
Life will change forever for Roxy Burger and her husband, Neil Shraga, come January when their firstborn – a little girl – is due to make her appearance. By then the nursery they’re still planning in their home in Meyersdal, south of Johannesburg, will be ready for the new arrival.
It’s the one room they haven’t started yet, Roxy says. But the Top Billing and 5FM presenter, blogger and entrepreneur has an idea of what she wants: a gender-neutral setting with an African wildlife theme. “And maybe a girlie element here and there,” she adds.
Roxy (30) and Neil (32), who owns a software business, moved into this house in April and set about transforming it into their dream home.
“We’ve gone for a minimalist look and invested in a lot of mid-century modern furniture in neutral tones with pops of colour here and there. We have quite a few indoor plants to give that little bit of energy,” Roxy says.
The property is in a complex within an estate. “I wanted the security and it made sense in terms of space too. Financially it’s been a good investment.”
There are already two “kids” living here: cats Dolly and Tiger. Dolly was a stray who found her way to Roxy and Neil’s old home and brought along three kittens, two of which were adopted by friends. They decided to keep the third and named him Tiger. “I love them to bits,” Roxy says. Question is, how will the furry felines feel when the baby arrives?
“I think they’re going to get quite a shock,” she says. “They’ve been spoilt and they think they’re the centre of the universe. But I think they’ll be super-protective of her when she comes. Already they’re all over me, sleeping on top of me at night.”
ROXY grew up in Johannesburg’s southern suburbs with her parents, Basie and Anne, and sister, Cassie (28), and it’s no surprise she chose to buy a home in an area she knows and loves.
While Neil works close to home, Roxy’s job flexibility means she’s constantly on the move. In addition to her presenting gigs on TV and radio she has her own blog, roxyburger.co.za, and used to own an online clothing store for women called OhOneOne.
Neil is fully supportive of his go-getter wife and prefers to take a backseat when it comes to media and publicity.
Not that Roxy is complaining – in fact, she can’t say a bad word about him. “Every woman thinks their husband is the best. A lot of people might wonder about our marriage and it’s not your
typical relationship. Neil is happy for me to go overseas for a week at a time by myself. You can’t say that about many men. There’s no ego with him and it makes a world of a difference. There’s no routine. It works for us.”
They were high school sweethearts although “it wasn’t really serious”. They reconnected after matric and have now been together for 11 years and married for three.
Personal touches and special memories fill the home. A cork from the bottle of bubbly they popped after Neil proposed is framed above the bar trolley in the living area.
Above the bed is a customised photo frame made from an old door that was used to display the table seatings at their Plettenberg Bay wedding in 2014. The frame now displays pictures of their big day. Roxy gave it to Neil on their first wedding anniversary.
The bedrooms have a warm, cosy feel, with wooden floors, Scandinavian-style furniture and luxurious touches such as the furry throw on a couch at the foot of the bed.
But of all the rooms, the main bedroom’s bathroom facilities en suite is Roxy’s favourite. She was so determined for it to be perfect that she called in professionals to customise the floors and walls, giving the room its striking industrial feel.
And one element had to be absolutely perfect: the huge bath. “I insisted on choosing the bath. I love a soak,” she says.
“When this baby comes I know that will probably be the one thing I’ll miss the most – a good long soak in the bath. I’m going to try to make sure that Sundays are my soak days. Neil can look after the baby.”
THE couple always knew they wanted a family but Roxy wanted to wait until she turned 30. “It was kind of a milestone I wanted to get to. But Neil would have started ages ago.”
Fortunately for them they didn’t have to try for long and the whole family is looking forward to welcoming Baby Shraga in the new year.
“My dad is super-excited,” Roxy says. “It’s his first grandkid and every now and then he sends me pictures of the outfits he’s bought for her. He got her the cutest pair of dungarees.”
Roxy is now in her second trimester and is slowly recovering from the morning sickness that left her reeling in the first 12 weeks. “The sickness I had was on a whole other level,” she says.
Now it’s simply a case of satisfying her cravings for savoury foods. She loves spicy meals, while Neil indulges in sweet things on both their behalf.
She sticks to a healthy diet and does Crossfit three to four times a week. It’s important to her to keep healthy during her pregnancy but she doesn’t put too much pressure on herself either.
“A lot of people raise their eyebrows when I tell them I’m still Crossfit training but my coaches know exactly what’s going on,” she says.
“I’d like to have a natural birth if I can and if there are no complications. It makes life a lot easier if you’re fitter.
“But I also listen to my body. On the days I’m not feeling great, I don’t go. I’m not going to push myself.”
A whole new world awaits the couple but they aren’t daunted, Roxy says. In fact, they can’t wait – and she’s looking forward to embarking on this adventure with the love of her life.
“I’ve never been broody but when I see Neil with other kids, I’m so glad he’s my husband. When I see how much he loves his niece and how he dotes on her, I can only imagine how he’ll dote on his own daughter.”