Where do the locals go?
Michael Els, Chef
The Wheelbarrow Farm Stall just outside town is a great roadside stop – it has a restaurant and nursery.’ 082-739-4424 Glynis Geere, coffee-shop owner ‘Zwakala microbrewery has the best views over the Wolkberg mountains – an ideal spot for imbibing award-winning craft beer.’ 073-791-6797 Tshepo Sekgobela, HR manager ‘For affordable fun, my friends and I often braai and fish at Tzaneen Dam.’ (R10 pp, R15 per vehicle, R25 per boat.) Wynand Espach, farm manager ‘My wife often accompanies visitors to Debengeni Falls and the picnic area; it’s affordable and a pristine location.’ (R20 pp.) 013-754-2724 Fairview. I did, and it was delightful – especially with the rustic outdoor seating and views over the farm. I sipped red wine and relished Mutschli, Emmental and Harvati cheeses.
There had been another festive gathering earlier in the year. Political heavyweights, royal delegates, church leaders and guests from abroad assembled for a ceremony to recognise the Balobedu Queenship, also known as the Rain Queen or the Modjadji. Twelve-year-old Masalanabo Modjadji will become Queen Modjadji the seventh, once she has graduated in the Lobedu custom.
Locals are proud of this history and the small Modjadji Cycad Nature Reserve is said to be protected by the rainmaking queens, who have inhabited the region since the 16th century. The reserve reputedly has the world’s largest concentration of a singlespecies cycad, the Modjadji palm. As we explored the walking trails that wind between these prehistoric plants, it seemed as if Modjadji greeted us with dense mist and a soft drizzle.
I am grateful that Marinda and Andre insisted we visit the cycads; many attractions lie in a 35-kilometre radius of Tzaneen and are easy to miss if you don’t know the area.
‘When new people come to town, they often stay two extra days after chatting to us,’ Andre chuckled. We were discussing the name again, as I’d subsequently heard about another meaning.
‘Yes, the name has a few different connotations … another is gathering place,’ Andre explained.
He glanced at his wife. ‘Everyone has their own experience and interpretation,’ Marinda added, smiling. ‘As for me, it means abundance.’