Dia van Staden

Communications officer for the Orania Town Council and editor of Koerania

The entertaining Dia van Staden, also known as Orania’s “Okkasie Hasie” who “turns every function into a celebration”, has had more than 23 professions: she studied education in Potchefstroom and taught for a few years, worked as a saleslady in Dion’s sports department, managed a restaurant, offered courses in business mentorship and life skills, worked as a journalist for newspapers like Wes-Transvaal Rekord and the Northern Review, and helped organise various events such as the Miss Limpopo beauty competition, the Mighty Men gatherings in Pietersburg between 2011 and 2013, and the Boekejol and Filmrol festivals in Pretoria between 2015 and 2018. She also conducted book reviews on Groot Ontbyt (Big Breakfast) and hosted the relationship programme Dinsdag met Dia (Tuesday with Dia) on Radio Pulpit.

After Covid-19 derailed another one of her business plans, Dia saw an advertisement for a position in Orania in July 2020 and applied. She later heard about another position and applied again, but when there was still no word by November, she decided to come and see for herself and made appointments with 11 people. “I told everyone, ‘I’m Dia, and I’m considering moving to Orania. Tell me why I shouldn’t do it.’”

The responses boiled down to the following: Orania is not a boer paradise; Afrikaners all have their own opinions; and where there are people, there are no guarantees. Orania is not for everyone; you don’t have to like it.

“My decision was strongly based on the fact that I want to make a difference in the place where I live. Many friends ask if Orania isn’t a bit too small and confining, but I have a voice here and already have plans to organise a culture and book festival in 2024.”

In December, the first edition of Koerania, a free new community newspaper with Dia as editor, appeared online.

After almost three years, she feels at home here. “All I miss from Pretoria is Cinema Nouveau, which has closed in any case, and the theatres... but there are plans,” says Dia, “there are big plans. Everything for the volk!”

Contact koerania.co.za Koerania Okkasie Hasie

redakteur@koerania.co.za