HANG OUT WITH

Find peace near Pafuri with Kobus and Annelize Venter.

Open your map book and run your finger up the N1, past Polokwane, over the Soutpansberg and through the Baobab toll gate. Then, at a place called Bokmakierie, turn right onto the R525. Readers who have soaked their feet at Tshipise will know this road, but you’re not going there today. Continue past the hot springs, in the direction of the Kruger Park’s Pafuri gate.

But you’re not going to the Kruger either – you’re going to heaven. A few kilometres before the Pafuri gate, you’ll see the sign for Nthakeni Bush & River Camp. It’s in the bush and next to the Mutale River.

This is where you’ll meet Annelize and Kobus Venter. They don’t have a TV or a living room because at night they sit outside in camping chairs and look at the stars. They braai goat chops because “mutton chops are too expensive in Limpopo”. Annelize teaches needlework and crochet classes. Kobus is always working with his hands and has made almost everything you see at Nthakeni himself. They like to play with their dogs. They talk to each other, their faces lined with laughter.

How did they end up here? And why are they so happy? In June 2016, Annelize and Kobus, originally from Delmas, toured in the area. They stayed at Pafuri River Camp and went for a ride on their bicycles one morning.

“We rode over the bridge across the Mutale,” says Kobus. “There was a bend in the road and then, on the left, a field with about seven mielies. We pulled over and talked to the friendly man in the field.”

This man’s name was Noel Khoza and when Kobus and Annelize rode past the field again a little while later, Noel presented them with a gift: mielies from his sparse field. “When I saw the goodness of this man’s heart, I was hooked,” says Kobus.

Kobus and Annelize have been married for 36 years. “We’ve been together for so long that we think the same,” says Annelize. “We always tease our old school friends – our matric class has a WhatsApp group – because we call ourselves the two bosapies.

Everyone wants a house at the seaside, but we wanted one in the bush and we were blessed to get our heart’s desire.”

Noel introduced them to local chief, Afrika Hlongwane, who wanted to know whether they would be interested in opening a lodge.

“We didn’t have the money to buy the property,” says Kobus. “But with faith, courage and a lot of foolishness, we jumped right in and here we are. I no longer believe the foolishness part because it’s a privilege to be here.”

“I never want to live in a town again,” he continues. “All the money in the world can’t buy peace. There is no crime here; we feel safe. You’re surrounded by nature; you experience everything you would in the Kruger Park; you hear the animal sounds; you know there are monkeys in the trees. When a red roman spider runs over your foot, it feels like you’re back in the pioneer days…”

“We’re very happy,” confirms Annelize. “We’ll probably stay here until we pass away, and then we’ll be buried under one of these trees.”

There are many trees on the premises, each species marked with a name plate: apple-leaf, broadpod false-thorn, greenthorn, bushveld false-thorn, black bitterberry, umbrella thorn, roughleaved corkwood, jackal-berry...

“We had to clear some trees to build the lodge, which broke our hearts,” Annelize says. “For every tree we had to chop down, Kobus planted another three. You’ll see young trees all around.” Nthakeni is close to a sprawling rural settlement and you’ll hear the bells of cattle, goats and donkeys throughout the day. “That’s the sound of Africa,” says Kobus. “That coffee-tablebook idea of Africa, of a Masai man balanced on one leg with a spear in his hand, is not real. This is Africa.”

The area around the camp borders Makuya Nature Reserve, which is adjacent to the Kruger Park (there are no fences between the two). Just downstream from Nthakeni, the Mutale flows into the Luvuvhu River.

“Nature still works as it should here,” says Kobus. “There are so many insects – it’s wonderful. At night, the bats come out and do their part.”

“I wish every South African had the privilege of staying here for a few months to experience what we do. We live in harmony with our neighbours.”

Annelize wasn’t so sure about all the creatures that can bite and sting at first: “I was used to only seeing scorpions and snakes in books, but you soon learn what to do. In the beginning, I jumped and screamed, but we try to co-exist with nature.”

While we talk, the Venters’ four dogs linger around us. Sometimes one will run off, kicking up sand, but it returns just as quickly. Two of the dogs, Lisa and Lara, have been adopted from the nearby settlement. Then there are the two tiny Yorkies, Nienie and Charlie.

“The other day, Nienie was down at the river on her own and I heard a big commotion – an eagle had her in his talons!” Annelize says she has no idea how the dog escaped, but Nienie had claw marks on her back afterwards.

Kobus also remembers how scared Lisa and Lara were when they first saw an elephant: “We lived in a tent for two years, and one night I heard a noise about 20 m from the tent. I heard chewing and realised it was elephants. When I opened the zip of the tent, the two dogs were sitting on top of each other!”

It’s also wonderful to hear how well Kobus and Annelize get along with their neighbours, mostly Shangaan people from the Nkotswi settlement (there are also many Venda people in the area). Their relationship with the people of Nkotswi is the real reason why the Venters stay here. “The outside world isn’t always a nice place, but we don’t experience that pressure here,” says Kobus. “I wish every South African had the privilege of staying here for a few months to experience what we do. We live in harmony with our neighbours. When there is crime, it’s closer to the Kruger and it’s related to poaching. There are no jobs here, so you can understand what drives people to do crime. But being human – these people can teach you everything about humanity.”

“Especially the people who work with us – they are like my family; we share things with each other. We share food – if they have watermelons, they bring us a watermelon. If they have spanspek, they give us a spanspek. If we have something to share, we share,” says Annelize.

In her needlework and crochet classes, Annelize has taught women valuable skills, like how to make quilts. She also approached people who weave traditional baskets and bowls and she sells their products in Nthakeni’s souvenir shop.

“Many people are so beaten down by poverty that they don’t believe in themselves any more,” she says. “Our country is very negative at the moment, but change starts with us. It starts with you. Your attitude needs to change. You should be the one to reach out, to be the better person. It’s not always easy. Sometimes it’s frustrating, but in the three years we’ve lived here, we’ve seen how people of all races and cultures can work together, help each other, and care about each other.”