An agricultural abode that’s refined rather than rustic? Melanie van Zyl unearths four gorgeous farm stays that will fill your soul without emptying your wallet.
Just 50km from the buzz of Johannesburg sits a soft sanctuary. A place where fiery-necked nightjars sing their ‘Good-Lord-deliver-us’ tune and the yelps of black-backed jackals pierce the grassland at night. Where a glorious garden is underway. Where soils are prepped and lovingly laid to bed, covered in hay, ripe and ready for healthy farming.
Farmhouse 58, Krugersdorp
Once upon a time, it was a dairy farm. Now, Farmhouse 58 operates as the hospitality wing of the Nirox Foundation. Sleek, simple, understated, yet warm and enriching, it’s within 180ha of mostly undeveloped land and forms part of the Cradle of Humankind Unesco World Heritage Site.
Everything about it is inspired by the earth, right down to the soil-toned interiors. After just a one-night stay – which included a honey-highveld sunset overlooking fossil-rich and storied hills, some profound fireside talk at the outdoor boma, clean but decadent meals (prepared by chefs under the skilled guidance of Andrea Bürgener from Melville’s beloved cafe, The Leopard) and a thought-triggering mindfulness walk with Epic Hikes – I checked out feeling a whole lot more zen.
And all it took was a 100km round trip from my motorised gate in the metropolis.
I always wondered who would be savvy enough to bring some version of the Cape Winelands’ Babylonstoren to the city slickers of Joburg because I’m not the only one who wants to retreat to the land. A March 2022 Google Community Mobility Report showing movement trends in South Africa (yes, they are watching) recorded a 65% increase in parks visits (including places such as national parks, public beaches, marinas, dog parks, plazas and public gardens) compared with pre-pandemic numbers. In 2021, Airbnb reported that global searches for farm stays on the platform skyrocketed by 1 055%.
Farm stays are by no means a new phenomenon in South Africa. We’ve been doing it for centuries. The Karoo is sprinkled with quaint cottages that overlook grazing sheep; rondavels along the Wild Coast bring guests down to earth with alarm-clock chickens and cud-chewing cows; and sprawling Cape Dutch homes sit snuggly within century-old vineyards. However, a new agritourism vanguard has elevated the rural retreat.
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Farmhouse 58 opened last year and is a garden of the veld. Here, regenerative farming practice starts with the soil, which requires rehabilitation after decades of overgrazing. Agricultural plans include companion planting (the earth demands nitrogen fixers that operate across four different root depths), crop rotation and chicken runs for rich manure. The Farmhouse is part of a larger, holistic agenda called Project 58, which incorporates long-term ecological farming principles to serve its farm-to-table eatery, plus various art programmes and community initiatives. It’s a place where acacias are set to live alongside pomegranates and hens and out-there artists. In keeping with the modern sculpture theme from across the road at the Nirox Sculpture Park, plenty of exciting art pieces are strewn across the landscape.
My favourite artworks, though, require a hike. We found one particular heritage work – a treasure of spiralling Tswana kraals – en route to our summit, where there’s a rammed-earth sculpture by Moroccan artist Amine El Gotaibi. It was designed to wither away in the elements, to crumble with the rain and be returned to the land. A poignant symbol of humanity’s “back to the earth” life journey.
Kalmoesfontein, Swartland
Down to earth is precisely the vibe encapsulating the working wine farm of Kalmoesfontein. In the Western Cape’s unpretentious Swartland, it’s home to AA Badenhorst family wines, chickens, donkeys, horses, pigs, ducks, dogs and a suite of swanky accommodation options, each of which seems to capture the farm’s philosophy of harmony and coexistence.
Appel, the dog, favours the sunny porch at Die Melkkamer, but I fell in love with the space, private garden and plunge pool of The Stables, where all the aforementioned animals once lived before the roof required fixing. The owners mended the top and simply kept on renovating.
Regardless of where you stay, a tray of farm-fresh, lily-white eggs, homemade bread (bundled up with a ribbon), buttermilk rusks, home-grown rooibos, plus wine and even Caperitif with handcrafted Swaan Cape tonic water, will greet you from the kitchen table. Such sophisticated local-is-lekker touches suffuse each dwelling. There are environmentally friendly Simply Bee toiletries in the bathroom and Mungo towels. Homemade firelighters, hot water bottles, an apron and even sticky fly-trap strips make farm life more comfortable.
While serenity prevails indoors, the farm is real enough to have leopards (so far spotted only on camera traps) living alongside donkeys, and to enable guests to reap the rewards of its organic farming principles and practices.
After picking some vegetables during a garden tour with farmhand Shingarirai Hunde, it was time to taste wine. Each glass contained a precious sip of the soil (and the toil) surrounding us. It might’ve been the wine, but when I got back to my bedroom at The Stables, I realised that during the farm’s makeover, the feeding troughs had been left exactly as they’d always been.
Kezlyn Farm Cottages
A cherished weekend with close friends at Kezlyn Farm Cottages in KwaZulu-Natal offered another sweet slice of farm life. Shane Buchanan grew up on this maize and cattle farm. He’s enjoyed these sweeping views for years. ‘We’ve definitely got the best of the ’Berg,’ he said when we arrived. They named it Bergville with good reason; I had to agree.
Amid the pea pastures and croplands, our cottage, Hoopoe, awaited our arrival with a braai basket at the ready. Lovingly pre-packed by Shane’s wife, Kerry, the basket was bulging with goodies: a thick steak and proper boerewors, two fancy homemade salads (quinoa and cabbage), mielie bread dough in enamel cups ready to pop into the oven (our favourite), a fun marshmallow smores kit, cute cheesecake jars for dessert, and a bottle of red.
We wasted no time cracking open the wine to cheer the sunset. From our pretty little patio in the vanishing light – and to the soundtrack of cows mooing from the nearby fence – I could just pick out the peaks I’d hiked in the Drakensberg. Mnweni’s jagged silhouette and the scenic Saddle, plus the cubic edges of Cathkin Peak, were all visible. We sat and dreamed up all the other walks we still needed to take, but actual hiking seems like such hard work compared with planning them. Especially when comfortably tucked into such stylish digs.
The couple farms maize, soya beans, wheat and peas but Kezlyn Cottages is their latest “crop”. Shane and Kerry haven’t always been farmers, though. They studied and then worked in the city but left the urban hubbub for Bergville.
It sounds romantic but what is it really like taking over the family business and embracing the remote rural life? Hail had smashed some crops this season but cattle proved reliable. They have a close-knit crew of friends and a great social life (although one nearby farming friend did resort to being on Boer Soek ’n Vrou for matchmaking).
Biggest motivation? The Buchanans ultimately chose farm life for their child. A wish to acquaint him with gumboots and mud and the importance of neighbourly bonds. After all, community is the core of a fine farm, is it not? Plus, there’s a DIY spirit that infuses this countryside lifestyle among people who grow and rear their own. Kerry points out the availability of a wide selection of locally made biltong using homegrown beef and age-old family recipes. On our way out, she insists that we stop at The Outspan and reminds us to come back for the farmer’s market that happens every other Saturday with all its homemade bread and lots of fresh produce.
The Old Mushroom Farm, Howick
Set in the prime farmland of the Karkloof Valley, boasting gorgeous views, I was disappointed at first to discover that the mushrooms are no more. However, The Old Mushroom Farm just outside Howick is still cultivating something special.
Architect and ex-mushroom farmer Nicholas Crooks says he swapped fungi (‘It was flipping hectic!’) for artful fabrication. ‘I want people to use their hands and get off the screens,’ he said when I caught him in the community food garden.
It’s more of a food forest, really, given all the rain. The pumpkins and sunflowers, in particular, are running rampant. ‘We created The Old Mushroom Farm for our guests, to give them something to do, but I am an architect first,’ Nick said, then, grinning at the unfinished site behind me, added, ‘and I have a building problem.’
Nick’s vision is to recapture the Midlands Meander of old. He remembered it as a route, he said, where you could walk straight into a workshop and admire the artisans crafting their wares. The Old Mushroom Farm is dedicated to this dream.
On the same grounds as The Old Mushroom Farm is 11 Karkloof, self-catering quarters that were once accommodations for farm staff. The five cottage core-style units are cosy and uncomplicated with vintage touches, but the pièce de résistance has to be The Apartment. A converted mushroom-growing tunnel, the unique two-bedroom cylinder now houses an elegant open-plan lounge and kitchen with a fireplace for when the mist comes rolling in. The remaining tunnels are connected via a pedestrian arcade, linking a coffee roastery, bakery, bistro, Maker’s Market and gym into one highly attractive artisanal hub.
This “hub” feels a lot like Braamfontein’s Neighbourgoods Market in Joburg, as though the in-vogue vibes of places such as Maboneng or Victoria Yards have been given a rural outpost – the latest inclusion is First Thursdays. Yes, even out here, in the sticks.
I’ve yet to attend a Karkloof First Thursday, but the sense of community was apparent even on a weekday morning. At Bluebird Coffee Roastery, the barista asked about a customer’s regular coffee bean subscription, and the gym instructor shared a baked treat from Home Slice Cafe with a client after class. The human buzz of mornings taken together made me realise that the modern farm stay is not just about reconnecting with the land but reconnecting with others, too.
Meet a modern-day farmer
Thomas Franken of Rosemary Hill, Tshwane
I live on the farm with my wife Theresa, daughters Isabella and Sofia, two Labs and a cat. My parents moved to the farm when I was five – it was 1978 and they came here to establish the Waldorf school. Our extended family joined us over the years and now the second and third generations are getting more involved, especially on the accommodation side. We specialise in essential oils so we grow and distil rosemary, lavender, artemisia, rose geranium, mint and more. We also have a herd of Bapedi cattle (so lots of grazing), grow some veggies and have about 200 pecan trees. There is also a stable yard with about 35 horses which are used for outrides and lessons.
What’s the deal with Waldorf?
Organic (well, actually biodynamic) farming goes hand in hand with Waldorf education since Rudolf Steiner, who founded the education system in 1919, also developed biodynamic farming methods. We believe in being responsible and doing business sustainably so we have always been an organic farm. We make our own compost from cow manure, garden waste and kitchen leftovers. We also have a nursery that produces the seedlings for the plants that get planted in the fields.
Cabins or cows?
Our hospitality activities started about 15 years ago, first with tea parties, then a coffee shop, then mountain bike trails and eventually, weddings. More wedding guests wanted to sleep over, so we started growing the accommodation offerings. Our Stone Cottage was the first “fancy” unit revamped to serve as the bridal suite. This was the first time we consulted with a designer and actually got our creative juices flowing to consider the guest experience with beautiful views from a free-standing bath, or massive windows overlooking our little forest area. The bug has bitten and we love trying out different things. Instagram and Pinterest have so many cool places featured that the flood of ideas just keeps coming. The fact that we are so close to Joburg and Pretoria makes midweek “staycations” so much easier. We now have 120 beds available all over the farm.
Did the pandemic push more people outside?
The pandemic was 100% responsible for our sudden growth. With travel restrictions, people were frustrated with not being able to travel so they started searching locally – and found us. Yes, they definitely want to get outside; the fact that we have hiking trails, horse rides, Segway tours and even just chilling in the gardens definitely adds to the allure of coming out and spending time on the farm.
A few fine farm stays
Bring your pet to Kezlyn Farm Cottages, Bergville
There are just three units (one is pet-friendly), which all face the majestic mountains, and each features sleek modern finishes with a slightly bohemian flair. All have spacious verandas overlooking the Drakensberg, great braai facilities and decent Wi-Fi if you need to work remotely.
072 244 6491, facebook: Kezlyn Farm Cottages
Ease your soul at Farmhouse 58, Cradle of Humankind
Answer the call to reconnect with nature at Farmhouse 58 and check into one of the intentionally minimalist suites. Book a guided hike that incorporates mindfulness and interesting conversation with Epic Hikes and don’t miss a meal at And Then There Was Fire (andthentherewasfire.com) at the sprawling Nirox Sculpture Park across the road.
087 092 9097, farmhouse58.co
Klein Nektar Farm Cottage, Montagu
While there are plenty of pretty farm stays in and around Montagu, this self-catering pad is a favourite. Being within walking distance of the cafes and padstals, it enjoys the best of the village in an off-the-grid and Wi-Fi-free farm environment.
064 908 2444, kleinnektar.com
Meet the locals at 11 Karkloof, Howick
The Apartment at The Old Mushroom Farm might be the most popular stay, but the five cottages are just as lovely and share the same environment. The shops at the artisan hub are open from Thursday to Sunday and there is even a gym that offers classes. Hot tip: order bread (there’s potato and rosemary or even snacky cheese sticks) in advance from Home Slice Cafe.
060 470 1218, 11karkloof.co.za
Feed the animals at Kalmoesfontein, Malmesbury
An hour from Cape Town, several beautiful units are scattered across Kalmoesfontein farm. Enjoy the fresh air, farm animals and special produce at this humble farm stay. Book a cellar tour in advance or plan your visit to coincide with Thursday pizza night and rub shoulders with the Swartlander regulars.
079 652 6101, kalmoesfontein.com
Rosemary Hill, Tshwane
Booked up several months in advance, this sweet farm stay near the city combines good-looking cabins with a wide range of outdoor activities on an organic farm. Enjoy mountain bike trails, running and hiking routes to share the farm with wild rabbits, donkeys, horses, goats, sheep and more. The latest accommodation additions are The Hideout (an elevated forest cabin with a hot tub) and The Cove (a fun geometric dome).
012 802 0052, rosemaryhill.co.za
A version of this article originally appeared in the June 2022 print issue of Getaway
Words and Photography by Melanie van Zyl
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