What happens when you return home after three years of traveling? The observations vary widely. Some familiar faces have changed, while others haven’t at all. It seems as though time has stood still here. I’m moving through familiar territory that feels different than it did in the past. It’s as if the familiar backdrop had been set up in a different movie. Gaining some distance probably also means perceiving things through a completely different lens. The experiences and impressions resonate in my new daily life and cast it in a different light. After such an experience, you can’t just pick up where you left off. The turning point calls for a new chapter. The realization is good, but putting it into practice is difficult. By the end of the journey, an idea had taken shape. The experiences of nature had left a lasting impression and sparked a desire for more contact with nature. Not a bad idea, but where—and, of course, how? The choice fell on South Africa. Not unknown, thanks to past professional experience, and promising: land and professional agriculture. But can one manage here as a novice farmer? Doesn’t one immediately think of Clarkson’s Farm (4 seasons!) or, more starkly, of Alice Herdan-Zuckermayer’s „The Farm in the Green Mountains“, where she describes the harsh daily life on her chicken farm? Amid chicken diseases, snow-capped mountains, and the feeling of being a stranger—having fled the German Nazi regime- they encountered the exhausting, honest reality of a farmer’s daily life—a world of joy and hardship that’s just as hard to escape as Mr. Clarkson’s show. Though we’re a world away from the lonely, snow-capped mountains of Vermont, a certain unease creeps up on me as well. We aren’t farmers (yet); thank goodness we aren’t on the run, but we’re certainly no naive romantics either. It’s more of a blend of pragmatism and thoughtful imagination, sprinkled with a touch of romance. South Africa has long been a dream destination. One of the world’s top agricultural nations, with vast tracts of land, water resources, and well-trained agricultural experts, it beckons—along with the prospect of fine wine, good food, mountain vistas, and ocean adventures.
After three months of field research, the results look quite impressive. We’ve found a region where we feel at home, that’s well-developed for tourism, and where many newcomers live. There are South Africans from the north of the country, as well as Germans, French, English, and, more recently, Americans—I wonder why…? Agriculture and viticulture thrive here. The natural scenery is breathtaking. We’ve met many people who have kindly shared their knowledge with us and recruited our first employee—which required surprisingly little persuasion on our part. She was immediately enthusiastic about our farm project.
Finding the right piece of land is the biggest challenge, because there are strict regulations governing the allocation of water—the most important resource—and the enforcement of conservation rules. We’ve been running from one government office to the next. People are helpful, though cautiously optimistic about our timeline. But as always, persistence pays off. Now we’re waiting to reap the fruits of our labor. The selection has been made; the seller of the farmland must decide whether he wants to sell it to us or not. We’ve been through this before—a last-minute backout because there was another buyer around the corner who had secretly crept in and made a better offer. But you have to take setbacks in stride and grow from them. Who knows what good it did—otherwise, we wouldn’t have found the current property at all.
In the years since COVID, South Africa has changed a lot. What used to be more of a paradise for golfers looking to avoid the time difference and cold winters is now a paradise for families and young digital nomads. At least in the Western Cape. The scene has adapted. Lots of chic new cafés, farm restaurants, and delis are popping up, along with Airbnb apartments that are affordable—at least for well-heeled foreigners. Young people have discovered the Cape. Cape Town is buzzing, especially on weekends. In Franschhoek, people dance to the sounds of African jazz music; the Montreux Jazz Festival has taken on an African vibe and is super hot, judging by the festivalgoers’ outfits. They are incredibly beautiful and elaborately dressed. In addition to the great music, there’s plenty to feast your eyes on.
Tourism has a long tradition in South Africa. The climate, the two oceans, white sandy beaches, and the beautiful, romantic vineyards have always drawn people to the Cape. I remember exactly what I was thinking when I first sat on a bench at the beautiful Boschendal vineyard in 1994, the year of the first free elections. The sun was shining on my face, and I was holding a glass of very fine white wine in my hand. I gazed at the high mountains and grapevines and thought that this was a place of paradisiacal proportions. Many others saw it that way—and still do—and investments are being made. However, in our case, it won’t be wine; that much I can reveal. It will be much more rustic. But first, the purchase of the property has to go through, and then we’ll see…
