The Earlybird Catches The Worm

Before The Earlybird Market became a date on the local calendar, it began with two vendors packing gazebos into cars before sunrise, travelling across Limpopo in search of buzzing market atmospheres, and getting home after dark.

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In 2025 Amanda van Kraayenburg introduced From A–Z: a collection of locally made products, ranging from fermented foods and handcrafted goods to locally produced pantry staples, alongside Zenna, Zara’s intricate temporary henna art. Around the same time, while working as a barista in Polokwane, Rain Patterson launched Herb & Bloom, a small business producing fermented ginger drinks, fire cider and botanical cordials.

As vendors, they found themselves spending weekends together at markets throughout the province. Some were bustling, beautifully organised gatherings where hard work was rewarded and visitors shopped for hours. Rain and Amanda were inspired by those successful market days. “We went the extra mile to make a stop at our stalls one to remember,” Amanda says. “But we realized we needed a green space, specifically in Polokwane, which, as vendors, we could attend, and be home before sunset.”

The shared vision the duo longed for led to weekly meetings. The idea took shape around some of the things they value most: spending time in nature, experiencing art, and enjoying nourishing food. Sustainability, craftwork and wellness became central to the Earlybird ethos.

“We value quality over quantity,” admits Rain. “Rather than filling every available space, we hoped to achieve a curated gathering of people who are passionate about what they produce.” For Amanda, live music was essential, as was excellent coffee, and good food.

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Unlike many traditional markets, they imagined an event that embraced the earlier hours of the day. Visitors and vendors alike could start the day with an off-road run, grab a breakfast, socialize and discover new local products while enjoying live music. Appreciating an early-morning-market, Amanda suggested the name: The Earlybird Market. “It matched the vision,” says Rain. A vibrant morning gathering, and a fresh start to the season.

On 30 May 2026, the first Earlybird Market hit the ground running at Baxters Barn. Friends and families browsed handmade goods from Saarthie’s Boutique, New Life Clothing and Almost Perfect, picked up organic cheese and preserves from Wegraakbosch, enjoyed local food and sipped coffee from Krabbefontein and botanical drinks by Herb & Bloom. With The Baobab Theory Collective supplying a lively soundtrack of Afro jazz, the inaugural market set the tone for what promises to become a regular fixture on Polokwane’s events calendar.

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The Earlybird Market returns with a Spring edition on Sunday, 6 September at Baxters Barn. Zwakala Brewery will be pouring their locally brewed beers, while Solveld Botanicals and Nibbles on Cart join the line-up alongside The Mustard Pot Clay Café. Entertainment will come from Straight Ahead, a two-piece jazz band from Polokwane. Kids can look forward to new activities including bow shooting by Pan’s Breeze Traditional Archery and sensory play by Giggle Sprinkles. With more exhibitors and experiences to be announced, the Spring market promises another lively day.

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Limpopo is home to extraordinary makers, growers, artists and entrepreneurs whose work deserves to be seen, celebrated and supported. Be sure not to miss this new local quarterly happening. Follow The Earlybird Market PLK on social media for updates on future markets. The summer edition is scheduled for Sunday, 6 December 2026.

Contact: 072 217 4884 / 072 600 0223

RETREAT YOURSELF - A wellness Digital Detox In Magoebaskloof

In today’s fast-paced world, where stress and pressure are constant companions, self-care is often the first thing to slip down the list. Yet finding ways to nurture body and mind is essential for balance and wellbeing. In Magoebaskloof, practices such as yoga, pilates and restorative treatments offer powerful ways to ease tension, support clarity and build emotional resilience. Here are some of the reasons Magoebaskloof is worth logging off for.

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Colleen Ballenden’s Foot Treatments

Escape to a tranquil oasis in Magoebaskloof, where Colleen Ballenden, based at Stanford Lake Lodge, invites you to unwind with a deeply soothing foot treatment. Guided through a courtyard garden filled with blooms and herbs, you arrive at a warm, intimate therapy room, where large windows draw the beauty of the outdoors inside. A fragrant foot bath awaits, followed by the blissful indulgence of a gentle foot massage and foot reading.

“Your feet tell a story about how you are living your life,” says Colleen. “Emotions are often reflected there long before they manifest in the body as illness.” Alongside her fascinating and insightful readings, Colleen offers her signature ‘footie treat’ - a restorative massage using light pressure on specific points of the feet that correspond with different organs and systems in the body.

This gentle therapy can help to energise the body, enhance relaxation, ease tension, and support the body’s natural healing processes. Combined with the calm beauty of Colleen’s tranquil treatment room, the experience feels both nurturing and memorable. A natural therapist since 1994, Colleen brings a genuine love of people and a rare gift for connection. She delights visitors of all ages, whether leading children to the magic tree or labyrinth, or sharing stories gathered over her many years in the area. Seeing Magoebaskloof through her eyes is part of the enchantment.

(072 277 4809)

Photo: www.bodystressrelease.com

Reda Jacobs’ Body Stress Release Treatments

There is something deeply reassuring about time spent in the hands of a practitioner who seems to listen beyond words, and Reda Jacobs brings exactly that quality to Body Stress Release. Intuitive and deeply attuned, she draws on her understanding of various healing modalities to make each treatment feel thoughtful, personal and quietly powerful. 

Lying fully clothed on the treatment bed, the process can at first seem almost deceptively subtle. Reda works with a series of light, precise movements, gradually moving along the back and then systematically around the body. Yet, as the session unfolds, you become aware that something significant is shifting. Tension begins to soften and a sense of internal rebalancing gently takes place as the body releases stored tension and encourages its natural self-healing response. 

The appeal of Reda’s treatment lies in this balance between gentleness and effect. Without force or drama, the session offers a calm, non-invasive way to support physical ease, relaxation and overall wellbeing. For those carrying the strain of busy lives, emotional pressure or physical discomfort, it can feel like an invitation for the body to exhale.  More than anything, a session with Reda feels like a reminder that healing often begins when we slow down enough to listen. (083 652 3416)

Photo: www.lifewave.com

Adri-Louise’s Lifewave Technology

In the evolving world of wellness, LifeWave offers a distinctly modern approach for those seeking gentle, low-impact ways to support movement, focus and recovery.  In Magoebaskloof, where people come to slow down, breathe more deeply and reconnect with themselves, Adri-Louise Snyman’s LifeWave offering feels naturally at home. Small and wearable, the patches are designed to work subtly with the body’s own natural energy, supporting movement, recovery, focus and overall wellbeing in a subtle, non-invasive way.

What stands out most, however, is not the technology itself but the experiences people share. “Clients just want to feel better,” says Adri-Louise. “People often give feedback like, ‘I have more energy during the day. I’m sleeping better, I feel less stiff when I wake up, I can focus again without that brain fog.’” She explains that it is rarely about dramatic overnight change, but rather “small improvements that add up and make daily life feel easier.”

One story in particular has stayed with her: a woman who arrived feeling physically and emotionally exhausted, saying simply, “I just want to feel like myself again.” Within weeks, her energy had returned and, as she later reflected, “I didn’t realise how far I’d drifted from myself until I felt like me again.”  At its heart, Adri-Louise’s work is about helping people return to themselves. And in a setting as restorative as Magoebaskloof, that gentle journey back to balance feels like a good fit. (066 010 0812)

Have you heard about Cranio-sacral therapy or TRE and are interested in experiencing these therapies?  Cranio-sacral Therapy is a gentle, hands-on therapy that uses light touch movement to help release tension in the body and support deep relaxation and overall balance. TRE (Trauma Release Exercises) is a simple series of movements designed to help the body release deep tension and stress through its natural shaking or trembling response, which helps to calm the nervous system. Contact Gail Zaayman for more information or a booking:  (083 352 7549)

Set against the forests, gardens and stillness of Magoebaskloof, these wellness experiences offer more than simple pampering. In a world that pulls us in so many directions, they invite you to slow down, return to yourself and reconnect with what matters most.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE... A mountain community built on care and connection

There are places you visit, and there are those that capture your heart. Long before the winding roads of Magoebaskloof and Haenertsburg became weekend escape routes, people were already coming to ‘The Mountain’ searching for something quieter, deeper and more connected. Over generations, through flower shows and funerals, conservation causes and quiet acts of care, a community was shaped - one that still believes life is better when people show up for one another.

Local historian Louis Changuion believes that spirit of cooperation has always been one of the village’s defining characteristics. After decades spent documenting the stories and history of the mountain, he still speaks about the place with wonder, describing the silver mist drifting against the escarpment and the peace of mind he believes people cannot find elsewhere. For Louis, the deeper meaning behind the phrase “it takes a village” is simply that when individuals cannot manage alone, the community steps in. “If people cooperate,” he says, “they can achieve much more.”

Organisations like Thusanang, Rotary Haenertsburg, The Care Association, Haenertsburg Neighbourhood Watch, HADEF and the Letaba Fire Protection Association have become part of the village’s invisible support structure - the kind of safety net many communities no longer have. Their work ranges from caring for vulnerable residents to responding during fires, crime incidents, electricity outages and personal crises, often through entirely voluntary effort.

“There are some beautiful humans in this community,” says fourth-generation resident Denise Tooley. What moves her most deeply is the number of conservation-minded residents who continue working tirelessly through organisations like the Mountain Environmental Watch and Friends of the Haenertsburg Grasslands to protect ‘The Mountain’ for future generations.

For many families, this sense of conscious care is precisely why they choose to build a life here rather than simply holiday in the mountains. Beth Forrest Stroud knows this feeling intimately. Having grown up with the village as part of her internal landscape, she returned to raise her own children here. “I didn’t just want to come back and visit that feeling,” she says. “I wanted to actually build a life inside it and give that to my own children” - one marked by small rituals of belonging and an atmosphere of connection and familiarity that shaped her.

Long-time resident Colleen Ballenden has watched the rhythms of the village evolve over time, describing Haenertsburg as quirky, eccentric but deeply accepting - a place where people have always been welcomed for exactly who they are. She remembers “in the old days” when villagers gathered on a Friday to shop, bank, collect parcels, borrow books and exchange news.  These memories are shared by Erie Railton and Jane Hillary, whose family roots stretch back generations to the farm now known as Cheerio Gardens.

Renowned for its Spring blossoms, the iconic Cheerio Gardens remains family-owned and managed by Sarah Hillary.  It evolved from a plant nursery and a beloved gathering place hosted by ladies of the community into one of the key tourism attractions of the area.  The Haenertsburg Village Hall, built in 1933 by volunteers, remains symbolic of that shared spirit - part meeting place, part library, part dance floor and civic heart.

Today, Michel Hughes and the Hall Association offer regular gatherings, ‘Tig’s talks’ and events that still keep that tradition alive.  Community stalwart and events-fundi, Linda Miller is of the opinion that, “there is an abundance of talent in this little part of the world with caterers, photographer, sign-writer, musicians, makers and accommodation – all supplied by local stars.”  

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The sense of community still defines much of village life today. “There are many people who quietly do what needs to be done,” says Michi Kröger, fourth-generation farmer of the Thompson’s Wegraakbosch Organic Cheese Farm. She speaks of committee members, market organisers, people sponsoring soccer shoes for local children, and those “hiding in plain sight” who stop at accidents, check on hospital patients or quietly support struggling families. For Michi, stewardship and community are inseparable and as custodians of one of South Africa’s important water catchment areas, many residents see environmental protection not as an ideology, but as their responsibility.

Environmental advocate Megan Baragwanath acknowledges that not everyone who arrives immediately understands the culture of stewardship that exists on the mountain. But she believes people are slowly shaped by the place itself. “The protected natural heritage gives people opportunities to get back to basics” while walking, hiking, birding or swimming.  Megan speaks passionately about residents who devote unpaid hours to protecting the landscape for future generations. “There is a strong unstated responsibility we take on as a whole,” she says, “to help and improve where we can.”

That same sense of care shapes the hospitality industry too. Lara Luis of The Pot ‘n Plow believes community means choosing collaboration over competition. “It is a positive cycle of kindness,” she says.  Heather Gore of Blueberry Heights Café feels that “local businesses are the heartbeat of a place. They give it character, personality and authenticity.” While Bistro Haenertsburg’s Wim van Zyl describes his restaurant as a community meeting place where support often takes simple forms - meals for elderly residents, transport, company and practical help during difficult times. “It’s the small things,” he says, “but they matter.”

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According to newcomers Ryan and Lana-May Chandler, “it takes a village, they say, and that is exactly what it took to pull us from the city. We came to build a business - one which we can be truly proud of and one which would be frequented by all, but most importantly, one which will make a difference in all Haenertsburgers' lives.” They have felt warmly welcomed by the community and almost everyone describes a feeling of connection, generosity and belonging.  Jessi Scates of Magriets Fine Foods sums it up by saying that while every small town has its frictions, “when it matters, this place lives with open hands and open hearts.”

This is what many people are searching for when they come to the area these days. Not merely space or silence, but a life softened at the edges by community. People may come for the landscape and hikes with Sandi-Leigh Moore’s The Mountain Company, but stay for something less easily photographed - neighbours who still wave, ask after your family and gather at local markets.

Even beautiful stories must be held up to the light though. Residents speak warmly of kindness and belonging, but also acknowledge increasing pressures - noise, development, business competition, environmental strain and the growing gap between living in a place and taking responsibility for it.  New residents bring energy, children, businesses and fresh ideas, but village life cannot survive without participation. 

“There’s always tension between preservation and progress,” says environmentalist and FroHG chairperson, Chris Jackson. “The real trick is finding a middle ground that works for everyone.”  Tourism development expert, Mike Gardner, believes that “the Village is unique in many ways, not only in Limpopo but in many other parts of the country and there is a sense of pride in who we are and what we offer. Whilst many other small towns and villages are steadily ‘deteriorating and even disintegrating’, Haenertsburg is not merely surviving but moving ahead in many ways.  The only constant in the world today is change and this will demand thinking that is out of the box.”

Duncan Barry points to one of Haenertsburg’s quieter strengths - its ability to organise: volunteer groups raise funds. Protect land and respond to emergencies while the rate-payers association supports residents.  But Mark Harman of the Care Association offers a grounded reminder that the real test of community is whether care reaches those who need it most.  A village is not a perfect arrangement of like-minded people. It is a place where individuals choose, repeatedly, to remain in relationships with one another - old families and newcomers; farmers and conservationists; business owners and volunteers.

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And maybe that is the real story of ‘The Mountain’ - not only its forests or waterfalls, but the quieter ecosystem of people who continue to hold one another up through changing times. A place where neighbours still check in, volunteers still step up before being asked, and belonging is treated not as an abstract idea but as a daily practice. In a world increasingly shaped by disconnection, Haenertsburg and Magoebaskloof offer the hope of something different - the reminder that when enough people care deeply about a place and about each other, almost anything becomes possible.