Tin Town - A Glamping dream taking shape in Haenertsburg

If you wander through Haenertsburg on a quiet morning, the village seems to move at its own slow pace. The main street feels almost unchanged, yet beneath that calm rhythm ideas are always stirring. Over the past few months, a project has been unfolding just above the village centre, something Charmaine and Morné Botha have been creating alongside the Blue Shutter Guesthouse.

They bought the house on Plein Street a year ago and transformed it into a small, stylish guesthouse with four rooms. Even then, Charmaine hinted at something that reached beyond its walls. She says, “Tin Town started out as a dream. I dreamt of creating something truly unique, accommodation that feels authentically South African and celebrates the beauty of our natural environment.” Now that vision is taking form.

“Tin Town was my brainchild, but my husband Morné and I rebuilt everything ourselves,” she explains as she leads us up the steps. Two 1970s Jurgens caravans stand along the edge of the property, their black exteriors set against the open grassland views. Timber decks run between them to a shared fire pit, while shaded verandas and hammock nets offer simple places to relax and take in the landscape.

Gold Rush is a striking black and gold hideaway inspired by Haenertsburg’s mining heritage, with a Queen-size bed, reclaimed timber accents, soft lighting and a small coffee station. Charmaine brings her familiar attention to comfort with good linen, warm blankets and hot water bottles. The tin and timber bathroom has a large window framing the view and a zinc bath ready for long soaks.

The second caravan, Forest Fern, is also nearly complete with green tones, wooden floors, plants throughout and a bathroom wrapped in a forest-scene wallpaper that “captures the tranquility of the surrounding forests,”  while Misty Blue is planned as “a sky-hued retreat inspired by the drifting mist across Ebenezer Dam and through the Haenertsburg mountains.” Tin Town will remain intentionally small  “to keep that feeling of peace, creativity, and personal connection.” 

This boutique glamping space celebrates slow living with its pool, fire pit, communal lounge, kitchen and indoor braai, reflecting both creativity and craftsmanship. Charmaine says, “We are deeply grateful to Adaan from At the Mill and CNC Furniture Haenertsburg, who built the wooden decks and en-suite tin bathrooms. Adaan and his team understood our vision from the start and worked alongside us with incredible skill and heart.”

Tin Town suits travellers seeking something distinctive. Solo travellers will enjoy the ease of a private space within steps of the village and couples the quiet deck and deep bath. Small groups will appreciate the option of booking the caravans with the four rooms at Blue Shutter creating a central base where everyone can gather together for shared meals and socialising while still having separate spaces to retreat to.  It also allows guests to explore the village on foot.

As Charmaine says, “Our property is within walking distance of Haenertsburg’s restaurants, coffee shops, and attractions.  We want our guests to experience what this quaint little town has to offer, to be part of its story.”

Tin Town’s accommodation is designed for people who want to stay close to the village but experience it in a way that feels personal. Inside each caravan, Charmaine’s interiors reflect a love of texture, light, and balance - raw tin against wood, soft fabrics beside bold metals. As she says, “Tin Town is about reusing, rebuilding, and reimagining.  It’s proof that beauty can come from simplicity, and that creativity thrives when it’s personal.”

Contact Charmaine and Morné Botha on 066 216 4057 | WhatsApp: 072 320 7333

Born to be Moi: A new restaurant near Tzaneen

A fresh, locally-rooted café has come to life on the outskirts of Tzaneen, the fertile subtropical area known for avocado and macadamia farms, mountain passes and forested escarpments. Moi Café is fast becoming a waypoint for travellers linking Tzaneen, Haenertsburg and Magoebaskloof, as well as a community hub for locals.

When Duncan and Xyza Bothma approached Zander Ernst and Rémi Andersen, known locally for their innovative approach at Krabbefontein Café, to manage a new restaurant on the site of the old Maxim’s Restaurant and Bar near Tzaneen, he leapt at the opportunity. The project had all the elements needed for success - an opportunity for innovation with a dynamic team of people at this well-known space close to town which still feels out in the countryside. 

Each has brought their own talents to the space. Rémi used the creative freedom to write his dream menu, while Xyza worked her magic with the décor.  Her signature-style as an interior designer translated into a clean look with a modern touch - minimalistic combined with classic French accents conveying a sophisticated look with a relaxed feel.  Because they brought so much of themselves to the project, they gravitated to the word Moi meaning ‘me’ in French but since mooi means ‘beautiful’ in Afrikaans, Moi became a hybrid carrying both energies.

And Moi lives up to its name… a new light and lovely space in the front of the building has created a whole new dynamic to the original layout while opening up the view in front of a chess-board style patio maximises the beautiful surroundings.  They have also made the most of the restaurant space with a couple of generous tables for family gatherings and functions balanced by intimate two and four-seater tables tucked into indoor corners and against the walls outside or scattered across the deck. 

On Rémi’s part, the menu carries his distinctive palate and unique signature… think Dukkah-spiced steak; pulled-lamb pot pie; salmon & trout fishcakes; beef kofta as well as their unique brie or pulled-lamb pizzas served with creative flair.  All their pasta is made fresh, in-house while their menu follows the seasons, supporting local suppliers. Even their Moi breakfast plate carries their mantra of ‘simple food, done beautifully’ with all the elements elevated by presentation and flavour.  

Week days see friends popping in to meet for coffee and a tempting bite to eat or a quiet place for digital nomads to get some work done.  Weekends bring a cocktail crowd but it is also popular for a mom’s meet-up, sitting near the fountains spraying into a shallow romping space for kids and hounds.  Of course Moi’s cappuccino’s are top-notch coming from the Krabbefontein coffee farm and making use of a state-of-the-art Henlo machine.  All of these elements combine to create a unique space where people can come together for good food and a great time where beautiful memories are made.

Connect at: 086 860 2176 | moicafesa@gmail.com

Earth Creations at House of Art - A Day of Clay, Colour and Connection in Haenertsburg

After two straight weeks of mist and mountain rain, Magoebaskloof was starting to feel like a soggy cocoon. Fog-softened mornings, damp footsteps, washing that never quite dried - cabin fever was creeping in. So when I parked outside the House of Art in Haenertsburg and looked up to see a sky the colour of crystal glass, I felt almost giddy. The sun, apparently making up for lost time, blazed a summer-bold 35 degrees across the village. In front of me, a bicycle wheel made of leaded stained glass spun lazily in the breeze, scattering colour across the walls.

House of Art - home to Earth Creations, the shared passion project of Marion and Eric de Jonge, is impossible to miss. Bright mosaics ripple across the exterior, wind chimes tinkle at the door, and mobiles refract little shards of sunlight. It’s a place that announces itself not with grandeur, but with joy. And joy, I would soon discover, is exactly what Marion and Eric came here to build.

The couple settled on ‘The Mountain’ in 2010, leaving behind 27 years in Johannesburg and long careers in the five-star hospitality industry around the world. They were ready for tranquillity - mountains, forests and slower days. Marion, originally from Austria, immediately felt at home in Haenertsburg’s close-knit village community and familiar alpine-like terrain. After designing and building their dream home, they transformed part of it into an art studio and workspace where their creativity could live freely. Eric leaned into glass art, while Marion deepened her love for colour through silk painting, acrylics, mosaics, and, eventually, clay.

“Living our dream life inspired us to let other people experience the same feeling,” Marion later told me. And so the House of Art was born - a vibrant, welcoming space for anyone wanting to escape the daily grind and reconnect with themselves through creativity.

I was here for one of Marion’s pottery classes, a creative experience I had been promising myself for months. Inside her compact studio-shop, I had to blink a few times to let my eyes adjust. Everywhere you look there’s colour - painted tiles, patterned coasters, mosaic letters, ceramic bowls, glass trinkets, and the odd whimsical creature perched on a shelf.

But once you settle, you begin to see the hands behind it all. The room has the soul of a working studio: shelves lined with raw earthenware in varying stages of becoming, pots of tools and scrapers, sponges, brushes, and an assortment of mysterious thingamabobs that potters seem to use with effortless familiarity.

Marion handed each of us a ball of clay. “Alright, dig in - knead out all those air bubbles,” she said with a grin. As I pressed my palms into its cool surface, something old stirred in my memory. My mother once took pottery classes and I remembered the earthy smell, the weight of the clay, the rhythm of leaning in and turning it. They say clay has a memory and perhaps it’s true because my hands remembered exactly what to do.

We were three students that morning, including a young couple visiting their parents in the village. They had booked the class as a way to spend meaningful time together “prioritising experiences over things,” they laughed. Marion couldn’t agree more.

When I asked how she came to pottery, she told me her story in fragments, like scattered shards waiting to be reassembled. She had taken classes in the Netherlands and South Africa whenever she could, but her real journey began after moving to Haenertsburg. One day, passing a small pottery studio on her commute, something made her stop, turn around and walk inside. “I found my tribe,” she said. “For a while, at least.” After learning the basics, she realised she wanted more - her own style, her own experiments, her own voice in clay.

I chose to make a platter for my mom - simple and textured with a leaf imprint. Rolling out the clay, pressing the leaf into its surface, lifting it to reveal the delicate veins left behind - it was strangely meditative. For a moment, I forgot about looming deadlines and the reasons I had almost cancelled. Marion says pottery is therapeutic for her, and that’s exactly what she wants people to feel in her studio: immersion, presence and the joy of making something with your hands. “My students are always surprised at what they can create in such a short time,” she says.

Because we were on a tight schedule, my platter was “speed-dried” with the help of a hairdryer and heater - a process that normally happens overnight. Just as we finished, the scent of coffee and cinnamon drifted in from outside. We stepped out to the little stoep, where Eric treated us to his homemade coffee liqueur with cream and a generous slice of Marion’s freshly baked cinnamon cake. The stoep, framed by stained-glass panels and dotted with Marion’s artworks, felt like stepping into a kaleidoscope.

Eric then showed me around their guesthouse: three self-catering rooms, each quirky and colourful, decorated with their own art. They’re perfectly located just off the village’s main street, offering visitors an easy base from which to explore Haenertsburg’s forest hikes, mountain biking trails, cafés, artisan shops and endless mountain views. As Marion likes to say, “There is something for everyone in this safe environment - from swimming and cycling to art and hospitality.”

Back in the studio, it was time to paint. Dozens of little bottles, each filled with colourful potential, lined the table. My plan (dark blue, green, a splash of yellow and purple) lasted less than two minutes. As soon as I started, I realised plans and pottery don’t always mix. My design dissolved into blotches and mismatched strokes.  Marion glanced over with a dubious grin. “Remember, this is for your mother.” I looked down at the chaos on the plate and wondered what she would say about it.

Marion went on to explain that the kiln has a mind of its own. “The temperature, the firing time, how the glaze reacts with the clay - it’s always a surprise.” In other words: surrender. Let the clay finish the conversation.  As I drove away later that afternoon, leaving my platter in Marion’s care to dry and make its unpredictable journey through the kiln, I whispered a quiet wish that it would emerge beautifully and that my mother would love it as a Christmas gift. 

And then I reminded myself: even if it came out wonky or wild, the real offering was the intention - the presence, the thought, the hours spent shaping something with her in mind. In the bigger scheme of things though, knowing what my mother would give just to be with me so perhaps, just like those two young lovebirds, this season is the time to choose presence over presents and to create something that lasts far longer than anything you can buy.

Book a pottery or mosaic session, browse the studio, or stay over at House of Art. Contact Marion:  083 259 8427 |  mdjpucks@gmail.com