Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD

Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just

$149.99

$74.99/Year

The Perfect Holiday Gift Gift Now

Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD

Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just

$NaN

$NaN/Year

Hurry, Limited Period Offer!

Hours

minutes

seconds

go! Platteland Magazine - Summer 2025/2026

Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD

Read go! Platteland along with 10,000+ other magazines & newspapers with just one subscription

View Catalog

1 Month

$14.99

1 Year $149.99

$74.99

$6/month

Save 50%
Hurry, Offer Ends in 13 Days

(OR)

Subscribe only to go! Platteland

Gift go! Platteland

Cancel Anytime.

(No Commitments) ⓘ

If you are not happy with the subscription, you can email us at help@magzter.com within 7 days of subscription start date for a full refund. No questions asked - Promise! (Note: Not applicable for single issue purchases)

Digital Subscription

Instant Access ⓘ

Subscribe now to instantly start reading on the Magzter website, iOS, Android, and Amazon apps.

Verified Secure

payment ⓘ

Magzter is a verified Stripe merchant.

In this issue

In this issue of Platteland: Still Bay - All the way!; 2 Festive tables filled with flavour - Jan Hendrik, Karen Dudley; Calitzdorp's Succulent festival - Tips and tricks to keep yours fat and healthy; Litterbugging - Zibi’s creator writes to us!; Aquaponics - Salad and trout from the maize triangle; Run with horses in Rehoboth!; Bloukrans farm getaway - Disappear into the deep Karoo; Summer reading - 8 off the best - (Johann Kriegler decodes Antjie Krog and Dot)

A Delft-blue Christmas

No matter how many times you've visited the picturesque Boland farm Babylonstoren, situated near Simondium in the Paarl-Stellenbosch- Franschhoek triangle, there will always be something new to see, do or desire.

1 mins

A celebration of the veld

What does a mountaintop in bloom or the dunes of the Cape smell like?

2 mins

And the cleverest sheepdog is...

Your dog is your best friend... and quite possibly also your best farm worker.

1 mins

South Africa's pot of gold

Jars of pantry staples always make a welcome gift. Now, South Africa has an official honour roll for our best preserved foods, just in time to fill the Christmas stocking.

1 mins

Sunflowers from Stellenbosch

Few things say “summer” quite like the sight of a bright yellow sunflower. Dan Enslin of The Neighbours Farm wanted to share their joyful exuberance with as many people as possible and allocated approximately 4 hectares of land to growing them.

1 mins

Boerewors is tops!

Here's a great talking point for your next braai: our very own boerewors has been chosen as the best sausage in the world!

1 mins

Vergelegen voted the best

The historic Vergelegen estate in Somerset West has been announced as the Best Wine Farm Experience at this year's Kfm 94.5 Best of the Cape Awards.

1 mins

Time to read

In an era where attention economy reigns supreme, people apparently scroll far more on their phone screens than they read. But for anyone seeking depth this summer holiday, a book remains the ultimate companion. Here are eight of Platteland's favourites that were published recently.

4 mins

When two worlds collide

Antjie Krog's Blood's Inner Rhyme is part-autobiography, part-reportage and part-fiction, the main theme developed through a varied multitude of narratives and conversations between the writer and her mother, two personally devoted yet ideologically opposed beings with a shared love for the Free State writes Johann Krieglar

5 mins

Still Bay all the way!

Still Bay – often referred to as a blend of a Mediterranean fishing village and a sleepy surfer's paradise – is growing fast and getting busy. Yet it remains the perfect work-from-home, holiday or retirement spot for anyone longing for a peaceful life in the platteland.

10+ mins

'Here we farm with stones' (and silence)

The Great Nothingness north of Laingsburg is where you'll find Bloukrans Klein-Bewarea guest farm. Here, three unique self-catering cottages – one of stone, one of mud and one of corrugated iron – offer visitors refuge from the troubles of the modern world.

6 mins

The thundering hooves of the Härdap!

Rehoboth, runner-up in the Kwêla Town of the Year competition, is known for its tall camelthorn trees, perfect roosterkoek, beautiful women – and its horses. Piet van Rooyen visited the 2025 Rehoboth Winter Cup, where almost 100 horses competed in a grand total of 19 races.

7 mins

A tree of many tales....

In the Free State, 17 km east of Ventersburg, you'll find a pepper tree that's among the largest in the world. It's a tree that has witnessed great tragedy, but one that has also brought – and still brings – much joy and comfort to those who encounter it.

8 mins

MACADAMIAS Planting a legacy

By adopting a different approach to agriculture and the way tribal land can be used, two emerging farmers are driving change – and providing hope – for rural communities. Their vehicle? Macadamia nuts.

7 mins

Salad and trout from the maize triangle

When you arrive on a farm in the heart of the Free State's maize triangle to find all the implements overgrown with boscage, two thoughts will go through your mind: either the farmer has grown tired of ploughing, or he knows something no one else does. And then you discover tunnels filled with vegetables and dams brimming with trout...

7 mins

It's time to garden

Buy a bottle of perfume redolent with aromas of fynbos and the Karoo; admire world-class botanical art in Stellenbosch; discover what the gardening trends forecasters are predicting for 2026; and, if you're feeling creative, make your own “flower frog”.

6 mins

A festival that grows on you

Since 2017, succulent enthusiasts have assembled in Calitzdorp in the Klein Karoo for the town's annual succulent festival, which takes place over the third weekend of September. Platteland paid a visit to the eighth edition.

7 mins

Survivors of the veld

Succulents are hardy and drought-resistant, and come in the most fantastical shapes and colours, and varied textures. Plus, they're easy to propagate and sow from seeds. We paid a visit to the annual succulent festival in Calitzdorp to ask the experts for practical advice on keeping these dependable plants healthy and happy.

10+ mins

Simply...delicious!

Take guests on a palate-pleasing journey with this selection of Mediterranean-style dishes from Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen's latest cooking travelogue, JAN Voyage. Flavour takes centre stage (and so will you!).

5 mins

Made with LOVE

Well-known chef, restaurateur and food writer Karen Dudley creates flavourful and soulful dishes from - and for - the heart. We share a selection of recipes from her new cookbook Upwards, which serves as a reminder that creating in the kitchen is as much about connecting with people as it is about food. Our selection lends itself to convivial gatherings of friends and family - perfectly timed for the festive season.

10+ mins

Easy as pie

One-pot cooking is just the thing for family get-togethers as the holiday season approaches. We invite you to wow your guests with this curried venison and lamb pie. Different, yes. Delicious, certainly. And a stunning focal point for your festive table.

2 mins

The platteland here... and down under

No matter where you are, the platteland is always a unique ecosystem where the gears turn more slowly and you're filled with greater self-awareness, as Freestater Elizabeth Wasserman discovered in her new home on New Zealand's South Island.

5 mins

The end of my street

This is Loxton, one of those places where the wild west wind blows. Where avenues of Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis) and rows of pear trees were planted by a visionary town clerk, a Mr Theunissen. Out of his own pocket.

1 mins

Read all Stories from go! Platteland

go! Platteland Magazine Description:

Publisher: Media24

Category: Lifestyle

Language: English

Frequency: Quarterly

The slow life is the good life: go! Platteland celebrates the rural lifestyle and the entrepreneurial spirit of people whose hearts are in the platteland – whether they grew up in the countryside or are already based there, are contemplating making the move or simply hankering after the rural life. Platteland offers articles that focus on entrepreneurs, DIY projects, animals, gardening, food, towns and people. It is both practical and inspiring – as much of a visual feast as it is a celebration of great writing.