Smooch Africa

01/05/2018

An Open Letter to my Fellow Matrics | smoochafrica

This is one of the most honest pieces that I have ever written, because it is so close to home and has had such a personal effect on my life. Because of this, I wanted to share this story with all of the current matrics that might be going through the same thing. Best of luck to everyone currently applying for universities, and I honestly hope that everyone who reads this will take something from it. Much love xx

Note: I would just like to say that this article is a personal opinion about my experiences with applying to universities and deciding on my tertiary education....

20/04/2018

Thoughts of a Hopeless Wanderer... | smoochafrica

This is an article that is a bit different to my usual, but I am very excited to share it with all of my readers! Please enjoy partaking in a little piece of my vacation, and if you enjoyed this one, please remember to like and share it!

In reply to my saying that I was going to drive down to Cape Town on a road trip instead of simply flying down, I am greeted repeatedly by the same question: “B...

10/03/2018

Adian Botha - A Life of Falconry & Ebony | smoochafrica

This article is definitely a must-read for everyone. Adian Botha was somebody that I spontaneously asked to interview after I went to watch a demonstration at the Dullstroom Bird of Prey & Rehabilitation Centre, and hearing his stories of being a professional falconer (one of only 100 in South Africa!) was fascinating. I am so excited to share his story as the first interview of the year, and to give some well-deserved exposure to the Dullstroom Bird of Prey & Rehabilitation Centre for the incredible work that they do, so please like it if you enjoyed this and remember to share so that everybody can see it! 💋🇿🇦

Although my family and I have holidayed in Dullstroom since I was a little girl, I can only remember the Dullstroom Bird of Prey & Rehabilitation Centre faintly...

26/12/2017

Coffee Crawl Day #8: The Copper Coffee Bar, Natal Midlands | smoochafrica

Merry Christmas from Smooch Africa to all of the readers! I hope that everyone had an incredible day with your families 🎁🎄

This quaint coffee shop in the Natal Midlands really impressed me, and I totally fell in love with the antique La San Marco coffee machine that they use😍

Click on the link to read the article, and please give it a share if you liked the review!!💋🇿🇦

The Junction, Nottingham Road, Kwazulu-Natal, 0081           It was a beautiful day in the Natal Midlands and after taking a tour of the Nelson Mandela Capture ...

22/12/2017

Coffee Crawl Day #7: Lineage Coffee, Hillcrest | smoochafrica

880 kilometres later, we finally arrived from Port Alfred to the Natal Midlands, and naturally the next port of call was Lineage Coffee in Hillcrest😍 This coffee shop reserves the top spot on the Smooch Africa Coffee Crawl, and I would recommend coming here to anybody, no matter how far you have to travel to get there (follow our example😂)

Click on the link to read the article, and please share it if you liked it! Also, remember to follow along with the rest of the as we make our way back to Pretoria👣💋🇿🇦

Shop 2, Builders way centre, 3 Builders Way, Hillcrest, 3610 When my family and I arrived in Howick late two nights ago after travelling 13 hours and 880 kilome...

21/12/2017

Coffee Crawl Day #6: Lavender Blue, East London | smoochafrica

Check out my latest Coffee Crawl adventure, the Lavender Blue in East London, by clicking on the link below. Also, stay tuned as I visit and review the highest-rated coffee shop in South Africa, Lineage Coffee, later today!

Old Gonubie Road, East London, 5205 Although we arrived here very early yesterday morning, at about seven o’clock, the joint area between the Lavender Blue coff...

20/12/2017

Coffee Crawl Day #5: Friendly Stranger, Port Elizabeth | smoochafrica

Eclectic, artsy, and charismatic, this coffee shop was an experience that was truly memorable☕️And don’t even get me started on their Sumatra blend😱👌🏽 Click on the link below to read the article, and don’t forget to share if you like it!💋🇿🇦

Look out for more daily posts as I continue on the Coffee Crawl✨

Bridge St, South End, Port Elizabeth, 6001 Friendly Stranger was an absolutely unforgettable experience, and that is based purely on the adventure of being ther...

20/12/2017

Coffee Crawl Day #5: Urban Espress Coffee Co., Port Elizabeth | smoochafrica

Day 5 of the Coffee Crawl saw us going to Urban Espress Coffee Co in Port Elizabeth. Rated as one of the best coffee shops in the country, this coffee bar certainly did not disappoint 😍 read my rave review about it by clicking on the link below☕️

What do you all think about the Coffee Crawl so far? Please feel free to leave some comments with your opinions💋🇿🇦

25 6th Ave, Walmer, Port Elizabeth, 6065 One of the things that I have come to love the most about the Coffee Crawl, is the immense amount that there is to lear...

18/12/2017

Coffee Crawl Day #4: The House Kitchen & Cellar, Kenton-on-Sea | smoochafrica

There is no antidote to facing many rainy days at the sea quite like going on an adventure, and so, my Coffee Crawl intensified 🌧

My latest review is The House Kitchen and Cellar in Kenton-on-Sea, well worth braving the elements for! 😍 Stunning space and atmosphere, not to mention coffee nothing short of heavenly☕️

Click on the link in my bio to read the article, and please follow along on the rest of the Coffee Crawl if you like what you see!👍🏽💋🇿🇦

42 Kenton Rd, Kenton-on-Sea, 6191 It was an unbearably windy day in Kenton-on-Sea yesterday, but there was no way that we were going to let that deter us from f...

16/12/2017

Coffee Crawl Day #2: The Provost Café, Grahamstown | smoochafrica

Coffee in a jail cell? Yes please! The Provost Café in Grahamstown took my breath away with its unique history and stunning atmosphere, not to mention serving coffee so good that it should be criminal. Read all about how the Old Provost Prison in Grahamstown went on to become The Provost Café, one of the town’s most beloved coffee shops, by clicking on the link to the article below.

Remember that there are daily Coffee Crawl posts published on the Smooch Africa site as well as all of our social media platforms, so if you like what you see, there's plenty more reviews on the site!

The Old Provost, Lucas Ave, Grahamstown, 6139 We knew that making a stop at the Provost Coffee Shop was a must even before we swung into Grahamstown on our way ...

15/12/2017

Coffee Crawl Day #2: Karoo Brew, Cradock | smoochafrica

I absolutely fell in love with Cradock, and the beautiful coffee shop that is Karoo Brew. So incredible to see that even in the smallest of towns, the quality of coffee sets the bar very high - they certainly serve up a mean flat white! Hope that you all enjoy the article, and please follow along with the rest of the Coffee Crawl journey with my daily posts.

20 Durban Street, Cradock, 5880 We began our second day of the road trip in Cradock, a charming little town in the heart of the Eastern Cape. On our hunt to fin...

14/12/2017

Coffee Crawl Day #1: Stereo Cafe, Bloemfontein | smoochafrica

And the article for Day #1 of the Smooch Africa Coffee Crawl is up! Read my review of the Stereo Cafe in Bloemfontein by clicking on the link below, and stay tuned to explore the many more coffee shops that I will be visiting on my daily posts.

35 President Steyn Ave, Westdene, Bloemfontein, 930 The first stop on the Smooch Africa Coffee Crawl was Stereo Café in Bloemfontein, and since my family and I ...

13/12/2017

ANNOUNCING: THE SMOOCH AFRICA COFFEE CRAWL | smoochafrica

I am VERY excited to announce my December holiday adventure this year, which officially starts tomorrow morning... the first ever Smooch Africa Coffee Crawl! If there is one thing that truly brings people together (especially if you are part of my family), it is a good cup of coffee, no matter the time of day. This Festive Season, we have decided to explore this shared love past our favourite local spots in Pretoria: we are going to take a road trip down to Port Alfred, stopping at South Africa's finest coffee shops along the way. And so, I am going to be blogging, vlogging, photographing and interviewing my way across South Africa, with daily posts available on the Smooch Africa website as well as all of our various social media platforms.

This December is going to be a little bit different on Smooch Africa, and I really hope that you all enjoy sharing in the memories as much as I am going to enjoy making them! Please have a look at the video and share if you think it is a cool concept :)

Cannot wait to share the journey with you all!!

A few months ago, my family and I had a conversation about where we would go on our December holiday… ideas of places all over South Africa were thrown around, ...

08/12/2017

Elizabeth Prinsloo - Step by Step | smoochafrica

Firstly, sorry to the Smooch Africa readers for the delay in getting my latest post out - Smooch has been super busy writing exams! Thankfully, that is in the past, and now we are back with a bang!!

I am super excited about this latest article, because Elizabeth Prinsloo is one of the most incredible and humble people that I’ve ever met. Looking at her, you would never guess the journey that she has taken to become the woman that she is now. Her story deserves to be heard, and I am privileged to be the one to tell it. A huge thank you to Elizabeth for allowing me this opportunity!

When I crossed paths with Elizabeth for the second time in my life, I was sitting at Aroma, and the sense that this woman’s story was one that needed to be told...

23/10/2017

Masali Baduza - All the World's a Stage | smoochafrica

The first experience that I ever had with Masali Baduza was in grade 8 with the St Mary's DSG Inter-House Plays. She and Andrea Frisby , who were at that stage in matric, played the two lead roles in the DSG Inter-House Play's production "Seeing Red" (written by Annie). It was obvious that Masali was destined for stardom, and now, three (nearly four) years down the line, I had the opportunity to catch up with her about living in an actor's world: from her daily routine, the big influence of Christo Potgieter , to the adversities and triumphs that go along with the job.

Please click on the link below to read the article and give it a share if you like it!

I am almost sure that at St Mary’s DSG, the annual Inter-House Plays are considered a bigger deal than the boat race between Oxford and Cambridge. The four hous...

10/10/2017

Debbie Langley - Delicious Nutritious | smoochafrica

It is always so interesting to hear new and fresh perspectives about life, and this interview with Debbie Langley was no different. Debbie is a plant-based nutritionist, and hearing how the food that we eat can play a massive role in the reversal and prevention of chronic disease was extremely interesting. She is definitely making huge waves! Click on the link to read the article, and please remember to share it if you like it!

Also, just a massive shout out to everyone who reads Smooch Africa, because thanks to you, the site has officially reached 5 000 views!!

It was whilst my mom and I were in Clarens on holiday a couple of months ago that we ran into a woman called Debbie Langley, whose children I had gone to school...

01/10/2017

Thabang - Baby X | smoochafrica

The article that I wrote this week is very different from anything else I've posted on Smooch, but it is a necessary story that people need to hear. There are countless amounts of children in South Africa fighting cancer; children that are faced with healthcare that is inadequate to treat them. Their stories need to be heard. This is the true story of Baby X, one of the children facing this situation. Please read and share the article to raise cancer awareness.

The human condition is truly remarkable, especially in the cases of the youth. The internet is full of extraordinary stories about children who have faced chall...

27/09/2017

Danie van der Westhuizen - The Man behind the Lens | smoochafrica

Danie van der Westhuizen, you truly have an awesome story! earlier this week, Danie and I had a telephone conversation where he shared his experiences of being behind the lens - from the time that he first picked up a video camera, to his aspirations for the future. He truly has a gift for capturing moments and immortalising them through his work. Please click on the link below to read the article, and don't forget to share if you enjoyed it!

When Danie van der Westhuizen was in grade 10, him and a few of his friends decided to make a parody music video to a popular song by an upcoming band called Fa...

16/09/2017

Erin Tansey - A Life without Borders | smoochafrica

It’s absurd that even after knowing Erin Tansey for nearly my entire life, I only fully understood the extent of the humanitarian work that she does after sitting down for a cup of coffee and an interview with her. What an incredible life that she has lived, and I’m glad that I get to share it with all of the Smooch Africa readers. Please give it a read and don’t forget to like and share it if you are as inspired by her story as I was when she shared it with me!

I am fascinated by how a person’s perspective can change throughout their life. I once saw a series of macro photography, where all of these everyday objects we...

06/09/2017

Chi Chi Xu – How to Travel without a Map | smoochafrica

Chi Chi is a person that I've admired for a very long time now, ever since I've met her. Apart from creating the most beautiful nail art that I've ever seen, she's a woman with so many dimensions - from a traveler and a sports enthusiast to a bespoke businesswoman and someone who always follows her heart. She is an inspiration to girls everywhere, and I'm so proud to share her story with all of my FB friends! Please click on the link below and share it if you like the article!🇿🇦💋

A quick fact about me – there are very few people in the world that I respect more than self-made women. The sheer thought of the effort that is put into climbi...

31/08/2017

The Story of Leon Nel, Michele Cilliers & Melinda Vos Du Toit | Smooch Africa

This week's interview is very different to any of the others that I've posted on Smooch Africa - namely because this week, I didn't do an interview with anyone. Instead, I want to share with all of my FB friends a powerful story that I've been a part of for three years now - the story of my uncle's cancer, and how it made us stronger as a family. Some of you may have seen on Michele Cilliers's FB page that she and Melinda Vos du Toit completed the Dawn-2-Dusk 12 hour circuit race last Saturday, running a total of 92km. They ran as a commemoration of all of the family and friends that they knew that have ever fought against cancer, and the main inspiration for this was my uncle Leon himself. Please click on the link below to read the article, and share it if you like it! Hope everybody has an amazing week further!

Here is the list of people that Michele & Vossie ran for:
Raynolda Makhutle
Pat Connor Nel
Janie du Plessis
Lorraine Du Toit
Nolz Lwa-Lwa
Frieda Henning
Angèle van der Wiel
Maria Joubert
Karen Steenkamp
Rayghanah Cassiem
Ilse van den Heever
Keleadi Lettie Moshabe
Nikki Seboni
Itumeleng Letoaba
Marlene Nortjé
Elke Dombrowsky von Schlichting
Erika du Toit
Amy Jansen
Estelle du Plessis
Lentilie
Carna Kriel
Beatrice
Finnley
Devon Vergne Memorial fund
Riley Vergne
Barry van Os
Madeleine Heyns
Pieter Grobler
Debra Steiner
Noeleen Lategan
Minika Van Aswegen
Marius Engelbrecht
Carina Vorster
Colin James
Marinda Kotze
Ma Lillian Dube
Maria Zaayman
Estelle Platzoeder
Kate Paterson
Pattie Fareshaw
And my uncle Leon... Never stop fighting!

The strange thing about inspiration is that the harder you look for it, the more elusive it will seem. Every week, I sit down and think who I’m going to intervi...

21/08/2017

Debra Stewart - Whose Memoir I Will Still Write | Smooch Africa

The interview on Smooch Africa this week is very close to my heart, because the story of Debra Stewart,the person that I interviewed, moved me quite deeply. I'd like to invite all my FB friends, if you are ever in Clarens, to go and take a look at this fantastic little bookshop - it will really be worth your while!

Click on the link below to read the article, and if you like it, please give it a share!

If you think about it, life is just like a book. Every day is a new page, and every beginning is a next chapter. The people that you surround yourself with are ...

13/08/2017

Gillie Mokoena - Master of the Macchiato | Smooch Africa

Sometimes, the most spontaneous decision to interview someone allows you a glimpse into their lives and just makes your day a little brighter. Thank you so much to Gillie Mokoena for not only making incredibly delicious coffee, but also for bringing the sunshine with you wherever you go!

Please have a look at the article by clicking on the link below, and spread the love by sharing it if you like what you've read!

There aren’t many things that I’m pedantic about in life; on the contrary, I like to consider myself quite an easy-going person. But if any of my good friends w...

30/07/2017

Neo Mothiba - The 'BFG' of DSG | Smooch Africa

Smooch Africa is back! This week's article is about the longest-standing national sports captain in South Africa, St Mary's DSG's very own Neo Mothiba. Please click on the link to see the full article - his story is truly worth the read!

The first time that I met Neo Mothiba was in 2007 at the African Games in Algeria. I was a little girl of seven years old, growing up in a faraway country where...

26/07/2017

To all the Smooch Africa readers, please know that I am currently busy writing exams, hence the fact that I did not publish an article last week, but they are finishing on Friday and there will be a new article out this weekend!💋🇿🇦

09/07/2017

Rael Shiller - Pretoria's Coffee King

Over the years, I've come to know Aroma coffee shop quite well, basically because it is my second home, and I could simply not do without their coffee. This week, I wanted to share the story of Rael Shiller, the man who built the business. Since I have been frequenting them (a couple of years now), he has been there every day, working tirelessly alongside the rest of the staff. There is no doubt that all of the success that Rael and Aroma have had, they have worked for, and it's so incredible to see the popularity that they've gained over time because of it. Please like and share the article!

“Don’t be so nervous to take a risk – just go for it! If you follow through with your heart and believe in what you do and you’ll make a success of it.” This is...

30/06/2017

Zahn Hulme - On Giving Back

Earlier this week, I sat down with Zahn Hulme at the Atterbury Trust offices to talk to her about her life, her job, and everything in between. It's awe-inspiring to see the difference that she is making in so many people's lives through her work at Atterbury Trust, and I'm so happy to be sharing her story with you all this week.

I also just wanted to apologise that the article is being posted a few days' late... I was sick and unable to do an interview until now, but I hope that all of the Smooch Africa readers will enjoy the article now that it's up.