Stepping out of my bakkie—the local South African term for a utility truck—into the crisp morning air of the Gauteng highveld, the grassy plains extend towards the Magaliesberg range. Ahead, rising out of the soil like an ancient burial mound, sits the iconic Tumulus building. It is an extraordinary piece of architecture that marks your…
There is a specific quality to the early morning light over the Witwatersberg ridges. When I drive my bakkie—that trusty South African pickup truck—along Kromdraai Road toward the valley, the golden grass glows in a way that feels remarkably untamed. It reminds me of the quieter corners of the Sussex downs where I grew up,…
The Grand Mosaic of Gauteng: Highveld Horizons and Deep Time When I first moved from London to Johannesburg, the scale of the Highveld took me by surprise. The skyline of Gold Reef City and the glass towers of Sandton dominate the horizon, yet less than an hour’s drive away lies a quiet, rolling expanse of…