At The Heart Of The Village

(by Lisa Johnston) While huff-puffing at my gym a while ago, a sweaty man on the treadmill next to me struck up a conversation. ‘ Whatta is the shape of Italy?’ he asked in a variegated accent, with peaks of Italian and the flat vowels of someone who has spent years in Johannesburg. ‘Um… a boot,’ I gasped.

Gooood, very good, ‘ he replied. ‘Now , tell me, whatta is the shape of Africa?’ ‘Er… a rhino,’ I volunteered, lamely. ‘Oh noo, noo.’ He lamented. ‘Why is it that every South African I speak to recognizes the shape of a European country, but can’t see that Africa is shaped like a heart.

He’s right of course; Africa is the heart of our planet – not a valentine-type heart, but the pulpy, raw vessel that pumps lifeblood through its people, wildlife, land and water. I remembered the conversation when I visited Telekishi, a community tourism project in the Limpopo’s Waterberg.

Unlike other cultural villages, there’s no sense of farce. Set in the remote northeast of the escarpment, it’s owned by members of the Skrikfontein community.

With help from the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, Waterberg Nature Conservancy and the European Union, Telekishi has retained the gritty heart of a rural village, while providing the comfort and hospitality tourists expect.

There’s a real sense of pride in the village’s products and genuine concern that your needs are being met. ‘Are the blankets warm enough? Is the water hot enough? Please keep the bedroom door closed; we don’t want the frogs to go in. Can we light a fire for you?’ were the questions we were asked on arrival.

I’d dragged Warrick Poultney along with me to capture the trip in video, but I’d underestimated the distance to his pocket of wilderness. We arrived hours late and the co-operative chairperson, Malesela Chokwe, was apologetic that most of our welcoming party had given up waiting and gone home.

After a tour of the village’s facilities, we were seated in front of a bonfire, beers in hand, with the tonk-clonk of distant cowbells and the crackle of embers to accompany our show for the night – a confetti – extravaganza of stars.

To read the full story, get the November issue of the Getaway Magazine.