The first edition of new lifestyle magazine Platteland, produced by country dwellers for country dwellers, visits Nottingham Road in KwaZulu-Natal and the Cape West Coast and introduces readers to, among others, Ina Lessing, the preserve queen of Modimolle and a new generation of small farmers who think big from all corners of South Africa. On a more practical level, there are articles about waterwise gardening, solar power, how to brew your own beer, keeping chickens and tips on how to buy a second-hand bakkie, plus detailed instructions on making a herb crate and a chicken coop on wheels. The food pages are seasonal, with glorious recipes to help you make the most of your strawberry harvest or use herbs in new ways. Author Deon Meyer writes about Loxton as one of the contributors, and Max du Preez reminds readers that living in the platteland doesn’t exempt us from the problems of the greater South Africa.
The quarterly magazine, published by Media24’s acclaimed Weg/go! stable, will also be available in Afrikaans as Weg Platteland. The new duo is aimed at people who already live in the country, grew up there, plan a move there sometime or simply dream about a place where rush-hour traffic is merely a tall tale.
The team behind these new magazines include Johan van Zyl, former editor of VISI and a columnist for Die Burger, and Peter van Noord, previously managing editor of the opinion magazine Insig and content editor of Weg. Both are seasoned journalists, translators and editors, and plattelanders to the core: they live in a tiny town that has no supermarket, police station or filling station. And the introduction of new publications is also no novelty – they were both members of the team that started garden-and-décor magazine Tuis in 2004, and Van Noord has been involved with Weg and WegSleep from inception.
“Platteland – like go! – is down to earth and without pretensions: as good to look at as to read, with enough practical tips in-between to make life in – or a visit to – the countryside a pleasant reality, without putting you in a nostalgic bubble, far away from the realities of South Africa. And humour is part of the picture, because things in the platteland seldom go according to those carefully constructed five-point plans,” says Van Zyl, who grew up in Prince Albert in the Karoo and Vanrhynsdorp in Namaqualand.
“Platteland is a celebration of rural lifestyle and, especially, the people who live closer to the earth and who have already discovered the joy of a life away from the hustle and bustle. We write about the interesting characters that give towns (and their markets and bazaars) flavour – entrepreneurs who run their business from the tiniest village or farm, inspiring people making a real difference in their community, people who turn ruins into homes or come up with cunning plans to get by without Eskom’s power cuts and price increases,” says van Noord, who grew up in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, when it was still a town, long before the advent of the mall.
The magazine has its origins in the global trend of urbanites that crave the peace and serenity of life outside the city limits. According to Lynette Harding, publisher of Media24’s Travel magazines, go! Platteland looks after the needs of the people who are part of this “silent revolution”. The magazine is packed with practical advice and tips, true stories of real people, and engaging photography.
“There is no doubt that the media landscape is constantly changing as well as highly competitive, but the concept behind Platteland is market driven. Weg/go!, WegSleep and WegRy/Drive Out have all been market leaders for many years. We believe go! Platteland’s strong community assessment combined with contributions by some of South Africa’s leading writers and journalists, and the inroads Weg/go! has made as the country’s best-selling travel magazine, will also make go! Platteland an unforgettable experience,” says Harding.
The summer issue of go! Platteland and Weg Platteland is available nationwide from 25 November.
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