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Village life22 October 20262 min read

Die Boomhuis: a baobab under glass

Baobabs belong in the far north of South Africa, not in the Swartland. At the Riebeek Valley Garden Centre in Riebeek West, someone built a greenhouse around one.

Die Boomhuis is part jungle, part café, part gallery. Stained glass, hanging plants and copper sculptures fill the space, and there is a deli and a nursery out back.

Barn owls have been spotted in the rafters. KremaTart, next door, serves food if the coffee makes you hungry.

Buy a plant for your windowsill at home, or just sit for an hour in the green light.

More from the journal

First Fridays: the village after dark

Village life · 2 min read

First Fridays: the village after dark

On the first Friday of every month, Riebeek Kasteel stays up late. What to expect and how to make the most of it.

Saturday morning at the Village Market

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Saturday morning at the Village Market

Handmade crafts, plants and farm produce on the first Saturday of the month, for a good cause.

The longest stoep south of the Limpopo

Village life · 2 min read

The longest stoep south of the Limpopo

The Royal Hotel is one of the oldest hotels in South Africa, and its stoep is the village's living room.

Huis Agt: self-catering holiday house in Riebeek Kasteel

Rent a self-catering holiday home in Riebeek Kasteel, an hour from Cape Town. Three private units with their own kitchens and outdoor space, pools, braai and the Swartland on your doorstep.

8 Piet Retief Street, Riebeek Kasteel, Swartland, Western Cape, South Africa. Units: Goud (main house with terrace, braai and pool), Groen (garden cottage with private garden and small pool), Silwer (loft with private balcony). Check-in from 15:00, check-out by 11:00.