Khoja’s Modern Store is a cultural institution in Louis Trichardt. This fabric shop and general dealer has been passed down through multiple generations and is the place to go in northern Limpopo to buy traditional Venda and Tsonga/Shangaan fabrics. And not only does Khoja’s sell traditional Venda fabric — the eye-catching, boldly colored cloth with thick, colorful stripes — the shop also played a role in creating it.
The Venda and Tsonga people are known for their rich artistic traditions, particularly in woodcarving, pottery, beading, embroidery, and textile-making. Although Venda and Tsonga art are historically utilitarian — woodcarving and pottery, for example, are used to make everyday items like utensils, storage containers, and cooking pots — many artists have built upon and enhanced their traditional skills to launch their work into the contemporary art world.
The Lalapanzi Hotel, right off the N1, is not your typical roadside accommodation. Built in 1947, this charming Tudor-style lodge transports its visitors straight from the highway and then back in time.
Pilato Bulala, like many young boys in rural South Africa, loved making toy cars out of wire and discarded pieces of metal he collected around his village in northern Limpopo. But as Pilato grew older, his metal creations became bigger and more elaborate. The toy cars grew — until they were large enough to actually sit in, with bicycle tyres as wheels — and eventually Pilato built an entire “flying machine”, made of zinc and held together by wire.
The Anglo-Boer War (also known as the Second Boer War and the South African War) was a defining event in South Africa’s tumultuous history, and also played a crucial role in global politics at the turn of the 20th century. More than 100 years later, historians and amateur war buffs from around the world still travel to South Africa to explore the history and legacy of this devastating war.
Although macadamia trees are not native to South Africa (they were originally discovered in Australia), these nut trees grow exceedingly well in the warm, dry climate of northern Limpopo. Royal Macadamia, a macadamia nut factory outside Louis Trichardt, has been processing macadamias from the surrounding farming community for more than two decades.
It’s no secret that baobabs are magical trees. One must only look at a baobab — its massive, ancient, gnarled trunk, its lace-like branches, its striking silhouette against the setting sun — to know this is an iconic African plant.
Every small town needs a gathering place — a place where people can meet up for coffee, eat, chat, and catch up on the events of the day. In Mokopane, a small town in the middle of Limpopo, that place is the Honey Ball Coffee Shop.
Positioned on a shady street right next to Honiball Attorneys, the Honey Ball is a coffee shop, restaurant, and event venue with a twist. The café shares its space with Red Earth — an interior design, decor, and gift shop — so guests can browse for birthday presents and paint swatches while enjoying a delicious meal.
The Amorentia Estate and Nursery does more than can be easily described in a single story. Bought by Gary and Shenah Blight in the early 1950s, Amorentia started as a macadamia farm. Today the farm is run by the Blights’ son, Howard, and its offerings have expanded exponentially over the decades.
Amorentia Produce and Nurseries
The Old Packhouse Distillery, hidden behind tall trees on a forest road in what used to be a fruit-packing warehouse, smells positively delicious. Gin is made here, but it’s not just any old gin. The Old Packhouse, which only opened two years ago in May 2017, makes award-winning artisanal gin infused with all the best flavours of South Africa.
