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Hello, Insiders 😊
Winter's not done with us yet - today's looking rather wet, so pop the kettle on and let's get into it. Women's Day season is only building from here (in case last week's round-up got buried in your inbox, we've linked it again below, plus a few more worth diarising). There's a Fiorentina-style T-bone the size of a dinner plate, a padel night with a burger thrown in, and a hearty Karoo-lamb-meets-Cape-fire lunch at KOSE worth the drive to Franschhoek for.
We also got thinking about something most of us don't consider until it's too late - wet tiles and worn stair edges - in this month's word from Lifta.
Here’s what we’ve got for you 👇
Things To Do & Events
Community Highlights
Little Insiders
Eye Catching Deals
Weather
Property Of The Week: De Zalze show off 🤩
Mind, Health & Fitness: 5 small rituals for Women’s Month
A Little Extra Inspo: Your new midweek favourite meal
TOGETHER WITH LIFTA
Winter Is When Stairs Turn Against You
Nobody plans to slip. It's just that winter mornings mean cold tile, a damp doormat dragged in from the rain, and a staircase you've climbed a thousand times without thinking twice - until the one time you do. Lifta sees this pattern every year: call-outs go up the moment the Cape's wet season sets in, and it's rarely the driveway that catches people out. It's the stairs inside their own home.
A Lifta stairlift or home lift doesn't wait for a scare to make sense. It's the kind of quiet, sensible upgrade Winelands homeowners are increasingly making before winter becomes a hazard rather than just an inconvenience - custom-built for almost any staircase, installed by Lifta's own trained engineers, and backed by German engineering standards that don't cut corners on safety features like battery back-up and precision braking.
If you've got parents visiting for the season, or a staircase that's started to feel like a small daily risk rather than a formality, it might be worth a conversation before you wish you’ve done so sooner.
📍 Cape Town & JHB 🌐 lifta.co.za 📞 0807 373 737 | Whatsapp on 078 616 3640
LOCAL EVENTS
ARTS + CULTURE
First Thursdays Stellenbosch
📅 Thu 6 Aug | from 17:00 📍 Central Stellenbosch • Galleries, wine bars and studios open late for one evening - highlights include a blind winter reds tasting at Bertha Wine Bar & Meraki and artist Ledelle Moe talking through her installation EXPLODED GEOGRAPHIES IV at 17:00. 🎟 Free | More here
The South African Songbook - Stellenbosch City Orchestra
📅 Fri 14 & Sat 15 Aug | 19:30 📍 Lourensford Wine Cellar, Somerset West • Mango Groove, Johnny Clegg, Miriam Makeba and Juluka get the full symphonic treatment among the wine barrels. 🎟 Book here
Sip & Paint at Fiore
📅 Sat 15 Aug | 11:00-13:00 📍 Fiore Restaurant & Garden Centre, Somerset West • Relaxed watercolour session in the garden, pizza and a glass of wine included. 🎟 R550pp | WhatsApp Kathy on 071 625 4703
FAMILY + COMMUNITY
Oes & Vlam Musiek Fees 2026
📅 Sat-Sun, 8-9 Aug 📍 Sandringham Farm, Stellenbosch • Two days of live music, food trucks and ice-cold drinks - lekker farm-gees energy for the whole family. 🎟 More here
Snotkop Live at Die Platteland
📅 Fri 7 Aug | doors 17:00, Snotkop at 21:00 📍 Die Platteland, Paarl • Stormers vs All Blacks on the big screen, then Snotkop headlines the dansbaan. 18+. 🎟 R95 online, R100 at the door
Vastrap Sokkie Night at Daisy Jones
📅 Sat 8 Aug | 16:00-midnight 📍 Daisy Jones Bar, Summerhill Wine Estate, Stellenbosch • Beginner and intermediate sokkie classes before the party kicks off. 🎟 From R100 | Book here
Lavender Picking at De Meye
📅 Thu-Sun, running through the season 📍 De Meye Wine Estate, Stellenbosch • Hands-on picking in the purple fields, complimentary glass of wine after. 🎟 R120pp | Info here
Fruit-Tree Pruning Workshop at Babylonstoren
📅 Wed 12 Aug | 10:00-15:30 📍 Babylonstoren, Simondium • A full skills day with pruning expert Comine Joubert, lunch at the Greenhouse Restaurant included. Only 24 spots. 🎟 R1,600pp | Book here
HEALTH + WELLBEING
Men's Americano Padel Tournament at Anura Racquet Club
📅 Thu 13 Aug | 18:00-20:00 📍 Anura Racquet Club, Stellenbosch • Rotating matchups, vineyard backdrop, now with a Smash Burger included. 🎟 R350pp | Book here
FOODIE EVENTS
Winemaker's Dinner at Jordan Restaurant
📅 Fri 7 Aug | 18:30 📍 Jordan Restaurant, Stellenbosch • A Women's Month sharing-style dinner with Chef Marthinus Ferreira and winemaker Cathy Marshall. 🎟 R1,250pp | Email to book
Braai-to-Table Vlam Fees Lunch at KOSE
📅 Sat 8 Aug | 12:00-15:30 📍 KOSE, Franschhoek • Long-table fire-cooked feast, bold South African flavours. 🎟 R495pp | Here
Franschhoek Cellar Sunday Roast
📅 Sun 9 Aug | 12:00-15:00 📍 Franschhoek Cellar, Main Road • Three courses, award-winning wines, sweeping valley views. 🎟 R320pp | Book here
Taste, Pair & Paint Soirée at Klein Goederust
📅 Mon 10 Aug (public holiday) | 12:00-15:00 📍 Klein Goederust, Franschhoek • Curated tasting followed by a guided painting session, wine-country-chic dress code. 🎟 Book here
The Cellar Series: Syrah in Focus
📅 Wed 12 Aug | 18:00 for 18:30 📍 SCAPE, Vrymansfontein, Paarl • Sommelier Armand Ridgard pours seven wines including a 1996 Swartland Shiraz. 🎟 Info here
Bistecca Night: Fire & Wine at The Bistro @ Brookdale
📅 Thu 13 Aug | from 18:00 📍 Brookdale Estate, Paarl • 1kg charcoal-grilled Fiorentina T-bone for two, complimentary Mason Road wine. 🎟 R1,100 to share | Book here
A COUNTDOWN TO WOMEN'S DAY - PART TWO
We covered a stack of Women's Day plans last week - worth a second look if you missed it. Here's a few more worth diarising:
Women's Day Exhibition at PJ Olivier Art Centre
📅 Opens Thu 6 Aug | 17:00-20:00, runs to 28 Aug 📍 PJ Olivier Art Centre, Stellenbosch • South African women artists take centre stage, opening with work from Jean Theron Louw, Varenka Paschke and Mpho Jacobs. 🎟 Free entry
Women's Day Floral Workshop at Lounah Café
📅 Sat 8 Aug | 09:00-13:00 📍 Lounah Café, Paarl • A slow, creative morning of flower arranging with Kadou Floral Design - welcome mimosa, breakfast bites, coffee and lunch woven around the workshop. Bring your mom, your sister, or just yourself. 🎟 R950 | Book here
Lady Alice Breakfast & Bubbles
📅 Sun-Mon, 9-10 Aug | 09:00-12:00 📍 Muratie Wine Estate, Stellenbosch • Garden breakfast under the ancient trees with glasses of Lady Alice bubbly. 🎟 R200pp | 021 865 2330
Women's Day Pop-Up Market
📅 Fri-Sat, 8-9 Aug 📍 Winelands Square, Paarl • Handmade goods, fashion and treats from local makers, live music to browse by. 🎟 Free entry
Women's Day Lunch at Retreat at Boschendal
📅 Sun 9 Aug | 12:00 📍 Retreat Restaurant, Boschendal Estate, Franschhoek • A leisurely Sunday lunch for the women who've shaped your life - fresh farm flowers, a tango mandarin mimosa on arrival, and a generous seasonal spread in an unhurried farm setting. 🎟 R385pp (R220 under 12, bottomless bubbly +R300pp) | Book here
Women's Day Run & Walk for a Cause
📅 Tue 11 Aug | 17:30 📍 JS Marais Building, Stellenbosch • 5km run or 3km walk, dress in pink, bring a sanitary product donation. 🎟 Free | Book here
A Founder's Journey with Minki van der Westhuizen
📅 Wed 12 Aug | 09:30–11:30 📍 Botanical Café, Stellenbosch University • An honest women-in-business breakfast with the model-turned-entrepreneur behind MINKI jewellery. Only 50 seats. 🎟 R250pp | More here
Quénet's Women's Evening
📅 Thu 13 Aug | 18:00 📍 Quénet's The Great Outdoors, Paarl • A confidence and personal safety evening with guest speaker Mark Human of "Fight Like a Girl." 🎟 RSVP on 064 778 2914
COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS
New Winemaker at Glenelly Estate Glenelly has promoted Léhandri Bothma from assistant winemaker to winemaker - a fitting way to kick off Women's Month. She joined in 2023 after cutting her teeth at Tokara, Cederberg, De Toren and further afield in Santorini and Bordeaux.
Swop Shop Keeps Growing What started as a small pilot in Klapmuts is now reaching schools across Stellenbosch - this week it was Dalubuhle Primary's turn, trading recyclables for tokens and building genuine environmental habits along the way.
Taste Stellenbosch 2026 📅 Runs until 20 Sept 📍 Various venues • Six weeks of chef collaborations, seasonal menus and vineyard feasts - worth dipping into throughout August rather than trying to do it all at once. 🎟 Info here | More here
We're loving: Mondvol's cookie pop-up has landed at POPSHOP, De Wet Square - limited-edition flavours (biscoff, tiramisu, pistachio) alongside their signature bakes, running until 25 August. No booking, just pop in on your next wander through town. 🍪
LITTLE INSIDERS (FOR THE KIDS)
Kids Monday Funday at EquiSynergy
📅 Mon 10 Aug | 09:00-12:00 📍 EquiSynergy • A drop-and-go morning of horse rides, games and pony time for kids 3+ - fully supervised, all equipment provided. 🎟 R350 | +27 71 673 8931
EYE CATCHING DEALS
🥩 Sirloin & Sip Special at Le Pommier Flame-grilled sirloin with a glass of MAC, R280, Mon-Thu until end of August. 📍 Le Pommier Wine Estate, Stellenbosch | Book here
🏡 Winter Stay Specials at Laborie Estate 25% off, or pay for 2 nights and stay for 3 - direct bookings only, valid until 31 August. 📍 Laborie, Paarl | Book here
🥃 Brandy & Food Pairing at Deux Lions Four Western Cape brandies, each paired with a curated bite. R350pp, available throughout winter. 📍 Franschhoek | Book here
WEATHER THIS WEEK: 6 - 12 AUG
Today starts damp with morning showers (15°C), but don't let it fool you, tomorrow clears up beautifully, sunny and mild at 19°C. Rain returns for the weekend, heaviest on Sunday, before it dries out and warms up again through the week.
Best days to lock in outdoor plans: Friday, Tuesday and Wednesday. ☀️
PROPERTY OF THE WEEK
A Fairway, a Dam and a View You Won't Want to Interrupt
Some homes have a nice view. This one has three: golf course, mountains and a tranquil dam, all from the same slope. Set on one of the largest erven in De Zalze Winelands Golf Estate, it's the kind of stand most homeowners spend years hoping will come up.
You arrive through a pergola-framed courtyard heavy with mature vines and lemon trees. Inside, living areas flow into the kitchen, then out through stacking doors onto a covered patio with a built-in braai. The pool sits up on the natural slope, angled so you're swimming with the golf course, mountains and dam all in view.
There's a private study for working from home, a triple garage with generous storage, and three bedrooms upstairs - a spacious main suite with its own dressing area and en-suite, plus two more sharing a family bathroom.
Insider take: at 1,312m² this is one of the largest stands on the estate, and private viewings only open from 4 August - so this is a "get in early" one.
MIND, HEALTH + FITNESS
5 Small Rituals For Women's Month
Not every act of self-care needs a spa day. A few small, doable ones for the season:
A mindful cup, no screen - five minutes with your coffee or rooibos before the day starts, phone in the other room.
Say the thing - Women's Month is as good an excuse as any to tell someone what they mean to you, out loud.
Move outdoors, even briefly - a 20-minute walk between the rain showers does more for a foggy head than another episode.
Protect one evening - no plans, no admin, just yours.
Ask for help with something small - practising it on the small things makes it easier for the big ones.
A LITTLE EXTRA INSPO
A simple, one-pot midweek favourite, just for you. Seves 2 at 505 kcal + 40g protein.
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