Ag, please don’t take away the scooters 🛴😂

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If you've ever struggled to decide which Stellenbosch restaurant to eat at, someone has finally solved this very serious first-world problem:

Go to three.

The new Taste Stellenbosch Restaurant Safari turns dinner into a walking food tour through town. You meet your guide at 6pm, have your starter at one restaurant, walk to another for your main course, and then head somewhere else for dessert. Along the way, your guide shares stories about Stellenbosch and its history.

There are three different routes featuring nine restaurants, including local favourites such as De Warenmarkt, Spek & Bone, Volkskombuis, Motherdough, Genki and The Hussar Grill. Groups are kept small, with only six or ten people depending on the route.

Tickets are R550 per person, which includes all three courses and your guide, although drinks are for your own account. The evening runs roughly from 6pm until after dessert at 8:30pm.

We think this is a brilliant Stellenbosch idea.

You get dinner, a history lesson, a walk through town and three restaurants in one evening.

And technically, because you're walking between courses, the calories from the previous restaurant no longer count. 🚶🍷

That's science. Please don't fact-check us.

The combined level of the Ida’s Valley Dam is sitting at around 97% this week, which is encouraging news for Stellenbosch’s water supply as we head through winter. According to the municipality, their teams are visiting the site daily to carry out ongoing maintenance, inspections and infrastructure upgrades to help keep this vital asset in good working order.

While dams don't usually make for the most exciting dinner conversation, they're the reason we can confidently turn on the tap, make coffee and fill the kettle without giving it a second thought. So here's a little appreciation for the hardworking engineers and maintenance crews quietly looking after one of Stellenbosch's most important pieces of infrastructure. 💧

Stellenbosch’s little blue GoNow scooters are still rolling, despite their legal status remaining somewhere between “perfectly fine” and “we’re having a meeting about it.”

Earlier this year the municipality issued GoNow with a notice to suspend operations, citing national traffic legislation and concerns around underage riders. GoNow, however, argues that amendments to national legislation are moving in the opposite direction and that e-scooters are effectively on their way to being formally accommodated. The municipality has obtained legal advice and is still considering the way forward.

Meanwhile, the scooters continue doing what scooters do: quietly zipping around Stellenbosch while the adults debate the paperwork.

Our completely biased Stellenbosch Brief position: please don't ban them. 😂

We love the scooters.

In a town where driving 800 metres can involve finding parking, avoiding a delivery truck, waiting for three pedestrians to cross wherever they please and eventually questioning every decision that led you to own a car, being able to hop onto a scooter actually makes a lot of sense.

Are there idiots on them? Absolutely.

But there are also idiots in cars, on bicycles and occasionally pushing trolleys around Woolworths. We don't ban the trolley.

So regulate them. Enforce the age limits. Fine people who ride like they're qualifying for MotoGP. Create sensible parking zones.

But please, Stellenbosch... let the little blue scooters live. 🛴💙

Apparently Stellenbosch did such a good job hosting the Investec South African Open this year that they’ve decided to do it all over again.

The tournament will return to Stellenbosch Golf Club from 4–7 March 2027, bringing some of the world’s top golfers back to the Winelands. And this isn't just good news for people who own suspiciously expensive golf clubs.

This year’s tournament reportedly generated almost R300 million for the local economy, supported roughly 400 jobs, and delivered an estimated R1.1 billion in sponsorship value.

The tournament is getting bigger too. The 2027 prize fund increases to US$2 million, while the event continues its partnership with the Sunshine Tour, DP World Tour and PGA Tour.

For Stellenbosch, that means another busy week for hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, wine farms and local businesses.

So mark 4–7 March 2027 in the diary.

And if you don't like golf, don't worry. You can still participate in the traditional Stellenbosch sporting event of trying to find parking. 😅

We spend a surprising amount of our lives waiting to become someone else.

When I’m fitter, I’ll feel confident.

When I earn more, I’ll relax.

When the business settles down, I’ll spend more time with my family.

When the kids are older, we’ll travel.

When things are less stressful, I’ll start enjoying life properly.

But there is a problem.

You never actually arrive.

There will always be another problem to solve, another goal to chase and another version of yourself you think you need to become.

And while you're waiting for that future life to begin, this one is quietly happening.

The ordinary Tuesday morning.

The noisy dinner table.

The drive home.

The person sitting across from you.

The body you have today.

The people who are still here.

Perhaps happiness isn't waiting for everything to finally fall into place.

Perhaps it's learning to recognise that this imperfect, unfinished, slightly chaotic chapter is your life too.

Keep building. Keep improving. Keep chasing the things that matter to you.

Just don't become so obsessed with where you're going that you completely miss where you are.

You don't need to arrive before you're allowed to enjoy the journey.

☀️ Friday: A lovely day with plenty of sunshine. 23°C / 12°C

⛅ Saturday: Cooler with a mix of cloud and sunny breaks. 19°C / 11°C

🌤️ Sunday: Mostly pleasant with sunshine and some passing cloud. 19°C / 11°C

🌤️ Monday: Sunny spells with a breeze picking up during the afternoon. 19°C / 10°C

☀️ Tuesday: A warmer, pleasant day with good sunny spells, although a little breezy later. 22°C / 10°C

The Brief: A pretty decent late-winter stretch! Friday starts beautifully, the weekend cools down a little, and Tuesday warms things up again. No major washout showing at this stage.

As always, thanks for reading. If you spot something in town worth knowing, reply and tell us. Half the best Stellenbosch stories begin that way.

See you around town,
Stellenbosch Brief

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