😳 R70,000 Per Month For Dirt?

The proposed Cape Winelands Airport took a significant step forward last week after all appeals against its Environmental Authorisation were officially dismissed by the Western Cape Government. The decision removes one of the biggest hurdles standing in the way of the project and brings the airport a little closer to reality.

And honestly?

This is good news for Stellenbosch, Paarl, Somerset West and the broader Winelands region.

For years, most major infrastructure investment in the Western Cape has naturally gravitated towards Cape Town itself. But the Winelands is no longer just a collection of wine farms and weekend markets. It has become a major economic hub with growing tourism, logistics, agriculture, technology and business sectors.

The airport is expected to create thousands of jobs, increase tourism, improve cargo capacity for exporters and provide additional aviation capacity for the region. Supporters believe it could help unlock substantial economic growth over the next few decades.

Of course, concerns around noise, traffic, environmental impact and neighbouring land uses still need to be carefully managed. Those concerns were central to the appeal process and will continue to be part of the project's future planning.

But if the Cape Winelands wants to remain one of South Africa's fastest-growing regions, investment in major infrastructure is unavoidable.

Sometimes progress arrives with a bit of turbulence before take-off.

I nearly fell off my chair when I saw this property listing.

An open piece of ground in Kayamandi is available to rent for R70,000 per month.

Not a warehouse.

Not an office block.

Not a shopping centre.

Ground.

Dirt.

Earth.

For R70,000 a month, I was expecting at least:
• a runway
• a small vineyard
• or a resident springbok named Kevin

To be fair, it does include a container.

Which means for only R840,000 per year you get:
one container
and an impressive amount of fresh air.

At these prices, I have started looking at my own garden differently.

Apparently I'm sitting on prime commercial real estate and didn't even know it.

Before having kids, I assumed mealtimes involved sitting at a table and eating food.

What a fool I was.

Trying to feed a toddler is less of a meal and more of a pursuit event.

You start with them in a chair.

Then somehow they're:
• under the table
• behind the couch
• standing on a step stool
• halfway down the passage
• and briefly upside down for reasons nobody understands.

Meanwhile you're following them around the house holding a spoon like you're tranquillising a wild animal.

"One more bite..."

The child responds by sprinting into another room.

At some point you stop asking whether they're hungry and start calculating whether enough food has accidentally entered their mouth to keep them alive until breakfast.

The most confusing part?

They have enough energy to run 14 kilometres around the house without stopping.

Yet apparently chewing requires too much effort.

I've come to realise that no matter how small the town is, there are always three businesses that somehow survive absolutely everything:

A liquor store.
A church.
And an estate agent.

The town could have:
• one traffic light
• three chickens wandering around Main Road
• and a population of 47 people

Yet somehow you'll still find:

"Bob's Liquors"

"The Full Gospel Revival Centre"

And six estate agents competing to sell the same two-bedroom house.

The economy could be booming.

They're there.

The economy could be collapsing.

They're still there.

A meteor could strike the town square and within 48 hours someone would be standing next to the crater with a "For Sale" board.

Honestly, I think these three businesses form the foundation of civilisation.

One provides hope.

One provides property.

And one helps people cope with property prices.

No matter where you go in South Africa, if you can find those three things, congratulations...

You've found a town.

I have a belief that South Africa needs to seriously rethink the idea that university is the correct path for everyone.

Too many young people are being pushed toward degrees they don’t really want, for jobs that may not even exist by the time they graduate.

And I’ll say something controversial:

A large percentage of people currently at university probably should not be there.

Not because they are unintelligent.

But because many would be far better suited learning:
• plumbing
• tiling
• painting
• electrical work
• carpentry
• bricklaying
• welding
• mechanics
• construction
• woodworking

We have somehow created a culture where working with your hands is viewed as “less successful” than sitting behind a laptop.

Meanwhile many people finish matric, go study because they feel they have to, then struggle to find work afterwards.

So they study more.

Then still can’t find a job.

So they collect another qualification.

And before long, they have years of debt, multiple certificates, and still no clear direction.

Meanwhile someone else spent those same years:
• learning a trade
• gaining real-world experience
• building a client base
• earning an income
• and developing a skill society actually needs

South Africa does not only need more graduates.

We desperately need more people who can build, fix, install, repair and create things.

Because when a country loses practical skills, eventually nothing works properly anymore.

And the interesting part?

Many trades can eventually lead to business ownership far faster than traditional corporate careers.

The electrician becomes an electrical contractor.

The plumber builds a plumbing company.

The carpenter opens a workshop.

Not everyone is supposed to sit in meetings replying to emails all day.

Some people are builders by nature.

And there should be absolutely no shame in that.

One of the fastest ways to make yourself miserable is to compare your life to someone else's.

We see people buying bigger houses, driving newer cars, taking better holidays, building bigger businesses, running faster races, or achieving things we haven't achieved yet.

What we don't see is the full story.

We don't see their struggles, sacrifices, mistakes, stress, debt, disappointments, or the years it took to get there.

Many people are carrying enormous pressure because they feel they're somehow behind in life.

Behind whom?

Life isn't a race against everyone else.

The only useful comparison is with the person you were yesterday.

Are you a little wiser?
A little kinder?
A little healthier?
A little more disciplined?
A little more grateful?

That's enough.

Progress rarely happens in giant leaps.

It happens in small steps, repeated consistently over time.

Take a breath.

You're not competing with the world.

You're simply becoming a better version of yourself than you were yesterday.

Wednesday ☁️
18°C / 11°C
A cool winter's day with some cloud cover and a light breeze. There is a small chance of a passing shower, but most of the day should remain dry.

Thursday ☀️
19°C / 7°C
Probably the pick of the week. Plenty of sunshine, crisp morning temperatures, and a beautiful Stellenbosch winter afternoon. Perfect weather for coffee in the sun.

Friday 🌤️
18°C / 6°C
Cold start, but another mostly sunny day with very little chance of rain. Expect a fresh morning and pleasant conditions by lunchtime.

Brief Summary:
After a slightly unsettled Wednesday, Stellenbosch looks set for two classic winter days with sunshine, cool mornings, and temperatures around 18-19°C heading into the weekend. ☕🍂

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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