Permaculture South Africa Network

Hey all, putting this out there to connect with permies around South Africa.
Please introduce yourself and say where you're from, so we can build stronger local networks and share location apt solutions.

Hi There,

I think this is a great place to share permaculture knowledge. Thanks for sharing Leigh.

Myself and my wife (Lee-Ann) stay on a 2ha plot in Bon Accord, North of Pretoria. We are (slowly but surely) implementing a mandala system with a chicken tractor.

Regards
Hermanus Gerber

Hi, I'm Jacqueline, I stay in Capital Park. Pretoria. Got a few ovambo chickens, some raised beds, a natural pool, with some blue kurper in and gradually aiming to grow as much of my own food as possible.

Hi, another Pretoria person here.

Currently I grow veggies in my garden using permaculture principles. Every season is a learning curve.

Slowly but surely I'm finding ways to create a sustainable food forest in a very small area.

Hi we live in the wilderness growing most of our own food  of the grid slowly learning about permaculture

I started a year or 2 back to put all my organic material back in the garden. I don't make compost, I just use all as mulch and let it be. My soil improved and my forrest garden is happy.

By the way,  my name is Nico, I stay in Capital Park, Pretoria.

Hi Nico, Welcome to Permies. I'd love to see pictures of your forest garden!
https://permies.com/wiki/61133/Post-Image-Permies is a tutorial how to post an image - you can just add the photo as an attachment to a post if the picture is not online. We have a whole forum on forest gardens too, which might be the best place to share it.

Hi everyone, Charl Viljoen here. I'm in the Western Cape, doing Permaculture on a 16 hectare badly degraded smallholding. Growing 3 food forests in this climate is a little challenging, but gradually we are getting there.

Good day,

Jason here. My wife and I have been practicing backyard permaculture together since we met in 2016.

We are based in Johannesburg but have recently secured a property in the Natal midlands to start a full scale permaculture journey.

Not only are we intent to live this life but we have started a NPO that aims to teach sustainable farming and lifestyle practices to anyone who will listen.

www.hopeshaven.co.za

So glad you started this thread and glad to see all the like minded people around us.

Hi All

Na-iem here from Cape Town. Got a piece of land in the Karoo I want to develop. All advice most welcome.

So happy that this thread exists, thank you Leigh!

I've only just joined Permies but have been practicing permaculture for 10+ years. My partner & I bought the deeds to a beautiful piece of mountain in the Langeberg WC at the end of 2019.

Owing to the extensive amount of observation required on a  piece of land like this, it took us almost 18months to even determine where the homestead would be located. No regrets, it had to be done right. It has taken us another 18months to create access and erect the first building (barn & stables).
We should be ready to move in before the end of the year!
Then the real hard work starts.

I would REALLY love for this to become a more active thread. I think that there are so many permaculturalists in South(ern) Africa that we really should be engaging more, encouraging each other, sharing our adventures.

Anyway, it's just a thought.

Hi, we are developing a 1acre homestead in Koperfontein, 8km from Hopefield, West Coast, Western Cape.
We are restoring an 100 year old cottage and planting a food forest. The main challenges are pure sand as soil and the extremely hot and dry summers (Mediterranean climate).

Good morning!

My name is Tessa. I have had it with being a library tannie and decided to semi-retire with my cats, my books, and a copious amount of coffee! I have been semi-steading for a while now, growing all kinds of things at my flat, but after many months of searching, I have finally found my "backyard farm!" It's 1000 sqm of sand on the West Coast, with saline soil and a brackish water supply.

At the moment, I'm observing, planning, looking at rain, sun, and wind, and generally giving it the "100 hours of thought" it needs. Namaqualand (especially at the coast) is not as desolate as people think. It's just a matter of using what nature gives you and not fighting the elements. But then that's what Permaculture is, isn't it?

And that means I can finally become an active permie, without lurking in the shadows of these forum pages. I have already learnt a lot and found plenty of things to integrate into my new living space.

Na-iem Dollie wrote:Hi All

Na-iem here from Cape Town. Got a piece of land in the Karoo I want to develop. All advice most welcome.

Where in the Karoo, Na-iem?

My name is Francois. I am from the Free State but am looking for a place where i can contribute in Western Cape. I sold my permaculture haven and am in search for a place in the Western Cape.

Started townhouse mini garden vertical type food forest in Cape Town back in 2016, but moved out to the countryside now living on a rented very degraded and dilapidated 2ha plot in Mcgregor, W Cape and with family, bought a 16ha piece of over grazed/alien infested floodplain (seasonal) just up the road where one house has been built, along with a small veg garden, a 70 chicken egg operation and delightful small scale herd of merinos for meat and wool. Unfortunately builder ran away with most of our oney leaving a partially and substandarly built useless "structure".
So instead of my ideal permie homestead life, I've ended up running the local Good Food Club, becoming the local village beekeeper, and starting a small permaculture based homeschool co-op. Sometimes where ife leads you can be better than where you thought you were going.