Remember the ’70s and the ’80s? It was a time when the lifestyle at the Cape was dominated by fashion. Notably by magazines such as Darling and later Style, and fashion houses such as Rich Rags, Harvey Rothchild, House of Youth, and Elzbieta Rosenwerth, to name but a few. From posters, from the editorial pages of the magazines, the girls stared back at us. Sometimes they appeared self-absorbed, sometimes vacuous and indifferent, sometimes contemplative. But always they were gorgeous—models always are-and many of them, such as Karen Sickel and Janet Ellis, were still at school when they were discovered by Gavin Furlonger.

Gavin was one of a small group of photographers producing ground-breaking images at the time. There was Sharon Coetzee. She had startling green eyes and there was something fierce about her. She reminded one of a tigress, or some dangerous predator. He was the one to discover her, he tells me. In fact, he created her. People in the fashion industry were too self-conscious to ask if she was ‘coloured’ so they asked, instead, “Where is she from?”  

Gavin, together with Rich Rags, also pioneered the use of posters in the fashion industry and all over the country. Young people who bought Rich Rags jeans also stuck the posters of their favourite models on their walls as they dreamed their adolescent dreams.

As we go through the photographs, one thing is clear: these girls occupy a special place in his heart and he fondly refers to them as ‘his muses’.

by Johan Liebenberg
Photography Gavin Furlonger

The band is approximately 5cm wide, less than the width of the white line painted on a tennis court. It stretches from a craggy spire topping the plunging cliffs forming the eastern face of the Table Mountain massif, and spans a 40m chasm back-dropped by the city of Cape Town hundreds of metres below.

Your first step will be excruciatingly difficult. When your back foot leaves Mother Earth, all that remains is absolute and utter focus. You must not even for one moment think of the wind buffeting your body, or the thin air plunge yawning below your feet. Obviously there’s a safety rope and harness, but that does little to take the edge off the endorphins fizzling within.

This is slack-lining, a brand new adrenaline craze taking the world by storm. I was fortunate enough to shoot Adidas International athlete, Lukas Irmler, on a recent visit to South Africa to promote this new edge sport. The following images document a few of the startling instants captured during this time. More photos can be seen at www.jacquesmarais.co.za.

Words and Photography by Jacques Marais

Nicole studied fashion design at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Once she had spent a couple of years in the fashion industry, Nicole realised it wasn’t for her. While deciding what to do next, Nicole studied make-up artistry and worked as a freelance make-up artist as well as for MAC in London. Nicole always wanted to be an artist but somehow never thought it would be possible. The day she decided to follow her dream, she says she felt like a character out of a Disney movie. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and she had a song in her heart.

Nicole separate's her art into categories as she enjoys working on a broad range of subject matter. These are Narrative, Botanical, Wildlife, Decorative, and her new category—Children’s Art. A recurring feature in all her art is pattern. She also admires textile design and draws a lot from the stylised approach. All her work is illustrative, focusing on the drawn line.

To view all of Nicole's work visit: www.nicolecronje.com

This book presents an insight into a fascinating array of wineries, focusing primarily on their innovative architectural approach and photographed in the context of the backdrop of the Winelands of the Western Cape.

South Africa is part of the new world of wine. The wineries in this book are a representation of the evolution of the industry, the way it appeals through architecture and philosophy to the sophisticated wine-drinking market. In the Western Cape, brave and innovative architecture has combined with time-honoured production values to carve a niche in a fiercely demanding industry and win the firm support of discerning wine aficionados from across the globe.

Between May and late July each year a current of cold water heads north from the Agulhas Bank up to Mozambique, bringing with it South Africa’s famous sardine run—the Greatest Shoal on Earth—and rivalling the wildebeest migration of East Africa for size and spectacle. Shoals of sardines can be up to 15 kilometres long, three kilometres wide and 40 metres deep. Following the run is the greatest gathering of predators known to man. Global warming, however, is a threat. In 2003 and 2006 no run occurred. The water temperature needs to be below 21°C in order for the migration to take place.

Words and photography by Lesley Rochat

Africa’s northernmost country, Tunisia, is a land of contrasts—with scenery from shimmering blue seas to endless yellow desert sands.
But even more impressive are the Tunisians themselves. All—local fishermen at the coast, taxi drivers in the cities, Berber women in ancient villages—are keen to chat and be photographed.
Every major town has its own zone touristique, filled with package-tour visitors. These tinsel-town tourists never experience the real Tunisia. To get an authentic experience, find a hotel in the centre where you can meet and interact with the warm and welcoming locals.

Words and Photography by Jeremy Jowell

Bedford, a small town in the Eastern Cape, appears oblivious to the continuation of time. Or perhaps time is oblivious to it. ‘Watchmaker and Jeweller’ proclaims the shop front of an unassuming little blue building in Hope Street. Its paint is weathered, its windows are dusty, its glass door stands open, and the shop appears empty. On entering, though, a strange hum surrounds and then envelops you. It creeps up so gently that it soon slips into the back of your mind. It’s the interminable ticking of clocks. The small space purrs and resonates with the sound of hundreds of second-hands perpetually ticking away. This reverberating—close to a vibration—causes the building to buzz with a singular vivacity. This is where you find Anthony Mauer.

Words and Photography by Sarah Kate Schäfer.

Spring days are to be enjoyed with family, fun activities and good gear. Make sure to wear layers, The mornings may start off crisp, but the sun will eventually make an appearance. Pack all the good gadgets, from binoculars and waterproof cases to your Leatherman and water bottles—you never know what you’ll need.

Photography & Styling C&D Heierli | Kids Clothing & Accessories by Frankie & Fred | Shoes by Hi-Tec

Production & Styling by Shannon Latimer & Astrid Skibbe | Models Sean and Andrew

Words and photography by Karen Retief

Close to the town of Walvis Bay a 500-strong community, descendants of one of the oldest peoples of Namibia, live the Khoi-Khoi. The Namib is the world’s oldest desert and home to clusters of Topnaar families living in informal houses along the dry Kuiseb River. Not much survives in this environment, except for a fruit that grows stubbornly on the sand dunes. This is the wild !Nara, the one the elders praise in poems as their ‘foster mother’. For close to 1 000 years, the !Nara has been the staple food source of the Topnaars. It has sustained them and has become the cornerstone of their culture.
Factors like a decline in subterranean water levels, a leadership battle, and land disputes, add to the Topnaars’ struggle to survive. But the one thing that binds them to this land, which makes it home, and for which they will never abandon the desert, is the !Nara, the cultural identity of the Topnaar community.

Two people at the top of their game, Gerald Hoberman, photographer, and Carrie Hampton, travel writer, reveal the unique facets of 70 of South Africa’s best lodges and game viewing in their visual feast, Exclusive Safari Lodges of South Africa

Photography by Gerald Hoberman
See more in his new book "Exclusive Safari Lodges of South Africa"