Estate Living Magazine Connection - Issue 43 July 2019 | Page 4

FROM THE TEAM FOUNDER/CEO Jaimé-Lee Gardner [email protected] COO/PUBLISHER Louise Martin [email protected] GROUP SALES DIRECTOR Michele Jones EDITOR Jennifer Stern Everything we do has an effect: on ourselves, our families, our communities, and – possibly – the whole world. It’s all connected, from the tiniest element to the biggest. As chaos theorists will tell you, if a butterfly flaps its wings in Gugulethu, you will feel the breeze in Sandton. (Yes, chaos can travel uphill.) That’s why we have, we continue to, and we always will explore responsible and sustainable ways to live – and one of the best places to start is in your garden. GOLF EDITOR John Cockayne SENIOR SUBEDITOR Thea Grobbelaar CREATIVE Peter Batistich AMBASSADORS Jenelle Oosthuizen Shamiela Roubain CONTRIBUTORS Helen Grange Martin Hatchuel Brendan Dale Mark van Dijk Natalia Rosa Chantal Lailvaux Helen Swingler Tessa Buhrman Di Brown Lisa Witepski ESTATE-LIVING.CO.ZA There are so many great indigenous plants you can use and, if you live in the drier parts of the country, you can even garden with very few drought-resistant plants – or even no plants. And then there are the somewhat icky things we don’t like to discuss – like pests and poison, and how they interact, and what effect they have on our lives and our planet. Yup, it really is all connected. And it’s not just the birds and the bees, and the cute fluffy animals. Technology greatly affects how we live, and how we relate. Take, for example, one of the most influential technological innovations of all time – firearms. Wow! Guns certainly change how we relate and how we live – and not always for the better. But so does more recent technology. The internet of things, wearable technology, the way we buy and pay for electricity, and the way we combine hi-tech security innovations with old-fashioned human solutions all change the way we relate, as does the way we play – be it online or out in nature. And, yes, we do advocate getting your teens away from those screens and into the great outdoors. At least for an hour or two. Where you live is almost as important as how you live, so we’ve investigated a few ways of making purchasing a home easier. We’ve found some well-priced estates that cleverly combine country living with access to urban centres – Mountain Crest in Paarl, and a whole slew of spots in Hartbeespoort, including the tranquil Leloko Lifestyle Estate – and also some great retirement options for under R2 million. And, once you’ve found that nice affordable home, you will want to get the best possible bond, because a better bond means a better home-buying experience. But how we live and how we invest also affects every aspect of our lives. We’ve unpacked why investing in sustainability is a good idea, both financially and for the more obvious – and probably more important but somehow less tangible – reasons, and, to back that up, we’ve found a fab investment opportunity that seamlessly blends a tax incentive with an opportunity to support conservation and community development. Combine that with an affordable euro-based investment that will give you a nice offshore asset, and you have all your bases covered. Danielle Biggar JJ Currie FRONT COVER Mdluli Safari Lodge COPYRIGHT 2019: Golden Acer (Pty) Ltd t/a Estate Living. The opinions and views expressed herein are not necessarily the views of Golden Acer (Pty) Ltd t/a Estate Living. The publisher and editor can regretfully not accept any liability for omissions or errors contained in this publication. The ownership of registered trademarks is duly acknowledged. No part of this publication or any of its content may be reproduced, digitally stored or transmitted in any format without the express permission of the publisher. Estate Living is a registered trademark of Kapital Investment (Pty) Ltd.