Karoo Times

08/09/2026

I make my own peanut butter. I also make mayonnaise, bread, pasta and pizza. I'm not boasting, or displaying a carefully curated commitment to slow living. I started making these foods because I could no longer justify paying supermarket prices for something I could produce from a few basic ingredients at home.
Statistics might show that food inflation is slowing, but slower inflation doesn't mean cheap food. The high prices already built into our grocery bills stay in place, while food must compete with every other household expense.
In this editor’s column, I consider why more of us are returning to the practical habits of earlier Karoo households because necessity is once again teaching us to turn basic ingredients into everything we need.

A society should not confuse household ingenuity with economic wellbeing. People are inventive while under pressure - stretching flour and turning a packet of peanuts into several weeks of sandwiches, but the pressure isn't harmless.

07/09/2026

The Karoo veld can seem sparse and empty to most of us. To plant ecologist Sue Milton-Dean, every exposed root and cluster of bossies forms part of a much larger conversation.
After nearly 40 years of studying the Karoo, Sue has learnt how plants, animals, soil and rainfall work together to sustain this complex eco-system. Through Renu-Karoo, she has also discovered how difficult these relationships are to restore once broken.
Karoo Times recently explored the life and work of a scientist who has studied the intricate workings of this singular, and precious, region.

When plant ecologist Sue Milton-Dean arrived in Prince Albert in 1987, the Karoo was a research subject. Nearly four decades later, the region has become a place she interprets both scientifically and emotionally - one whose intricate relationships are far easier to damage than to rebuild.

04/09/2026

Velddrif singer, songwriter and guitarist Steyn Fourie will bring music and West Coast hospitality to the Victoria-Wes Kunstefees. He performs alongside Loxton’s Dorpsnare at the Victoria West Golf Club on Wednesday, September 9.

Apollo Theatre Victoria West

Fourie’s own understanding of music fits neatly into the legacy of the Apollo Theatre. On Wednesday evening, a little of Velddrif will arrive in Victoria West. The Karoo will provide the company.

02/09/2026

Folk-rock singer and songwriter André Swiegers will open the musical programme of the Victoria Victoria-Wes Kunstefees on 5 September 5 in the Apollo Theatre. His intimate production Swerwer combines recent releases, familiar favourites and the stories behind some of his most beloved songs.

01/09/2026

A Karoo fleece travels through shearing, classing, laboratory testing and auction before most likely being exported for processing. We follow that journey to discover where South African wool goes and how raw fibre becomes clothing and interior textiles.

A finished jacket offers few clues about the farm behind it. The garment's fibres have crossed oceans more than once while passing through several companies and countries.

01/09/2026

Rocco de Villiers tree op Saterdag 12 September om 18:30 in die historiese Apollo-teater op, met deure wat reeds om 18:00 open.

01/09/2026

Pragtige Lentedag vir almal!

Vir my is 1 September nie bloot nog ’n datum op die kalender nie. Dit is dié datum wat nie gou genoeg na die koue winter kan aanbreek nie.

31/08/2026

Maak Victoria-Wes deel van jou Karoo-roete hierdie naweek. Dit beloof om voorwaar besonders te wees!

31/08/2026