Mdantsane Cribs - Cool Modern Retro Properties

Townships in South Africa are generally associated with poverty, low cost housing or make-do housing, meaning shacks. The expression "Shanty Town" is used for informal settlements and impoverished living areas.

A shanty town also called a squatter settlement is a slum settlement, sometimes illegal or unauthorized, where the houses are made of plywood, corrugated iron, sheets of plastic, and cardboard boxes. Shanty towns, which are usually built on the periphery of cities, often do not have proper sanitation, water supply or aqueduct, electricity or telephone services.

And nobody who owns a little bit, has a little bit and still yearns for a little bit more in life, than he or she has right now, wants to live next to a "Shanty Town" in South Africa.

When buying a property in South Africa buyers are strongly influenced by the future development potential of the area surrounding the property like everywhere else, but here in South Africa special attention is paid to the possibility, that existing townships and informal settlements in the area might spread out and shanty towns might develop in the vicinity of the property on sale.

If this possibility exists the property in question is much more difficult to sell and looses market value.

The preconceived idea of a shanty town is not a good one!

A cool modern retro crib in Mdantsane

Shanty towns are mostly found in developing nations, or partially developed nations with  unequal distribution of wealth. In extreme cases, shanty towns have populations approaching millions. According to the Wikipedia as of 2005, one billion people, one-seventh of the world's population, live in shanty towns. 

This might be true but as always there is the other side of the medallion. And until you turn the medallion around you don't see it.

In Mdantsane you can find amazing modern upmarket houses, that the outside spectator would never associate with the classical, traditional definition of a township house.  

NO more Shanty Town - An upmarket property in Mdanstane

The suburbs NU 9 and NU 17 in Mdantsane are the home of stylish modern luxury cribs like the mansion in the pictures, that is build in a modern retro style. The architecture of this double storey building incorporates a lot of glass and steel elements.

A double storey upmarket property in Mdantsane

We have been working on a couple of articles, which we would like to develop into an ongoing series "Mdantsane Cribs". We feel honored, that we have been invited by many families into their home and that they have shared their intimate living space and a meal with us for a couple of hours. This has given us an idea how beautiful, creative and diverse the Mdantsane homes are on the inside. 

How much HOME they are!

No matter if the home we visited, was a shack, a middle class house or a small palace like the one in the images - we have seen amazing interiors, that have left us speechless.  Fascination lies in the creativity used to create beauty and how much you make out of something.  

Mdantsane Property With A Malibu Setting

The following facts might also surprise you. Houses in NU 17 fully fenced with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, one lounge and kitchen fetch up to 550.000 Rand at present. These are normal houses, that are not the embodiment of luxury and extravagance. Just simple normal houses - like this one.

Property on Sale by Xoliswa Tini Properties in NU 17 in Mdantsane for 550.000 Rand

Xoliswa Tini Properties is another South African success story. Xoliswa Tini was one of the first black ladies to enter the property market in East London and to turn her business into a financial success. She was one of the first property agents to market the Mdantsane properties. Xoliswa Tini Properties just celebrated 10 years in business in June 2013.

Xoliswa said that it has not all been plain sailing during the past 10 years but she describes her business with the following metaphor : "We are like that little duck on the water. In sight is a calm duck swimming but unseen under the water the duck is paddling away." 

Palm Trees Holding The Sun A Captive

Back to the modern retro crib of our today's article. The inside is as stylish as the outside.
A predominantly white interior with some furniture pieces in the accents colors mint green and burned orange is soothing and calming to the eye. No furniture overload here.

Contemporary interior design in an upmarket house in Mdantsane

Clean simple lines and open plan living dominate.

The bar area like the whole house has a retro feel.

Palm tree integrated into the foyer

The Dining Room Area tucked away between pillars

The TV lounge, black leather and white again

A Guest Room

And of course houses like this need maintenance and one employee will simply not do if do not want to clean and swipe the whole day!

Jonas Krombach Living In Nu 9 In Mdantsane - They Gave Me The Best Time Of My Life

The House of Jonas Krombach's Guest Family in Mdantsane NU 9

Jonas Krombach is the other half of the twin volunteer team, that was sent to Mdantsane for a year to assist and coach an environmental youth club at a High School in Nu 6.
Well, they are not real biological twins but they became twins in spirit during the course of one year. We have spoken a lot about Theresa Ekpa's experiences, she made during her stay in Mdanstane. Ladies first and that is the only reason. But now it is Jonas's turn. 

Jonas, Jonas, Jonas.... what we can we say!

This guy is the archetypal German man. He is straightforward, controlled, as punctual as it gets and hard working. Often he can also be full of sh......!

But he belongs to a new breed of Germans. 

He is a wonderful representative of a new generation of open minded, exploring, very well educated, adventurous but all the way still careful young men, who are not afraid to show their emotions and who have made it their mission to transcend the boundaries, they were raised in and to see and understand as much as possible of this beautiful world we live in.

Over The Roof Tops In Mdnatsane

One year ago Jonas said to himself, after he had finished his abitur which is the German version of the matric: "I want to see and experience something completely and totally different from what I know."

And Jonas came to Mdanstane and he got a full dose of what he had asked for. 

The Sisters Star And Nolubabalo - Jonas Krombach's Two Mothers in Mdantsane

Yebo! For our foreign readers one more time: yebo is something like a South African exclamation for OK!

Jonas came to live with two sisters, Star and Nolubabalo, who became his mothers in Mdanstane.

The first thing he was confronted with, was the fact, that family structures in Mdantsane differ very much from what is considered a classic family in Germany. 

Of course, you can find the classical core family like everywhere else with a simple father-mother-and-children structure, but very often households are headed by women only. The are headed by grandmothers, sisters and even young children. The reasons for this are the high aids mortality rate in South Africa and the loss of the old South African moral family values in the black and white culture.

Star and Nolubabalo live together and raise the two children they have in their house in NU 9. No husband, no man. Just the women.

A typical dirt road in Mdantsane NU 9

And Now Jonas. 

Jonas faced many challenges, like having to deal with electricity cuts or no lights at all, having to shower with a bucket and cold water. Yeah, and the occasional mice and other rodents making their way through his new home. 

"But there was so much love", he said, "the love of Star and Nolubabalo and the two boys was simply unbelievable. I will miss them so much. It is hard to believe that someone can give so much love to a stranger who has just come to live in his house".

Jonas with his younger brother Lilitha

Jonas is a single child, he does not have any brothers or sisters in Germany and out of a sudden he was living in the second largest township in South Africa, had two mothers and two younger brothers and was sharing a small house with them. 

He is passionate about handball and plays in Germany in a club. Handball is not a sport that is known and played a lot in South Africa. So everything familiar and known had been taken away from him!

You can call that a culture shock!

"But was that not exactly what you wanted, Jonas", we ask?

Yes it was!

"And I have grown so much through this intense life experience", he says. 

This is the exact and best term to describe it - an intense life experience, that has the power to change you from the inside out in a relatively short time.

Between Houses in NU 9 In Mdantsane

But belonging to that new breed of young German men we mentioned before, there was no doubt, that he would cope and that he would enjoy his stay thoroughly including the fact, that he now had to share a small space and was not the only child in the house anymore.

We can only say, well done German man! Well done Jonas Krombach! 

Jonas with his two younger brothers Lilitha and Lutho in the families home in NU 6

Jonas experienced strong contrast. Contrast of all sorts. Contrast between rich and poor in the Mdantsane township itself. Contrast between the German life and the South African township life. Contrast is not easy to understand, when confronted with it in a harsh way. There is a big difference between watching a "documentary" on television or being thrown into the documentary and being part of it in real life.

"It takes you one year before you really know and understand how life functions here in the township. In the beginning you are just an observer and you have to find your way. This can take a long time because you have to overcome your own insecurities to socialize with the people", he said.

Corrugated Iron Shacks In NU 6 In Mdantsane

Why is an intense life experience so good! Why are we advocating this and are talking so much about these young Germans?

Because it is the first step, the beginning of a long journey, helping you to transcend the boundaries in which you have been raised and which hold you back. 

It is the first step, that makes it possible for you to keep the love for the place you were born and to treasure it, but to move on and free yourself from its limitations.   

And it is so good because you drag others into it, like your parents, friends and lovers who get send on the same path by you, just by knowing you and following you. 

And gradually it is the only way of freeing yourself and others of prejudice, racism and  the fear of foreign cultures.

Jonas And His German Parents Who Came To Visit Mdantsane With His Mdanstane Guest Family

The moral of the story: Do something extreme to yourself and not to others!

Jonas Celebrating Birthday With His Mothers And Brothers In Mdantsane

All Images Jonas Krombach, Article by Chocolat

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall -Who Is The Most Beautiful One Of All

Ten Little South African Princesses on their way home from school !

In the fairy tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs that was written by the Brothers Grimm, every day the Wicked Queen would ask "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?" 

The mirror would answer "Oh My Queen it seems to me, there is none fairer in the land than thee!" As long as the mirror responded well everything was in order.

But if the fairy tale had to be re-written for the ten little South African Princesses, the mirror would have to say: " Wow, halt ! South African children are breathtaking beautiful ! And I can not choose at all !
And it cracked.
The mirror cracked !

Holistic Healing

A Sangoma in Mdantsane

Today on our way home from an interview, we encountered in Nu 9 a sangoma walking on the road.
A sangoma is a traditional South African healer and herbalist. Sangomas are highly respected and revered in the South African society and we felt honored that he allowed us to take his picture. 

We are proud, that we have attracted so many readers interested in the South African culture from other countries with our magazine during the last two years. For them we have compiled a small resume relating to the definition of a sangoma.

For our readers, who are interested in learning more about traditional African medicine and healing we have a short movie on our youtube channel that you can watch "The Seven Day Sbunge - A Visit To A Traditional African Pharmacy' and there is our article about "Amagqirha The Way Of Divine Healing".

Sangomas are herbalist and healers. Their approach to healing is a holistic one.

The philosophy of a sangoma is based on a belief in ancestral spirits.  Both men and women can be called by the ancestors, though sangomas are often female. A consequence of refusing the calling is usually ongoing physical or mental illness. 

Historically the sangoma role has been the preserve of the black African people, but post-Apartheid white South Africans have also entered the profession.J
John Lockley is reputedly one of the first white men in recent history to become a fully initiated Xhosa sangoma. A trainee sangoma (or twaza) trains under another sangoma, usually for a period of years, performing humbling services in the community.

A sangoma is a practitioner of herbal medicine and divination in South Africa

A sangoma is a practitioner of herbal medicine, divination and counseling in the traditional Nguni Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele and Swazi societies of Southern Africa - effectively an African shaman. They perform a holistic and symbolic form of healing, embedded in the belief that ancestors in the afterlife guide and protect the living.

Sangomas are called to heal, and through them ancestors from the spirit world can give instructions and advice to heal illness, social disharmony and spiritual difficulties.

Sangomas have many different social and political roles in the community: divination, healing directing rituals, counteracting witches, and narrating the history, cosmology, and myths of their tradition. For harmony between the living and the dead, vital for a trouble-free life, the ancestors must be shown respect through ritual and animal sacrifice.