The African Gourmet

The communities in Bié Province’s commune of Cassumbi have been producing honey for a number of years. They perfected their methods to produce good quality honey, but had no way to sell it. It was a wasted resource.

“We spend a lot of time and have a lot of skills in producing honey, but the problem is we don’t know who to sell it to. The roads are so bad here that even if there were people who were interested in buying it, it is hard for us to go to market to sell it,” said Domingos Cassinda.

However, when a USAID-funded program in the municipality of Andulo (where Cassumbi is located) did a community mapping exercise with the villages, some interesting results emerged. After villagers identified the honey as a local asset, the project team helped them think collectively about ways to use this asset for income-generating activities. With a bit of collective brainstorming and the insights in Andulo, a new solution was found.

Rather than thinking that they themselves had to go to market, the community members found that they can get the market to come to them. They decided to seek businessmen who already had capital and contacts the community didn’t have. The communities looked into linking with local businessmen in Kuito, Bie’s provincial capital, to see if they would be interested in working with the community.

“Before, we just made the honey and did not think about how to exploit it. Now, having worked together, we have managed to get not only someone to buy it all from us in bulk, but a contract with them to protect our agreement. And better still, they can come to us and we do not even need to go anywhere! We hope now that this will increase the standard of living in the community and we can start to invest for our future and that of our children,” said Maria Henda, a peasant woman in Cassumbi.

Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. Ghana endured a long series of coups before Lt. Jerry Rawlings took power in 1981 and banned political parties.

After approving a new constitution and restoring multiparty politics in 1992, Rawlings won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996, but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. John Kufuor succeeded him and was reelected in 2004. John Atta Mills took over as head of state in early 2009.

Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has roughly twice the per capita output of the poorest countries in West Africa. The domestic economy continues to revolve around agriculture, which accounts for more than a third of GDP and employs more than half of the work force, mainly small landholders.

Plantain Chips

Ingredients:
4 firm yellow plantains 
2 tsp lemon juice
4 tsp ground ginger
4 tsp cayenne pepper
oil for frying

Directions:
Slice the plantains into rounds 1/2-inch thick, and sprinkle lemon juice over the pieces, stirring to moisten. In a separate bowl, combine the ginger and pepper. Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a heavy skillet until a test piece of plantain sputters. Roll plantain pieces a few at a time in the spice mixture to coat surfaces, then transfer to the skillet. Fry until outsides are crisp and golden. With a slotted spoon, remove plaintains to a paper toweling to cool.

Newtown is a vibrant area with a unique and extraordinary character based on existing cultural facilities, new commercial and residential developments, and a rich historical past.It’s an ideal inner city location with a distinctly European feel with its early post Victorian industrial buildings, period or modern feel, large open spaces, historic houses, pavement restaurants, colorful markets, period buildings and facades. Johannesburg’s cultural precinct is set in the heart of the ‘old city’, with safe and easy access from either the Nelson Mandela Bridge or the MI and Carr Street interchange.

Newtown has been in existence since the turn of the century and contains a remarkable mix of old and new. There is the outer casing of the original Victorian park station seemingly abandoned on an open piece of land right next to a new award-winning low cost housing development known as ‘Brickfields’.

Some location highlights include: Mary Fitzgerald Square: This is a vast open square, probably Joburg’s largest public space. Museum Africa: 1919 the City’s original fresh produce market was built. Providing a space 200 meters high, the building is unique in Africa in that it has a series of steel arched supports running across a vaulted roof, with no vertical supports.

Market Theatre: The Market Theatre houses three theatres and a gallery, and the complex still retains the ambience and spirit of a marketplace.

Workers’Museum: This was an original municipal workers compound. Sci-Bono Discovery Centre: 1n 1906 a power station was built in President Street. This became the Electric Workshop, and is now the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre.

Turbine Hall: The first section of the Jeppe Street Power Station came into operation. The physical development included the Turbine Hall. The Turbine Hall and South Boiler House are superb industrial buildings. A new structure to accommodate the international head quarters of AngloGold Ashanti was built in 2005 after the North Boiler House was demolished.

Old Park Station: The metal and glass shell of the original old Park Station sits on a heavy concrete platform overlooking vacant land that was erected in 1897.

Kippies: Situated next to the Market Theatre, was an international jazz venue of note. Its original old section has attractive small arched windows, and a small domed roof. It was modeled on the classic architecture of the Edwardian public convenience, which can still be seen through the shrubbery in the Market Theatre parking lot.

Newtown Park: This outdoor venue is grassed and surrounded by numerous buildings all with an industrial feel including Sci-Bono Discovery Centre, Moving into Dance, The Dance Factory and Bassline. A beautiful bronze statue of Brenda Fassie, South African pop icon, is situated outside the Bassline overlooking the park. Author: Sandra Olivier 

One of the most unique aspects of a holiday in Mauritius is seeing first hand the melting pot of cultures and traditions that the island has adopted from its people. Throughout history, people of many different races and religions have all chosen to settle on the shores of this paradise isle, bringing with them their own folklore and religion. As you can imagine this accumulates in some fantastic festivals. Here are the five best that Mauritius has to offer:

Maha Shivaratree

If you are arranging a Mauritius holiday for the month of February then you may be lucky enough to stumble upon Maha Shivaratree. This Hindu festival is also known as ‘The Great Night of Shiva” and every year the festival is celebrated with a pilgrimage to Grand Bassin. The lake here is considered to be sacred and many locals believe that it has the ability to communicate with the holy river of the Ganges. On the Great Night pilgrims dressed entirely in white make their way to the river with bamboo contraptions on their shoulders as a sign of sacrifice.

Cavadee

Visitors on their holidays in Mauritius might not like the idea of participating in Cavadee, but the sight alone is quite an experience. The festival is predominantly celebrated by Tamil Indians who must first fast for ten days. Once the fasting period is over, the participants have their cheeks, tongues and chests pierced with needles before going to their temple with their offerings attached to their backs. The evening cumulates in a fire-walking ceremony, which is certainly a spectacular sight to behold on your Mauritius holiday.

Divali

Even the Mauritius hotels will go all out and celebrate Divali. It is customary for houses and hotels to light a small candle in honour of Lord Rama’s victory over the devil and decorate the entrances to their buildings with strands of marigolds. Diwali is also celebrated as the festival of light and on your holidays in Mauritius you are certain to see masses of fireworks on the night that Divali falls. It is also customary to throw firecrackers and many young locals take delight in throwing these in the direction of unsuspecting tourists.

Chinese New Year

Although most of the festivals mentioned so far have been Indian in tradition, many other religions are omnipresent on the island and, as you will discover on your Mauritius holiday, they have their own unique way of celebrating the ancient customs and traditions of their culture. The Sino-Mauritians, or Mauritians of Chinese descent, celebrate Spring Festival or Chinese New Year during the months of January and February and the island displays are known to be elaborate. Wax cakes are shared among friends and relatives, whilst firecrackers are lit to chase evil spirits off the island. If you want to experience this festival whilst on your Mauritius holidays then make your way to Port Louis, which is known for having the best lion dancers.

Father Laval Day

Father Laval may have been French in origin, but on September 9th it is common for people of all ethnic backgrounds in Mauritius to walk up to the shrine at Sainte Croix. Father Laval was known for being the protector of the slaves and has now become the symbol of passion and love for the many communities that make up the island of Mauritius.
By: Claire Bryant

Every country or society has some speciality products that are found nowhere else, or for which they like to take the credit. South Africa is no different and there are a number of delicious or unusual beverages available in various parts of the country.

Fruit juices: There are lots of inexpensive good quality 100% fruit juices available from even the most informal outlet. A perennial favourite is Appletiser – a slightly dryish, sparkling apple juice. Although it is now available all over the world, it’s still very much South Africa. Unlike some parts of the world, in South Africa, cider is an alcoholic drink.
 
Other wines: Although we do have a very big apple industry, we have never got into making alcoholic cider – strangely enough – but we do have a few unusual wines. In Mpumalanga, you can taste and try orange wine, and there is a well developed cherry wine industry in the Free State. Both these are quite palatable but are more novelties than anything else.

Herbal teas: South Africa is renowned for its herbal teas, especially Rooibos Tea, which is widely accepted to have many therapeutic qualities. This tea is endemic to the Cedarberg region near Clanwilliam where it is cultivated and processed. If you are interested, or are passing through, they may tour a tea factory at Clanwilliam.

Another interesting and delicious indigenous herbal tea is Honeybush Tea. Both these teas can be bought loose or in bags, and even as a blend. Rooibos tea is on offer in even the most unpretentious of restaurants or coffee shops.
 
Beer: South Africans are great beer drinkers but the mainstream beer is mass produced, although it is very tasty. Most local beer is lager style and quite high in alcohol compared to other parts of the world. Of course, there are a number of small micro breweries so beer connoisseurs won’t feel left out. Some of the better known include Mitchells in Knysna, and the Birkenhead in Stanford, near Hermanus.

But real beer lovers will be pleased to hear that South Africa has recently launched its first beer route, along very similar lines to the wine routes. Called the Brew Route, this bold initiative in KwaZulu-Natal showcases 7 micro-breweries from the Midlands to Zululand.
 
Traditional African beer: Traditional sorghum beer is a wonderful drink that is low in alcohol and high in nutrients. With a rather milky appearance it looks quite unusual but it is very refreshing. Your clients will probably be offered a taste of this at cultural villages but it is also available in cardboard cartons – and called ’shake-shake’ because you have to that to the carton before you open it.

Distilled alcohol and liqueurs: Not surprising, considering the quality of our wines, we produce some very fine liqueur brandies and there are a couple of indigenous liqueurs your client may like to try. Van der Hum is an old favourite – it’s a mandarin liqueur and is quite delicious on its own, in coffee or poured over ice cream and the rich – and very sweet – Amarula cream, which is flavoured with the indigenous marula fruit, is a very popular tipple.
 
An unusual liqueur is buchenbos – made from rooibos tea, mandarin oranges and buchu (a very aromatic indigenous medicinal herb). Local small industries have started making liqueurs flavoured with honeybush and rooibos tea (see above), and many others. Connoisseurs of unusual liqueurs will be interested to try the fiery, traditional mampoer.

This is a distilled drink, not entirely unlike moonshine, which is made from, and flavoured with, a variety of fruits including the indigenous marula. The most traditional place for mampoer tasting is near the small town of Groot Marico in the Northwest Province, about 4 hours drive from Johannesburg. A drink to be wary of is Witblits – translated it means white lightning. It’s a fiery, rather rough, distilled grape spirit – closer to moonshine that mampoer is.