by SFT | Sep 6, 2026 | St Francis
FOSTER has been busy with a range of activities despite the inclement weather. The reserves are looking stunning after all the rain, although some areas are understandably looking a little overgrown which we will attend to. Alongside our ongoing trail maintenance and alien clearing, we have been putting considerable effort into caring for areas where Bitou has previously been cleared, allowing the natural fynbos to return and flourish.
Supporting the return of fynbos
We started near Hope Crescent in the Irma Booysen Nature Reserve, where we recently erected a sign recognising Rotary for its generous support of our Bitou-clearing projects.
The project then moved to the Lighthouse area in the Seal Point Nature Reserve and, a few months ago, to the Seal Point Reserve adjacent to Queen of the West, where we erected our third sign acknowledging Rotary’s support.
Over the past few weeks, our focus has been on follow-up work – making sure that weeds and Bitou don’t return and that the beautiful natural vegetation that has re-established itself remains protected.
It is particularly encouraging to see not only how quickly the indigenous flora is returning, but also how wildlife is beginning to reappear.
One very special sighting was a parrot-beaked tortoise (Homopus areolatus), also known as the common padloper. Apparently, these tiny tortoises were once quite common in the area, but this is the first one I have seen in years!
A little about the parrot-beaked tortoise
The common padloper is one of the world’s smallest tortoise species and is native to southern South Africa. Adults measure only about 110–130 mm in length and weigh between 140 and 300 grams.
They are named for their strong, sharp and distinctly hooked beaks, which help them feed on tough vegetation and succulents. Their shells are relatively flat, ranging from olive-green to brown, with raised rings around the scutes. Unusually, they have only four toes on both their front and hind feet.
They are found in coastal and lowland fynbos and succulent habitats – making their return to our recovering reserves particularly encouraging.
Thank you, Rotary!
A huge thank you to Rotary for your generous support and ongoing commitment to conservation in our area.
Without the generosity of our donors, members and everyone who supports our fundraising initiatives, we simply would not be able to maintain and protect our reserves as we do.
FOSTER membership costs just R350 per year per family.
Find out more at
foster.org.za
Our next FOSTER talk
Following the very successful talk by Richard Cowling, held at The Links, we are delighted to announce our next speaker: David Bristow.
David is one of South Africa’s best-known travel and nature writers, journalists and storytellers. He studied Journalism at Rhodes University and later completed a master’s degree in environmental sciences.
He spent 13 years as editor of Getaway magazine and has written and contributed to more than 30 books covering South Africa’s landscapes, wildlife, history, culture and people.
What makes David particularly engaging is the combination of his extensive knowledge, his love of the natural world and his gift for telling a good story. His Stories from the Veld series has brought fascinating people, places and experiences from southern Africa to a wide readership.
Some of David’s books will be on sale at the event, and he will be happy to sign them for you.
Coastal Clean-up – Sunday, 13 September
Finally, in conjunction with the Keromme Enviro Trust, our next Coastal Clean-up will take place next Sunday, 13 September.
Meet at one of three locations:
📍 Lighthouse
📍 Sunset Rocks
📍 Bruces
Please give an hour or two of your time to help us maintain our beautiful, pristine coastline.
by admin | Sep 6, 2026 | Financial Planning, St Francis
There’s a phone call I’ve come to recognise over thirty years in this profession. It starts with, “Dirk, I need your advice about my mother,” and within a few sentences I can tell we’re already behind. A diagnosis has come, capacity is fading, and the family is trying to work out in a hurry what can still be done.
Sometimes there’s still a good answer. But it’s never as simple as it would have been a year earlier. In South Africa, so much of what we can legally do depends on one thing: whether a person still has the mental capacity to decide. Once that’s gone, some doors close for good.
Why plan early? Acting while the mind is clear means wishes are recorded, finances are protected, and families know their options without the cost and stress of an emergency court application. I’ve sat with families going through that, and the emotional toll often outweighs the financial one.
Your options, in brief:
Power of Attorney helps with financial matters while capacity is intact, but it automatically lapses once capacity is lost. It’s a bridge, not a long-term solution.
Administration, granted through the Master of the High Court, is a practical, less costly alternative when someone can no longer manage their affairs with proper oversight built in.
Curatorship, appointed through the High Court, offers more comprehensive management for advanced cognitive decline, with a curator acting in the person’s best interests.
Special Trusts (Type A) can offer long-term protection for someone with severe mental incapacity and safeguarding assets, ensuring continuity, and offering favourable tax treatment where requirements are met.
Advance Healthcare Directives record a person’s wishes about future medical care in writing, so loved ones and doctors aren’t left guessing when it matters most.
Wills should be reviewed and signed while capacity still allows it, ideally well before any diagnosis, so they reflect current wishes rather than an outdated chapter of life.
Before the crisis, not during it
None of this is about taking control away from someone. Done at the right time, it’s one of the most respectful things a family can do, preserving a person’s own wishes in their own words, made by their own hand, while they were still able to decide.
A dementia diagnosis is hard enough without a family untangling legal and financial matters under pressure. If there’s one thing to take from this; have the conversation now, while it’s still just a conversation.
As always, at Client care we happy to talk this through with you or your family, whenever it feels right.
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Dirk Groeneveld, Certified Financial Planner
t. 083 261 9287
e. dirk@clientcare.co.za
An Investment Portfolio Without a Plan is Meaningless
Five Dangers Of DIY Financial Planning
Finding The Delicate Balance In Giving
Dead Money, Living Money
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Disclaimer:
This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute financial advice in any way or form. It is important to consult a financial planner to receive financial advice before acting on any information contained herein. Client Care and PWM and its directors, officers, and employees shall not be responsible and disclaim all liability for any loss, damage (whether direct, indirect, special or consequential) and/or expense of any nature whatsoever, which may be suffered as a result of, or which may be attributable, directly or indirectly, to the use of, or reliance upon any information contained in this article.
by SFT | Sep 6, 2026 | St Francis
Heritage Day means different things to different people. For some, it’s all about the braai. For others, it’s a chance to get outdoors with family and friends. This year, St Francis Tourism is bringing the best of both worlds together with the Annual St Francis Heritage Day Golf Day at St Francis Links on 24 September.
The St Francis Heritage Day Golf Day has become one of those events that quietly earns its place on the local calendar. It is competitive without taking itself too seriously, social without losing its edge, and always finishes the way Heritage Day should – around good food and good company.
Players will tee off with a 12:30 shotgun start, taking on 18 holes at one of South Africa’s finest golf courses. Golf carts are included, and once the final putt has dropped, everyone is invited to enjoy a mini prego steak and boerewors braai while swapping stories from the fairways.
Entry is R300 for members and R600 for visitors and non-members. Meanwhile, four-ball entries are available for R2 000, making it an ideal afternoon for friends, work colleagues or visiting golfers looking to experience St Francis at its best.
A Great Day For Golf And Local Business
The St Francis Heritage Day Golf Day also creates valuable opportunities for local businesses. Hole sponsorship packages, which include a four-ball, are available for R3 000, while additional branding opportunities allow companies to connect directly with golfers and visitors throughout the day. Consequently, the event continues to support both local tourism and the wider business community.
Bookings are now open through St Francis Links. Golfers can reserve their places by emailing golf@stfrancislinks.com or calling 042 200 4500. Businesses interested in sponsorship opportunities can contact hospitality@stfrancislinks.com or WhatsApp 083 865 9585.
This Heritage Day, the couch will still be there tomorrow. The fairways are calling on 24 September.
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Read more:
• The huge FOSTER JOL: At Joe Fish, Cape St Francis Resort this weekend
• The Pam Golding St Francis Jars of Hope Campaign
• Old Surfboards and Wetsuits donations
by admin | Sep 3, 2026 | St Francis
From colourful wildflowers and buzzing bees to fluttering butterflies and visiting birds, selected public spaces will be allowed to grow naturally as part of the municipality’s No Mow September campaign.
From 1 to 30 September 2026, mowing will be temporarily suspended at selected parks, public open spaces, greenbelts and road verges. The initiative allows grass, wildflowers and indigenous vegetation to flower, produce seeds and provide valuable food and habitat for insects and other wildlife.
The campaign supports biodiversity by creating natural spaces where pollinators such as bees and butterflies can find nectar and pollen, while giving local plant species an opportunity to establish and reproduce.
Signs reading “Pardon the Weeds, We Are Feeding the Bees” will be placed at participating sites to remind residents that these areas are intentionally being allowed to grow.
Kouga Executive Mayor, Hattingh Bornman, said the initiative demonstrates how a simple change in maintenance practices can have a meaningful environmental impact.
“No Mow September gives nature an opportunity to take centre stage. By allowing these spaces to grow and flower, we create valuable habitats for pollinators and other wildlife while supporting the biodiversity of our beautiful Kouga.”
He encouraged residents to embrace the initiative rather than viewing naturally growing vegetation as untidy.
“Sometimes we need to step back and allow nature to do what it does best. What may look like an overgrown patch is actually a busy ecosystem providing food, shelter and breeding opportunities for countless species.”
Residents can also participate at home by allowing suitable sections of their gardens to grow, planting indigenous and pollinator-friendly flowers, creating small wildflower patches and observing the wildlife attracted to these spaces.
Read more: Henry 8, Belgian Beer Fest, Brandon Peel – What’s On This Weekend with St Francis Tourism
by SFT | Sep 2, 2026 | Photo Of The Day, St Francis
by SFT | Sep 2, 2026 | Notes From The Editor, St Francis
Earlier this week, I made the mistake of asking readers for help. After several weeks of this particularly persistent flu, I had reached the stage where conventional medicine appeared to have done all it could, so I put out a fairly urgent appeal for old-fashioned remedies.
Thank you. The response was magnificent, but, unfortunately, none of it was publishable. There were several suggestions involving alcohol, a couple involving substances that may or may not be entirely legal, and remedies which, if followed precisely, would probably cure the flu by killing the patient.
So I have developed a new treatment plan: I am going out. This happens to coincide with a particularly busy weekend around here, with the Belgian Beer Festival at Cape St Francis Resort, the Dress Up Beer Run, Henry Ate, Dalin Oliver, Brandon Peel and plenty of other reasons to leave the house, see actual human beings and remember that there is a world beyond tissues, cough mixture and green mucus (sorry).
There is one slight complication in all of this, which is that I don’t drink. I haven’t had a drink for just over 400 days, which is occasionally inconvenient because I still think drinking is quite cool. I know that is probably not the approved way of discussing the subject. We are meant to talk about alcohol in sensible terms involving moderation, units and responsible choices, but the fact remains that drinking brought me some extremely good times.
It also brought me some spectacularly bad mornings, missing sections of evenings and conversations that seemed profoundly important at 1 am and turned out, in daylight, to have been utter crap. Stopping was one of my better decisions, but that doesn’t mean I have suddenly developed an objection to everybody else having a few. Quite the opposite. I remain entirely supportive of other people’s right to get woozy.
A Belgian Beer Festival full of people drinking Belgian beer, therefore sounds excellent, and I shall simply be the irritatingly sober bloke watching proceedings deteriorate with complete clarity. I may be high.
Either way, after several weeks of being sick, working through it, complaining about it and generally becoming bored with my own company, I think getting out amongst St Francis might be the best medicine available. I am probably not in peak festival condition, but there is a lot happening this weekend, and I intend to see some of it.
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