Yes, even ghosts sometimes need a break. I thought I would share my experience on a recent trip from Cape Town to Clarens (and back again).

There were animal skulls on the table at one of the padstals we visited. It was kinda cool, but I can’t really explain why. Perhaps the Karoo does a better job than big cities of understanding that death is the other side of the coin to life?

Either that, or I’m just not used to sharing my space with the ghost of a sheep. This place is all about ghosts at the moment.

If you were a ghost looking to haunt something, then you could do worse than some of the potholes in regional roads in the Free State. Some of them are practically two bedroom, one bathroom apartments. Years of government neglect have taken their toll, making it very difficult (and arguably just silly) to try and take alternative routes through the province unless you drive an impressive bakkie. There are no such problems in the Western Cape, where the goal is to jump off the N1 as quickly as possible and get onto the regional roads.

In many ways, a roadtrip is the very best way to get to grips with the state of play in the country and the megatrends shaping everything from property prices to investment in different industries. It’s also a terrific way to fall in love with South Africa all over again.

Rangers. Rangers everywhere.

Ford must be selling these things faster than they can build them. The new Ranger is everywhere. I must admit that they look fabulous, even when the driver has decided to overtake from five cars back in the queue behind the truck.

Aah yes, the trucks. There are far too many of them. We can thank the state of national infrastructure for that as well, as the railways are a sad and sorry situation and road freight has happily picked up the slack.

A trip to Matjiesfontein (blink and you will literally miss it) is a reminder of a time in this country when the railways really mattered. This tiny outpost was built around the railway. Now, all you’ll find there is an ancient signal box and a man on the platform singing Die Trein na Matjiesfontein on repeat. Between that and the bartender at the hotel bar singing Ou Ryperd on the piano (accompanied by a dire sounding cough), it was quite the musical experience in that rather odd (but charming) place.

Those two songs have become quite the appropriate pairing, as there are about as many horses these days as there are working trains. Perhaps 2024 will bring some improvement at Transnet. We can only dream.

Not all small towns are lekker

I’m a car enthusiast of note and the proud owner of a 1969 Alfa Romeo that has done its fair share of roadtrips, even if it wasn’t the noble steed of choice for this particular trip. That honour went to my girlfriend’s VW T-Cross, a very cleverly designed piece of kit indeed. If you’re looking for a fun family car, you should have that on your shortlist.

Anyway, I’ve concluded that small towns are a lot like classic cars. You see, there’s a major difference between a classic car and an old car. One is collectible and the other is scrap metal. The reasons vary, but generally an old car needed to be something special to transcend into classic status.

Similarly, small towns range on a spectrum from filthy disasters through to an artistic paradise nestled in the mountains. There are many small towns that are unappealing or simply ignored. There are those that are loved and cherished, attracting tourists from across the country (and sometimes even overseas). The difference comes down to many things, including the history of the town. It might also come down to how pretty the inevitable church is, with Graaff-Reinet making a practically unbeatable case for itself in that regard:

A lot of it seems to rest on whether anyone has bothered to invest in the place and create a reason to go there. If you want to understand more about these small town economies and how to pick a good one for your weekend house, I enjoyed reading Moving to the Platteland by Julienne du Toit and Chris Marais. You’ll find it at pretty much any bookstore in these towns. Reading it accompanied by a cold gin and tonic in a small town is my recommended approach.

When it comes to lekker towns, Clarens is very tough to beat. Close to the Lesotho border and with good road access (provided you do your research on the correct route), the town benefits from its relative proximity to Gauteng and other major areas. The place works because it does a roaring trade on weekends, not just in school holidays. Being close to Bethlehem (a pretty large town) also makes it easier for the restaurants and shops to be well-stocked. Visiting Clarens is like going to an art district just outside a city. It’s a gorgeous place and well worth a trip, although it’s a proper drive from Cape Town and you need to plan accordingly.

We now head to the other end of the spectrum: towns with less-than-lekker stories. At the risk of referencing failing infrastructure again, you can do some reading on Noupoort (near Graaff-Reinet) and how the demise of railway usage has had a negative socio-economic impact on the town. I could see that pretty clearly while driving through it. Also, if you have a strong stomach, do some research on some of the allegations that were historically levelled against the Noupoort Christian Care Centre – a rehab centre that seems to market itself as a place for last chances. It’s quite the story.

Padstals: another hit and miss

If you’re the type of person who hates taking a chance, then the typical forecourt complex on major highways will sort you out for lunch. If there’s a Wimpy, it can even sort you out for breakfast as well. These forecourts (and the inevitable Famous Brands franchise to be found there) are entrenched in South African roadtrip culture.

The alternative, of course, is the padstal. Apart from the seemingly endless assortment of preserved fruits and interesting jams (does anyone really buy that stuff?), you’ll probably find a medium-sized bird aviary featuring an assortment of doves.

I wish I was joking.

Why, for the love of all things, do people in the Free State enjoy collecting doves? There’s an entire decision tree you have to go through to arrive at a decision to keep doves, including saying no to obvious options like budgies.

If you’re lucky, you’ll also find a clean bathroom and a small place to buy a warm meal and a coffee. The quality varies drastically, even though the price generally doesn’t. There was one absolute stand-out on this trip: Karoo Padstal just outside Richmond on the N1.

Have the lamb roosterkoek and thank me later.

On the topic of lamb

Frontiers Restaurant in Graaff-Reinet has been open for 7 months. This is according to the friendly lady who assisted our table. Frontiers is a gorgeous little spot that brings more than just a touch of class to one of my favourite roadtrip towns.

Fascinatingly, they are fully booked for dinner and have been for weeks now. We could only get a table as we went very early to make allowance for the smallest traveller on this trip, who very much enjoyed sharing her mother’s lamb ragu fettuccini with every element of her clothing. It’s wonderful to see a business like this doing well and creating much-needed jobs. In these towns, it’s quite easy to see the direct impact of investment and the resultant job creation. It’s much harder to see this in practice in big cities.

There are too many mozzies on this stoep

No amount of Peaceful Sleep is improving the situation as I try to write this article under duress from the mosquito population of Graaff-Reinet. Perhaps the delicious lamb shank I ate a short while ago has made me smell irresistible to the little you-know-whats.

There’s a sunset walk through the historic streets coming up, providing the perfect environment for me to talk about everything and nothing with the person I most want to do that with. It’s been a magical trip that has been filled with reminders of what really matters in life.

It’s time to close the laptop, avoid the mosquitos and make some more memories.

My advice to you? Get in your car and experience South Africa in the very best way possible. Every small town has a story. Pretty much every padstal has a working bathroom. Most of the roads starting with “N” even have tar on them.

But most importantly, everyone you meet along the way will dish out those smiles that South Africans are famous for.

We cannot possibly ignore the problems in this country – and small towns seem to highlight them better than anywhere else – but what a place this is. Here’s to all the opportunities and experiences that 2024 will bring!