Monday, February 21, 2011

Home sweet home

There are many styles and types of houses in South Africa. For every taste and budget there is something.

From corrugated iron shacks in the townships, with no electricity or running water to huge mansions on the beach, in secured estates or in the bush veld, where you have the space and nature with the wild animals to yourself.

See below for an impression of how we live here in South Africa.

Informal settlemetns like Diepsloot, a township close to my home, has no running water. Just a pump in a central location where you can go with your bucket.





Traditional Rondavel in the rural areas, sometimes made out of mud, sometimes bricks.





Ndebele Homestead, a cluster of homes for the Ndebele tribes also in rural areas.



Human settlements. Government aims to speed up the delivery of housing for the poor and have all South Africans accommodated in formally planned settlements by 2014.



Cape Malay Quarter in Bo-Kaap in Capetown. The Islamic inhabitants of the Cape Malay Quarter have roots extending back to the original slaves brought in by the Dutch. A very colorful area in Capetown. These days it is an artsy area with lots of young profesionals.



A fisherman's cottage on the West Coast.



A beach house in Hermanus.



Cape Dutch style house, some with thatched roofs.



Although not many people live in apartments in SA, there are a few areas in the financial district in Sandton, an area of Joburg, where you will find luxury apartments and penthouses like this one. Ranging from 1 to 5 bedrooms.



Mansions in secured estates all over the richest parts of Johannesburg.



Tuscan style home in the bush veld or on golf courses, space all for yourself. Tuscan style houses are very popular here in SA. Many of my friends live in one of these in a secured estate.



So as you can see for each budget a house, but it doesn't matter in what house you live....

WHERE THE HEART IS IS THE HOME!!

I have lived in many homes already, I kind of lost track but I believe that I already moved house 27 times in my life and the shell is not really important, it is what you make of the house that makes it it a home! And I am sure that people living in those corrugated shacks would love to have a better house, but are still happy to have a roof above their head and make sure that it feels like a home to them!

If you like to see in what home we live now, click here, I wrote about it in 2009.

What kind of home do you live in??

Have a great day!
Mireille

4 comments:

Leah Maya Benjamin said...

very interesting, I love all those colorful houses. So true home is wher eyou are with your family, but a few luxeries like running water that is clean is also very nice, but not as great as being together.

Mireille said...

Really, I don't think it is dangerous now anymore. It is a very artsy area with young professionals.

Annie said...

Beautiful pics! And you're right, a home is where we should feel at peace and have dear relationships.

By the way, I don't believe I have seen that post of the tour of your home. All I can say is - amazing. Really gorgeous and the decor is so cool. I wish I could visit!!

Mireille said...

Thanks Annie, and as you know you are always welcome!!

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