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With Charleen joining the team and a boost of woman-power at the Kingswood HOA, community events have taken on a whole new energy.
In this edition, we’re dishing out the fun from our Valentine’s Day writing competition, celebrating bird man extraordinaire Adrie Conradie’s fascinating talk, and reliving the laughter and flavour of the “Take on Prisoners” potjiekos cook- off and braai day — all thanks to the Kingswood Homeowners Association (HOA) getting creative with community spirit!
Potjiekos comp rocks!
The Kingswood HOA hosted an historic first in February, when its first Potjiekos Competition exceeded all expectations, being a delightful celebration of flavour, creativity, and camaraderie. Each participating team went all out in terms of effort and attention to detail – to the extent that this event will now become an annual ccasion. Says forefront organiser Charleen le Roux: ‘The inaugural Kingswood HOA Potjiekos Competition was a huge success, and everyone had lots of fun. About 150 people attended, kiddies included – it was wonderful to have so many children there, making it a truly fabulous family event. We started at 2pm and the clock stopped at 7pm, when the steaming potjies were presented to the judges.’
Head judge and MC, Mandi Botha, praised all participants for their impressive labours: ‘The participants went to incredible lengths with innovative recipes and presentation. Their stalls were beautifully decorated, and quite a few dressed according to a theme. One team even broke into a dance routine when the judges approached!’ she said.
Serving as independent judges alongside Mandi were André Stipec, Johan Lochner and Gert Niehaus. Teams were allowed a maximum of three members and after a serious tasting session by the judges, Kingswood CEO Willem Jacobs joined Mandi in announcing the winners.
- The trophy went to the Plaasjapies team of Jannie, Joyce, and Jean Joubert.
- Runners-up were the Chilli Kings: Ruan van Zyl, Greg Boudouri,s and Hennie Leach.
- Placed third was the two-member Pot Rock team: Alex and Celeste van der Westhuizen.
The Plaasjapies impressed with their unique combination of chicken thighs and lamb ribs, served with thin lemon slices. If you think your potjie skills may surpass this
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Off the turf
Bird talks convened monthly on Mondays by Kingswood resident Adrie Conradie – a wildlife photographer of note – are still right up there when considering favourite activities on the estate. Please contact Charleen for details.
A tale with a tail: When romance meets real life
In the often-hectic world of deadlines, storyboards, and manuscript edits, author and resident Nicole Lubout has been pouring her heart into launching her debut children’s book. But even amid the hustle of breaking into the competitive publishing world, Nicole managed to craft a different kind of story — one that had the community smiling and landed her a well-deserved win in the estate’s Valentine’s Day storytelling competition.
In the run-up to Valentine’s Day, the HOA asked residents to share their most memorable, funny, or heartwarming love stories — with a twist. The prize? Spa vouchers worth over R1,000, and of course, the chance to bring a little love and laughter to the community.
Nicole’s story stood out as a humorous and relatable moment that perfectly captured how life and love don’t always go according to plan — but that’s often where the magic lies.
Here’s her winning entry:
‘I would like to share a funny moment from our Valentine’s Day this year. My husband and I went for a lovely meal at The Blue Olive in Wilderness, and on the way back we decided to stop at the Kaaimans viewpoint to see the sunset.
We were standing by the edge and I gleefully pointed out what I thought was a baby dassie to my husband. Practically hopping with excitement (a big animal lover), I directed him to look as it came fully into view from the bushes. What we saw was in fact a really fat rat. Needless to say, we had a good giggle.’
Congratulations to Nicole for sharing a moment that made us all chuckle, and for bringing home a well- earned prize. We can’t wait to see the pages of your book come to life – and next maybe even a children’s tale inspired by a certain Valentine’s Day rat?
