Change is not new to our bushveld town—but it does seem to be accelerating faster than that convertible that raced through town a few months ago and caused such consternation (no, we don’t find that cool). More people are moving here from Johannesburg, Cape Town and abroad, drawn by the slower pace, natural beauty and now, a brand-new hospital. With this influx comes more development, more traffic, and more debate about what kind of town we want to be. So it feels fitting to reflect on what we most love about this place—and what we’d be devastated to lose.
When I asked residents, both local and international, what makes Hoedspruit the unique town it is, Grant Christie replied immediately with a quiet video: his camera panned out—and up—to reveal a giraffe just metres from his lounge window. It’s the kind of extraordinary-but-normal moment we treasure here, whether we live in town, on a wildlife estate, on a produce or game farm, or out in “Kampers”.
One of Hoedspruit’s great charms is that you don’t have to choose between the adventure of bush life and modern convenience. “You can pretty much get everything you need,” says Conny Thurmann. “Just ask someone and they’ll point you in the right direction—even if that shop is in the garage of someone’s private house.”
“Hoedspruit has already changed so much,” says Maurice Van Den Berg. “The beautiful sleepy town of 30 years ago is no more. It’s still a nice place, but has lost its original character and charm.” Maurice, now living on a game farm, adds: “Among the farming community, one can still find wonderful, down-to-earth, hard-working, God-fearing people.”
Though some of us fear the four-or-more-way stop by Le Bamba more than we fear God, Maurice has a point. The town is shifting. Some of the more recent changes feel necessary, or exciting—the hospital, more artists, less instant coffee. Other elements, like unchecked development and poor town planning, can leave us feeling anxious, even heartsore.
“I remember people telling me when I first arrived not to ‘bring my Jo’burg tendencies’ to Hoedspruit,” says Beverly Cosslett, “and I understand why. We can travel when we want the noise, the chaos, the Woolworths.”
One thing that has remained consistent, despite all the change, is Hoedspruit’s strong sense of community. “We have the friendliest, most genuine, caring, helpful people you could ever wish to meet,” says Louise Cave.
Jessica Raye Stoop agrees: “Everyone has each other’s back.”
“When local government departments let us down, residents step up to clean, fix and spruce things up themselves,” says Karen.
“And don’t ever think you can duck into the shops unnoticed,” laughs Jorita Cronje, “because you’ll bump into someone you know in every aisle!”
Jan-Hendrik Hanekom suggests the town has “a mysterious, novel culture. Everyone—regardless of gender, race, nationality, age—seems to follow a set of largely unidentified rules. I’m not sure whether it’s the culture that created the people, or if like-minded people gathered, and then the culture was born.”
I love that I can go to a braai, birthday or bar fight and see my mechanic, the owner of a thatching company, a famous wildlife photographer, the researchers doing ground-breaking work with southern ground hornbills—and a lot of guides.
A big part of the optimism people feel about Hoedspruit is the sense of safety, which is as rare and precious as a sighting of the African pitta. The much-respected Hoedspruit Farm Watch, a network of vigilant patrollers and volunteers, is central to this. “They are the reason Hoedspruit is as safe as it is. Without them, we’d be another Hazyview: beautiful, but nobody wants to live there.” (From Hazyview? Welcome! And please send all hate mail directly to Anonymous.)
Well, we need to up our game—not just on the Padel courts but in how we imagine and create the future of this place we call home. Let’s not chase growth for its own sake. Progress should be grounded in real improvements: affordable housing, reliable water and sewerage systems, safer roads.
Because if we’re not taking care of each other and if we’re not taking care of the natural environment we’re so blessed to live in, it just wouldn’t be Hoedspruit.
This is the third instalment of ‘Hoedspruit Living,’ a column written for and originally published in Wild Getaways (July 2025) that explores the rhythms, quirks and beauty of small-town bushveld life. Other columns in the series: “The D Word” (on dating) and “And So Are the Days of Our Lives” (on customer service).
PHOTO: Rob Zohrab/Pexels
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