From their front stoep in America’s Atlanta, ‘expat couple’ Danie and Laura Bezuidenhout are showcasing their love of South African gems for all the world to see. Their content is underpinned by more than love for local restaurants or good wine, but South African pride:
Global (21 November 2023) — Danie Bezuidenhout and his wife Laura have lived in the USA for over two decades. But, for the South African and his American wife who also spent many years living in our country (making Laura something of an unofficial expat), South Africa is still a topic of wonderful conversation. So much so, in fact, that the ‘expat couple’ have dedicated themselves to sharing parts of our country’s magic with anyone curious.
While many things changed after the couple moved to the United States (including Danie’s name, because going by ‘Daniel Bezden’ saved him from pronunciation havoc), their love and appreciation for South Africa did not.
So, from their front porch (stoep) in Atlanta Georgia, the idea for showcasing and reviewing Cape Wine Farm restaurants in the kind of detail that makes you feel that you went along for the trip.
Laura is a content creator and influencer with an affinity for all things artful, including style notes for women over 60 for which one of her videos went viral! So when it came to expanding her content, it only made sense to spotlight the beauty of her second home.
“By posting videos of the Wine Route and South Africa in general, I hope to expand my viewers viewpoints on art, different cultures, and design, thereby encouraging everyone to live an ‘Artful Life’. We all need to put more attention and beauty and the positive things in life as there are so many,” says Laura.
Danie has a long history of working as a photographer (he took photographs for the Pretoria News Newspaper and then had a calendar publishing business where much of his work was used) and still adores the art. By repurposing his photography from their South African adventures in the videos, the couple has made professional yet personal content that lives as their love letter to what they dub “the Beloved Country”.
Of their personal appreciation for Beloved Country, the affection is not restricted to food, design or aesthetics.
“I love South Africa because of the people, climate and artistic emphasis as a way of life. Africa has a Spiritual Magic about it that cannot be explained but only experienced. I encourage everyone to visit for the trip of a lifetime,” Laura reflects.
Adds Danie:
“I’m happy to say we still own a house in Tamboerskloof, Cape Town. It is wonderful to have such a tangible connection to the country and it really feels like home every time we visit South Africa. I can drop right back into speaking Afrikaans and actually have a new appreciation for the language. In a way, I don’t really feel like I left – I’m just living in two countries. I follow a lot of news about the country – and especially love the Good News Stories from Good Things Guy.”
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