Karooroos farm stall on the N10 - future EV charging destination

Karooroos is an ideal halfway stop for travellers between PE and Gauteng. Keep it in mind next time you’re travelling along the N10.

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Home is where the heart (and roosterkoek) is

The name Karooroos does not translate well into English. Karoo Rose doesn’t trip off the tongue, in fact it’s a bit of a tongue-twister for non-Afrikaans speakers. Yet it is an evocative word that conjures up many images: softness amid hardness, the title of a Barbara Cartland novel, or an oasis on an arid plain.

And that is what?Danél du Plessis?had in mind when she established Karooroos Farmstall outside Middelburg in the Eastern Cape. “I always had that name in mind” she says, “I wanted the farm stall to be a place where people could experience the peace and freedom of the Karoo”. She even created a large stoep with a view of the Karoo and its mountains where visitors may do just that. But Danél wants it to be more than just that, she wants the experience to be so memorable that people want to come back to relive the experience again and again.

The farmstall is the realization of a dream that Danél cherished for many years. “This used to be bare veld. My husband Tinus and I used to stand under the tree and planned and dreamed. It was important that we agreed 100% about what we wanted to achieve here”

Eventually the time and conditions came together. “We started building in mid-2014 and opened in December 2014. It’s matter of teamwork. Of having peace in your heart and of faith.”

Danél’s priority is that visitors must feel at home the minute they enter Karooroos. One way of achieving that is a daily offering of freshly baked pies and roosterkook, as well as the legendary Karooroos Breakfast. Danél also offers local products from the area: unique gifts and mementos from the Karoo. “My husband and his father before him have been passionate Merino farmers here for decades” says Danél “and the history of our stud – our heart – is also on show in Karooroos”

Danél and her husband are excited about the future and the change it will bring. They are planning a hiking route on their property to cater for this burgeoning outdoor activity. “Later on, we want to brand and market our quality meat products through the farmstall”.

Danél is looking forward to the EV revolution.

“A relative works at Volkswagen and he told me about the exciting developments in electric vehicles. So, when Joubert approached me about partnering in a Zero-Carbon Charge charging station, I knew what to expect.”

She sees it merely as an add-on to many other facets that Karooroos offers. “There is enough space and enough things for people to do and room for the kids to play. It’s big enough to take your pets for a run”. But besides that, she believes renewable energy is the only way which we can meet the future. “Combining that with a business opportunity in a place of natural beauty is a win-win situation”.

Danél understands the scepticism surrounding EVs but predicts that once people experience EVs and see the roll-out of recharging infrastructure their attitudes will change. “They will see that the benefits will outweigh other considerations”. She is proud to be part of the vanguard that is bringing about this change.

“An electric delivery vehicle will come in very handy for Karooroos” muses Danél “but until one becomes available, I’ll settle for VW’s ID.4”

Karooroos is an ideal halfway stop for travellers between PE and Gauteng. Keep it in mind next time you’re travelling along the N10.