Orania, my first visit

                                        

I had never heard of Orania, let alone visited, but what an eye-opener—it completely exceeded my expectations.

The people here can do anything. The town has everything: shops, computers, Netflix, churches—wow!

One of the things I loved most was the strong sense of community. In the city, we seem to have lost that connection—looking out for one another, truly caring. But here, it felt different.

Mornings start with coffee on the stoep, watching neighbours head to work, exchanging greetings that come naturally—no forced smiles, just genuine recognition.

Coming home after work, you find children riding their bikes, playing in the streets, chasing each other around. People tend to their gardens, walk or cycle, chatting as they go. There's an undeniable sense of safety and belonging.

During my visit, the heat was relentless, but the town swimming pool was open to everyone—Pastors, Town Clerks, Cleaners, Gardeners—everyone together, enjoying life.

Residents take pride in recycling, caring for the environment, living healthier, and carrying less stress. It almost sounds like Utopia, but here’s the surprising thing—you’d expect the average age of the residents to be around 60, yet it’s actually 35.

This is about quality of life. Sure, you can drive to larger cities, but you don’t really need to.

Life here has meaning. You leave with a sense of pride.

One encounter that stuck with me was meeting a young woman covered in tattoos. Admittedly, I was curious about how she ended up living in this community. As it turns out, she was a music major—a violinist—though she wasn’t using those talents at the moment. Still, she was gainfully employed. Everyone has a role to play here. Unemployment isn’t a concern.

Beyond work, they know how to have fun. Runs, cycle rides, stock car races, pub crawls—their lives are full, normal, and vibrant.

If there’s one thing I learned, it’s this: never judge a book by its cover—or its environment. There are different ways to live, and some are unexpectedly beautiful.

Orania is well worth a visit. And if you have something to offer the town, maybe even worth the stay.