The new essential workers of the Karoo
Rural young people are often told that opportunity lies elsewhere, usually in a city, usually through a university route. For some, that will be true. For others, the better opportunity may be closer to home.
What the Karoo Winter Wool Festival revealed about rural manufacturing
The Karoo Winter Wool Festival revealed that, with the right skills and access to markets, wool's role as the region's high value product can begin to extend beyond the farmer's gate and into the communities these farms sustain.
Small business is the key to a stronger Karoo
Small businesses are at the heart of that future. If Karoo towns want to compete for families and skilled professionals over the coming decades, supporting small business may prove to be their greatest investment of all.
How online shopping changed life in the Karoo
Online shopping has changed how Karoo residents buy goods and interact with businesses. It has broadened consumer choice while creating opportunities for innovative entrepreneurs. It has also forced traditional retailers to rethink long-established business models.
Where the fun never sets: why everyone is talking about The Skinny Chef
Can small-town butcheries survive in the modern economy?
The greatest strength of the small-town butchery is still its relationship with the community.
The rebirth of local manufacturing and handmade goods
South Africans increasingly want products that feel human again. They want farm-baked bread and furniture built by local hands and clothing designed and stitched by the town seamstress.