Rediscovering Magnolia Dell

The phone rang. “Hello, Maria...yes....OK great, see you there.”
After a call from Maria, complaining that we had not seen each other for 12 months, I found myself, on a beautiful autumn morning, seated at Huckleberry’s. Here at this delightfully quaint cafe in the park, a popular restaurant for light meals and teas, in Magnolia Dell, Pretoria, we could absorb the surrounding and enjoy some “catch up” chat. It had been seven years since I had visited the park and again realized why I keep coming back.
The first thing that strikes you on arrival is the sudden splash of natural beauty in a built-up urban area. The park nestles snugly in the valley of the Walker Spruit by a lakeside in Pretoria. It provides an oasis of nature, lawns, greenery and trees, with a stream running through the entire park. Large poplar and oak trees shadow the banks of the stream and the cafe terrace. The bright sunlight shatters the leaves and produces charming warmth of dappled colours on the table cloths. The sound of a lilting flute floats sweetly in relaxed harmony with the swans as they leisurely carve V-shaped ripples in the water. Watching the unhurried pecking of the Hadidas brings immediate calm to one’s soul.
Magnolia Craft Flea Market has grown and become unique, now offering a large variety of exclusive items. I was struck by the endless rows of quality arts-and-crafts stalls, sometimes numbering up to 200, and a societal mix of African, European, high and low technology items. Tourists can submerse themselves in a search for their typical experience to find a piece of ideal Africa. The stands are packed with masks from Cote d’ Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Mali, Senegal and Congo; batik-printed bolts of cloth from Zimbabwe; Ndebele necklaces, beaded dolls, wire baskets and a variety of other indigenous objects of dubious age, usage and authenticity.
Besides exquisite African curios, art and handicrafts, the Magnolia market features many contemporary items, such as beautifully painted portraits by aspiring artists. I was surprised to find several young African designers of clothes and jewellery displaying evening wear, handmade chains and earrings with gemstones found only in Africa. I was especially stunned by a pendant of a striking dark blue Tanzanite, a semiprecious stone indigenous to Tanzania.
The myth that SA flea markets are laden with a variety of second-hand goods is not true. Most of the products are either manufactured by the store owners or acquired directly from suppliers in rural villages throughout Southern Africa such as South West Africa, Ivory Coast and Kenya.
Aside from the shopping, the Magnolia is a family-friendly outing. My kids especially enjoyed the park as there is ample space for them to run around as well as games, candle-making and sand art tables, fun rides, and fantastic deli stalls.
The mouth watering aromas of the boerewors (farmers’ sausage) and “braai” (barbeque) hangs in the air. The stall selling biltong (dried meat) is an irresistible magnet to your taste-buds. Many tourists find this meat quite an interesting snack to stave off the hunger pangs felt during the day.
Walking away at the end of the day with heavy bags and a light wallet, I’m personally gripped by the nostalgia that the place conjures up within me. Some memories flooded my mind. The tree that served as the finish line for the 20 mile church-walk, when at 15 years old I finished 18th overall. The languid days spent here with my children playing in safety. The four teenagers we rescued from a BMW that ended up in the stormwater canal behind Huckleberry’s.
I watched the full red sun disappear behind the trees and throw their creeping shadows over the laughing children and tired traders, now packing to leave. It would soon be winter. Apart from the captivating magical atmosphere of a lively African flea Market I felt peacefulness in my soul that I had not experienced in years.