Stephen Grootes shares memories of a family holiday in Plettenberg Bay, highlighting simple joys and economic divides in South Africa's coastal towns. He describes the relief of personal time amid travel frustrations and festive vibes. Back at work, he savors those fleeting moments of freedom.
Stephen Grootes, in his column for Business Maverick, recounts a two-week family holiday in Plettenberg Bay after a drive from Johannesburg. The journey down the N1 highway started festively, with an argument-free playlist fueling excitement, but toll gates near Bloemfontein caused significant delays—about 50 minutes across three stops due to closed lanes, which he calls a national scandal.
Upon arrival, the coastal town buzzed with holiday energy: locals rent out homes to fund mortgages during December and January, tents dotted school fields, and businesses thrived. Grootes notes that Shoprite and Woolworths CEOs confirmed their Plettenberg Bay operations exceeded expectations in the 2025 festive season.
Family moments stood out, like discovering his son's knowledge of 1980s music through the Christmas game Hitster, and his daughter's witty remarks. South Africa's beaches provided pure joy—watching sunsets with children in waves, lifesavers' flags up late.
Yet, the artificial feel of these towns emerged: a friend felt poor driving through St Francis Bay, another sensed disconnection on a Western Cape beach, and beachgoers in Plett appeared uniformly affluent and fit, underscoring economic separations during holidays.
Most cherished were timeless instants around fires or pools, where work faded, and days blurred. Now, on the second day back at work in 2026, Grootes misses that ownership of time, even as he frets over global shifts like those under Trump.
