As some of you know, I’ve been lucky enough to visit Orania twice – in 2022 and in 2024. My nephew’s farm is 3.5 hours’ drive away so we spent a weekend there on 2 occasions.
What I observed is how they don’t discard their elderly the way the rest of society does. Try getting a job anywhere once you’re over the age of 50, 60. No one wants you, you are not valued.
In Orania, you have delightful older ladies working in the little supermarket, serving you behind the counter at the health food shop, and running the Information Centre (where they sell Orania merchandise, collect you for the free Orania tour, etc.).
In Boer culture it’s good manners to refer to any lady older than yourself as Aunty and any man older than yourself as Uncle. It’s delightful hearing people say “Thank you Aunty” when they pay at the till, or “Hello Aunty” when they go into the Info Centre.
Not to digress too much, but I was on the tour with just 3 other ladies (there were no men on the tour that day, my nephew had already done the tour on a previous visit) and the Boer who was our tour guide announced to us at the start that he was single and available. 😊
One of their most celebrated residents is an older lady who is an artist. She painted the various murals you see around Orania. She was also involved in the design of the mosaic tiles that adorn a well-known staircase in Orania. It’s the done thing to have your picture taken at the staircase when you visit.
And once a year, they have Bejaardes Week (the week of the elderly) where youngsters honour and treat the older residents to things like a lovely barbecue on the banks of the Orange River.
It really is a little peace of heaven in the desert. (The location adds to the allure, you have to be pretty committed to get there, it’s 11.5 hours’ drive from Cape Town for context).
That being said, I vehemently dislike the idea of retirement homes as well. For the most part it seems like people use them as a means to usurp their parents‘ property or to get rid of them once they become too old.