Like many farmers, Jopie Fourie is grateful for the recent rains. He lost a lot in the fires that devastated vast swathes of land in the Warrenton area of the Northern Cape late last year and seeing shoots of green pushing up through the scorched earth is balm for the soul.
Grazing fields, cattle and agricultural infrastructure were all burnt on his farm although he’s grateful his poultry survived. But there’s something else he will forever be grateful for: that his precious collection of 50 classic vehicles and 30 antique tractors were unscathed.
He doesn’t know what he would’ve done if they’d gone up in smoke too.
His collection is a lifetime in the making, Jopie (68) tells us.