The establishment, I find out, belongs to Willemien and Oom Jan Strauss, both well-known in the community. Sergeant Basson, who directs me to the fuel station after a bout of car trouble, comes to the shop later in the afternoon. His previous formal attitude at the roadblock outside town has given way to a casual friendliness that is mirrored in the faces of the owners, despite the difference in age and background. You can tell that Willemien and Oom Jan are comfortable with the town they chose, and have opened their hearts to it.
Namibia, let’s call it that mysterious Namibian magic, beckoned them north across the Orange River and, through some kind of madness, caused them to settle in Kamanjab. Between a rock and a hard place. No pun intended: Kamanjab literally means ‘Place of Stone’. And yet, between the stones the size of a man’s head, the couple created not only a home for themselves but last year also set up accommodation facilities among the koppies in the form of six simple campsites and four chalets for the intrepid travellers. Willemien gave us a tour of their new project, pointing out the little details. She can’t help herself, she said wryly, after I noticed a wire gecko fixed onto the ogiesdraad (chicken mesh) cupboard in one of the chalets. Other quirky details like an antelope horn for a door handle and metal monkeys in the trees reflect Willemien’s light-hearted eye for detail that turned a run-of-the-mill fuel station into an interesting stop-over to tempt the photographer’s eye.
Before I realise more than an hour has passed. I leave Willemien and Jan seated at one of the little tables on the stoep in front of their shop, chatting to friends from South Africa who stopped for a visit, a man with a white beard from a nearby farm, young born-frees in deep conversation. I look around and realise that this little space has become a gathering place for all. A welcoming venue that makes locals as well as the array of people who pass by feel comfortable like family in the company of Willemien and Jan.