Page 28 - Dainfern_Precinct_Living_Issue_5_2025

ESTATE MATTERS
ESTATE MATTERS
HOME FRONT
QUIETLY

BRILLIANT:

CONVERSATIONS (AND

CROISSANTS) BREWING AT

THE DAINFERN CLUBHOUSE

COLUMN Sometimes the most powerful movements don’t

start with a megaphone. They start with a muffin.

BRENT LINDEQUE
Over the past few months, they’ve hosted is still good. That progress is possible. That
thought leaders like Herman Mashaba, Colin people care. That communities can rise when
ucked behind the fairways and Coleman (former CEO of Goldman Sachs they come together with purpose. And that’s
bougainvilleas of Dainfern Golf Estate, Sub-Saharan Africa), and more recently, John what these Dainfern mornings are really about.
something quietly remarkable has Steenhuisen and Mark Burke, to unpack what
Tbeen unfolding. And if you’ve walked hope looks like in South Africa right now. It’s not just the high-profile speakers (though
past the Clubhouse early on any given day, you And let me tell you, it’s been powerful. they’re brilliant). It’s the magic that happens
may have felt it too. A buzz. A warmth. The soft when neighbours gather around a table,
hum of chairs being pulled around tables, the Not because every question had an answer. ask the right questions and share the kind
clink of coffee cups and a room full of humans But because these conversations made space of conversations that leave you a little more
ready to connect but not about property prices for possibility. They made space for honesty. energised than when you walked in.
or potholes… rather about purpose. For listening. For imagining a future that It’s also the reminder that hope doesn’t need a
doesn’t feel so far away. big production.
Now don’t get me wrong, the Dainfern
Clubhouse has always been a social hub. The Hope matters. Especially now. Sometimes, it just needs coffee and
golf club is always buzzing and the restaurant connection.
is always full but in between the drinks and We live in a time where it’s easy to feel
snacks, there are actual “groups” getting overwhelmed. Water shedding, rising costs, There’s something quietly revolutionary
together. and political uncertainty… it can wear you happening in this estate. It’s not loud. It’s
down. But hope isn’t about ignoring the hard not flashy. But it’s very real. And I think it’s
We’ve got the incredible nature association, stuff. It’s about choosing to believe that there something we need more of… in our suburbs,
the running club, our brilliant in our cities and in our country.
book club (and yes, some
members do actually read So if you ever get the chance to attend one of
the books), our wine tastings, these mornings at the Dainfern Clubhouse,
quiz nights (which get very I highly recommend it. Go for the breakfast,
competitive… you’ve been stay for the conversation and leave with a little
warned), and the beautiful more hope in your pocket than you had before.
weekly gathering of residents Because maybe, just maybe, the future of
who crochet blankets for South Africa is being stitched together, one
those in need. cup of (Dainfern Clubhouse) coffee at a time.
It’s community, through and
through.
But every now and then,
this space transforms into
something a little deeper.
A little more meaningful. A
little more… hopeful.
These mornings, casual,
smart, and sincerely uplifting,
are the brainchild of two Dainfern residents,
Jaco Grobbelaar and Brandon Sacks.
Driven by a deep love for South Africa
and an even deeper belief in the power of
ideas, they’ve started curating what can
only be described as “thought leadership
breakfasts”… minus the fluff, minus the jargon,
and thankfully, minus the PowerPoint slides.
Here, ideas are shared over eggs. Opinions
are debated over orange juice. And big
conversations are had in a space that feels
surprisingly intimate and open.
26 DPL issue 5 2025