TIKTOKER WITNEY RAMABULANA ENJOYS A GETAWAY AT WITKLIPFONTEIN ECO LODGE
We’re heading all the way to the iconic Vredefort Dome as TikTok sensation, Witney Ramabulana, treats herself to a relaxing getaway at Witklipfontein Eco Lodge.
In many ways, Witney Ramabulana’s story is one of humble beginnings. Before gaining popularity on social media, Witney worked as an intern at an IT firm before working her way to the position of Senior Financial Administrator.
At first, her social media posts were just for fun, a form of creative expression, but soon she gained popularity on her TikTok channel, @witney8, for her trending dance, fashion and lip-sync videos.
Since then, the Cape Town-based content creator has amassed over 2.6 million followers and 50 million likes on her channel.
The achievement has not gone unnoticed, as Witney was nominated for an E! People’s Choice Award, in the category of African Social Star of 2021.
Despite being nominated as runner up, Witney says that it is an important achievement in her career and she is grateful for the recognition. Currently, she is a nominee for the Nickelodeon Choice Awards 2022.
In order to relax and unwind from content creation, Witney decided to take a break away with Boipelo Mosehla at the Witklapfontein Eco Lodge.
Located in the Vredefort Dome, a Unesco World Heritage site, lies the Witklipfontein Eco Lodge.
Architect Xavier Huyberechts has spent the last nine years trying to restore the property’s natural beauty since his family purchased it in 2013.
“The house is in the World Heritage Site of the Vredefort Dome and that’s why we believe it was so important to integrate the house as much into nature as possible.”
With 215 hectare of diverse scenery, the breath-taking beauty and tranquility of the farm makes it the ideal place to relax and unwind.
The Huyberechts family has worked tirelessly to integrate the lodge as much as possible into the natural environment. In order to achieve this, they built the house under the carpet of the hill, allowing the only view to be the greenery on the roof.
The lodge, which can accommodate 10 guests, consists of a dome structure that was built using the rammed earth technique.
“The dome is really built with the sandbag technique which is actually a technique invented by NASA to build onto the moon.”
Aside from its art and decor, the lodge is fully committed to eco-tourism.
“The house is completely off the grid,” explains Xavier, “our electricity is done by ourselves, the water comes from a borehole and we give it back to nature.”
Even the pool is natural, as it is filtered by the two ponds located on either side of the pool, instead of by chemicals.
Additionally to the breathtaking accommodation, Witklipfontein Eco Lodge offers access to their permaculture vegetable garden and interactions with a range of animals that roam freely on the property. The lodge is an ideal location for reflection and relaxation.
“What I enjoy the most about creating TikTok videos is that it allows us to just explore,” explains Witney.
Social media is a dish best served fresh and it’s that off-the-cuff spirit of these two friends that makes their local content so lekker.
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