Features

© DNA Photographers

I like to think of 'lifestyle' as travelling without leaving home. In my case this usually involves eating, drinking, reading, or gardening. But that doesn't mean I won't break out of my comfort zone. A recent feature on the Zip Zap Circus school was a particular favourite.

I'm totally obsessed with history - especially whacky tales from Africa and South America - and I've finally found some publications that are into it as I am. From battles and murderers through to sandwich sauces and trout fishing, you name it, I've written about it.

People

Scientists, politicians, entrepreneurs, performers ... Much of my writing is driven by personalities, the more surprising and boundary-breaking the better.

View archived people

History

Nothing gets my pulse racing like an unexpected tale that's been largely forgotten by modernity. While I'll write about absolutely anything old and unexpected, I do have a real soft spot for 19th Century South American Caudillos, foods with political undertones and the surprising nuances of colonialism. As the author of books on the history of both corruption and elections in South Africa, I also know a fair bit about these topics.

View archived history

Lifestyle

The only difference between lifestyle and travel is that one happens in your own backyard. I've dived into the details of everything from boutique coffee roasteries and handmade wooden surfboards to mushroom hunting and worm farming. Not to mention fermented foods and model cars.

View archived lifestyle

Gear

I got into gear by accident, but for a few years it was a major part of my life. As the Gear Guy for South Africa's largest travel magazine I had to turn myself into a new kind of expert 12 times a year. These days I still review gear for a couple of major outdoor brands.

View archived gear