Protea Ridge

About

Protea Ridge

About Our Team

Mark and Boris have been very close friends since school days in the early 1980s where they met at St Andrews College in Grahamstown. They have worked closely together on many films and television series over the past few decades and are dedicated to the South African Film & Television industry.  In the late 1990s they met Lynette, and together travelled around working on such amazing films like Blood Diamond and Lord of War to name just two. Lynette grew up in Bonteheuwel on Cape Town’s Cape Flats and is thoroughbred Capetonian and an important part of their operations!

Mark and Lynette now have two children together, Aidan and Casey, who have both visited Protea Ridge many times since birth, whilst Boris is married to talented and acclaimed portrait artist Sonja Rivett-Carnac, also based in Cape Town.

In 2002 Mark and Boris found a need for a place for them to store their ever growing collection of various film props and set dressing.  Several large trucks filled with props were beginning to “pile up” with no real home. A plan needed to be made, and was! They managed to find a large old and disused warehouse in the suburb of Salt River near Woodstock, and our film and events hire company PROPS TO THE STARS (www.propstothestars.co.za) was born.

wild coast south africa accommodation protea ridge
wild coast south africa accommodation protea ridge

Today in 2020 the business has grown to employ a dozen people and with Lynette now at the helm of Props to the Stars, its a business that’s flourishing and looking good. Feel free to visit at any time.

We have developed our Homestay, at the village of KwaNdengane in Pondoland, near the mouth of the Msikaba River on the southern boundary of the Mkhambathi Game Reserve, entirely from scratch over a period of about 14 years. Protea Ridge has been built in as sustainable a way as possible, with the help of people and community members from our village. From its various buildings, to grass collection and thatching of roofs, to planting trees and gardens to making breeze blocks, many members of the KwaNdengane Community have had a hand in the “growth” of this extraordinary Homestay.

Feel free to to come for a visit and a chat, but remember, that when you do, to take your time. There’s no rush here,  and you may really need hours and hours to slowly potter around the building and gardens taking in what’s essentially one huge canvas of art and sculpture! Stay Wild!

Let's start your journey!

Important Note

PLEASE BE AWARE

Municipal services do not reach far down into the rural areas. With this in mind please remember:

All water at Protea Ridge is either harvested during rainy days for drinking, or pumped from the borehole to the concrete reservoir for kitchens, bathrooms and showers. Please use water sparingly and considerately.

Littering is not tolerated at Protea Ridge. Use the bins provided.

Stow it, don’t throw it.

Protea Ridge is serviced by Eskom but only has limited generator power for emergencies and for keeping deep freezers cold. Always bring a torch as management has no control over the Eskom power supply. Candles and/or small solar lights are provided. 

About

Protea Ridge

About Our Team

Mark and Boris have been very close friends since school days in the early 1980s where they met at St Andrews College in Grahamstown. They have worked closely together on many films and television series over the past few decades and are dedicated to the South African Film & Television industry.  In the late 1990s they met Lynette, and together travelled around working on such amazing films like Blood Diamond and Lord of War to name just two. Lynette grew up in Bonteheuwel on Cape Town’s Cape Flats and is thoroughbred Capetonian and an important part of their operations!

Mark and Lynette now have two children together, Aidan and Casey, who have both visited Protea Ridge many times since birth, whilst Boris is married to talented and acclaimed portrait artist Sonja Rivett-Carnac, also based in Cape Town.

In 2002 Mark and Boris found a need for a place for them to store their ever growing collection of various film props and set dressing.  Several large trucks filled with props were beginning to “pile up” with no real home. A plan needed to be made, and was! They managed to find a large old and disused warehouse in the suburb of Salt River near Woodstock, and our film and events hire company PROPS TO THE STARS (www.propstothestars.co.za) was born.

 

wild coast south africa accommodation protea ridge
wild coast south africa accommodation protea ridge

Today the business has grown to employ a dozen people and, with Lynette now at the helm of Props to the Stars, it’s a business that’s flourishing and looking good. Feel free to visit at any time.

We have developed our Homestay, at the village of KwaNdengane in Pondoland, near the mouth of the Msikaba River on the southern boundary of the Mkhambathi Game Reserve, entirely from scratch over a period of about 14 years. Protea Ridge has been built in as sustainable a way as possible, with the help of people and community members from our village. From its various buildings, to grass collection and thatching of roofs, to planting trees and gardens to making breeze blocks, many members of the KwaNdengane Community have had a hand in the “growth” of this extraordinary Homestay.

Feel free to to come for a visit and a chat, but remember, that when you do, to take your time. There’s no rush here,  and you may really need hours and hours to slowly potter around the building and gardens taking in what’s essentially one huge canvas of art and sculpture! Stay Wild!

Let's start your journey!

Important Note

PLEASE BE AWARE

Municipal services do not reach far down into the rural areas. With this in mind please remember:

All water at Protea Ridge is either harvested during rainy days for drinking, or pumped from the borehole to the concrete reservoir for kitchens, bathrooms and showers. Please use water sparingly and considerately.

Littering is not tolerated at Protea Ridge. Use the bins provided.

Stow it, don’t throw it.

Protea Ridge is serviced by Eskom but only has limited generator power for emergencies and for keeping deep freezers cold. Always bring a torch as management has no control over the Eskom power supply. Candles and/or small solar lights are provided.