What started out as a “castle in the sky” for Warrick Kernes and his wife, Camilla, developed into a home in the bushveld at Likweti wildlife residential estate in June 2021.
Warrick, a serial entrepreneur with 14 years eCommerce experience in South Africa and Europe is not only a board member of The eCommerce Forum of Africa, but also sits on the Education Committee for the eCommerce Forum Africa. After winning London’s young businessman of the year award in 2009, he continued to influence the local eCommerce sector as guest lecturer, writer, and businessman. In 2017, Warrick founded the Insaka eCommerce Academy and is now dedicated to growing SA’s eCommerce industry through these online learning courses and the Insaka Community.
If there is one positive change that Covid-19 brought about, it is the effect it has on companies’ operations and productivity. With remote working now being a viable, safe, and preferred option, the Kernes saw an opportunity to exchange Johannesburg for a lifestyle they had previously only dreamt of.
What made this young, professional couple decide to close their chapter on Joburg’s hustle and bustle, and move to a smaller town?
After considering other appealing options like Cape Town and Hoedspruit, the couple decided to make Likweti bushveld farm estate near White River their new home. Cape Town’s distance from Johannesburg was a concern, but it was its distance from the Kruger National Park that ultimately convinced the couple to move to the Lowveld.
Likweti and the surrounding towns offered them more than Hoedspruit in terms of services like well-established private-and-public schools and the convenience of having multiple good hospitals and medical facilities in a close vicinity. To experience the freedom of living on a wildlife estate in the bushveld and still only being 15 minutes away from a modern shopping centre with restaurants, retail stores, a huge supermarket, and a Woolworths food, combines the best of both worlds for them. They have since fallen in love with White River and its friendly close-knit community.
Both Warrick and Camilla work from home, and at Likweti they manage to do so as effectively as they did from their home office in Johannesburg. When either of them needs to travel to Johannesburg, the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (which is a mere 15-minute drive from the estate) makes travelling a breeze.
The Likweti lifestyle offers outdoor enthusiasts like the Kernes a myriad of options. They love exploring the 765-hectare wildlife residential estate and taking their two dogs, Lanark and Callie, for walks. When it’s just Warrick and Camilla, their almost daily routine includes either hiking, running or a mountain bike ride on one of the estate’s many trails.
The Kernes couple love nature, the bush and everything it has to offer. They are avid bird watchers and the mature trees around their natural, indigenous garden is a stage for a birding extravaganza which they get to experience from the comfort of their own veranda. The house is situated in such a way that they can enjoy complete privacy whilst having views for days!
As the saying goes: you’re always one decision away from a totally different life. The Kernes’ decision to move to Likweti has been rewarding, refreshing and life altering!
There is no place like home, and no better place to call home than Likweti. Please Contact us to find out how you can call Likweti home.
