~ Stellenbosch ~ Western Cape ~ South Africa ~

When you choose Soverby for your accommodation, you will sleep in what was once a wine cellar, built in 1907 by the Joubert Family. Later the cellar was converted into a stable, and as farming methods changed and cooperative wineries were established, the rooms each took on yet another new purpose:

Room 1 (now transformed into a honeymoon suite) continued to be used as a stable. Room 2 (now a family suite) was a garage, as cars had become affordable. Room 3 (now a twin-bed room) was a bachelor's flat used by older sons of the family. Rooms 4 and 5 (now double-bed rooms) were a large store room. Room 6 (now a family suite) was a farm shop in use until 1995, and rooms 7 and 8 (now also double-bed rooms) were the "poison room".

Gielie Hanekom bought Soverby in 1988. After much thought and research, Gielie and his wife Dolly decided to convert this old cellar into eight guest rooms.

Renovation started the end of 1995. It took about two months to demolish the old wine tanks which were reinforced with steel cables! Steel had not been readily available at the turn of the century, and these steel cables had been transported to the farm from the Okiep Copper mines in Namaqualand. After their removal during the renovations, the cables were reused in the entrance wall, just to keep the history going!

"So-verby" means "just beyond" - beyond the border of Cape Town and Stellenbosch. By coincidence it has an appropriate meaning in Danish too: "Sleep village"!. Soverby Guest House opened its doors to the public on May 1996 and since then, Gielie, Dolly and the staff count themselves fortunate to have met so many people and made so many friends.

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