“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
Life reminds me of the yellow brick road in The Wizard of Oz. Despite our best efforts, things don’t always work out as planned; sometimes we just have to see where the road leads us.
On my journey, I met some amazing people and worked at some beautiful venues. In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy saw new places and made new friends on her way. Together they also had to face many challenges.
Sinovuyo on route 304 was one of those challenging places. I worked at this venue between 2011 and 2014. On the R304 just out of Stellenbosch, this venue boasts incredible views of the mountains and vineyards, as well as a garden area, pool and braai area.
Sinovuyo is of Xhosa origin, and it means “we are joyful” or “we have joy”. Sinovuyo on route 304 was the brainchild of the husband and wife team, Mr and Mrs Adams. Together with their business manager, Hestie Smit, they displayed a remarkable talent for creativity and design. Our events ranged from spitbraais to weddings, and the decor for every event was highly innovative and unlike anything else I was used to. I was always captivated by this trio’s imagination. It was always spectacular and a sight to behold.
I take away from Sinovuyo a strong lesson in perseverance. I have never worked harder and longer hours in my entire life. Hestie and I became close friends. We worked together to produce function after function, not only on-site but also at different venues off-site. Working months without a day off, pulling shifts up to 35 hours, sleep was a luxury, but it was worth it. Every function felt like a huge accomplishment that left us on a big enough dopamine high to get us through the next.
Unfortunately, Sinovuyo on route 304 is no longer in operation, but the venue still exists and operates under a different name. You can check them out here.
I loved working with you, Louis, and what an amazing friend you have become! I have also moved on from the company, but are forever grateful for the business knowledge gained, the friendships formed and the experience. We persevered, we laughed, we had words, we worked long hours, we had tough days, we had super good days……….in the end we had joy!
Unfortunately Mr Adams has passed on in January 2021 and leaves behind a huge legacy, he is dearly missed everyday by his wife, family and friends.
Hestie it was a privilege working with you. You are as great a mentor as you are a friend. The passing of Mr. Adams is sad. He was a visionary and leader of note. The world has lost a great man indeed.