South Africa and Hemingway by Kim Keble-White

Wed, Apr 23rd 2025 at 12:40 pm - 2:00 pm

Kim is a regular visitor to South Africa

The speaker was Club member, Kim Keble-White who gave an illustrated talk entitled "South Africa & Hemingway - Exploring Ernest Hemingway's connections to the African Continent”. The subject choice was twofold: firstly, Kim and his wife Rhona regularly spend the Scottish winter months in South Africa; secondly, as a youngster, born in Kenya, Kim learned of Hemingway at public school and was intrigued by his "Green Hills of Africa"( 1935 ) and "The Old Man and the Sea" (1952). While much of Kim's talk featured pictures of fabulous properties, sprawling beaches and towering mountains (including Table Mountain), he reflected on the sad situation that many people are moving to safer communities outside the main cities. The contrast between the "haves and have nots" is getting worse and widespread corruption means that much foreign aid does not get to the people who need it. Favourite restaurants, fabulous golf courses including Simola, mountain trails, even motor museums, figured in Kim's recollections. Much of Africa has sprawling game reserves without boundaries where you can witness huge migrations, while South Africa's game reserves are enclosed, allowing visitors to view big game close up. Hemingway, loved the great outdoors -growing up near Michigan USA, he hunted, fished and camped, gaining a passion for outdoor adventure. Trips to the famous battlefields of Zulu encounters including the infamous massacre of British soldiers at Isandlwana, were followed by ones to Rorke's Drift where 11 Victoria Crosses were awarded and the spectacular film, "Zulu", with Michael Caine, became legendary. In conclusion, Kim quoted a lengthy passage from Hemingway's writings, summed up as "When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen! Imagine the power of listening deeply. Beyond listening, there's the art of observing. Most of us rush through spaces without really noticing. Being observant and emotionally aware takes practice. Life becomes richer and more meaningful when you learn to listen and observe completely - it's about experiencing life fully”. The vote of thanks was given by Past President Colin Mitchell who has farming relatives in Africa.