In every great legacy story, there are two key roles.
First, there are the pioneers – those trailblazers who envision a future and take the initial steps toward realising that vision. Next are the beneficiaries – those who benefit from the pioneers’ efforts and are responsible for carrying the torch until the next generation is ready to take over.
When Bill Carte, our founding grandfather, proposed to our Gogo Ruth, our founding grandmother, in 1941, he wrote: Our work is to create beauty, to make the land more fertile, to make our living, to leave the world better than when we first came into it.
What better founding vision could one ask for? What clearer dream to strive toward?
Sadly, Bill didn’t live long enough to see his legacy fulfilled.
It was 1953 deep in rural Natal, and Ruth was left alone to raise four children while also managing a fledgling business, The Cavern Berg Resort.
Happily for us, despite her family’s pleas for her to leave the countryside and move back to town, she persevered. She continued to build upon the foundation Bill had started, facing numerous challenges along the way.
In the 1990s, Bill and Ruth’s youngest son, Anthony (our father) picked up his own baton and, inspired by his predecessors, built Montusi Mountain Lodge.
Today, we – Anthony’s daughters and Ruth’s granddaughters – enjoy what generations of hard work have provided: a home in the mountains and a legacy to carry forward.
So, how are we keeping the founding legacy alive today?
Our work is to create beauty, to make the land more fertile.
The 18th of April 2024 saw the culmination of years of dedicated conservation efforts come to fruition, as the Northern Drakensberg Nature Reserve (NDNR) officially came into existence.
As a founding member of the NDNR, Montusi is proud to be at the heart of the drive to preserve the beautiful natural and cultural heritage of this magnificent part of the world.
Through careful management of the veld and sustainable development, we have seen a boom in plant and animal life on our estate, which is now home to massive herds of Eland (hunted out of this area in the 1940s), a rich diversity of bird life (which provides melodic background music to life in the mountains), and healthy grasslands (which retain the water that feeds South Africa’s economic hub in Gauteng, and aspires to one day be turned into Woolworths Drakensberg Ice™).
To make our living
Creating beauty and enhancing the fertility of the land is a noble and rewarding pursuit, but it doesn’t always pay the bills.
Ruth’s legacy truly shines in her ability to make a living. At a time when it was unconventional for a woman to run a business, even in town, she persevered and excelled, skillfully balancing the roles of entrepreneur and mother.
Today, Montusi is owned and operated by us, three of Ruth’s granddaughters, all of whom are mothers ourselves.
While it’s not always easy, we are reminded of the challenges faced by those who came before us when times get tough. Their memory inspires us with the strength and courage to continue our work.
To leave the world better than when we first came into it
Bill’s vision offers a blueprint for meaningful living and the tools to achieve that meaning. Creating beauty, enriching the land, and earning a living are ultimately means to an end. That end is leaving the world a better place – a grand goal that gives our actions purpose.
To paraphrase Nietzsche, a person can endure any “how” as long as there is a “why” to motivate it.
Those few readers who have established their own nature reserves understand the challenges involved. Mothers are familiar with the sleepless nights and temper tantrums, while business owners face difficult decisions on a daily basis.
Yet, we all recognise that the effort is worthwhile in the end. Why? Because this work, this labour of love, allows us to pay it forward and create a legacy for our children, just as our parents and grandparents created one for us.
A significant aspect of this new legacy is education. Montusi is a proud supporter of the Royal Drakensberg Education Trust (RDPS) through our sponsorship of the Royal Drakensberg Primary School.
Established in 2007, the RDPS has blossomed from an old milk shed into a beautiful community project that employs teachers from the local village and provides outstanding education to the next generation of young South Africans.
It is the place where all our children (Ruth’s great-grandchildren) began their educational journeys and built their own foundations.
Bill set a high standard for those who came after him. Navigating the realms of nature conservation, motherhood, and business is challenging, especially when they are all interconnected.
While Bill provided the vision, Ruth has been and continues to be, the source of inspiration. She taught us to view challenges as mountains to be climbed rather than cliffs to avoid.
With that spirit still alive in us two generations later, we strive each day to continue the legacy of our founders, a legacy we are fortunate to have inherited and one that we now hold in trust for future generations.
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