Antoinette Pienaar

Antoinette Pienaar
Born	Antoinette Pienaar 1961 Carnavon, Northern Cape, Republic of South Africa
Occupation	Actress, author and singer.
Years active	1986–present

Antoinette Pienaar (born 1961) is a South African actress, singer, and author.

Early life

One of five sisters, Antoinette Pienaar was born in Beaufort West, grew up in Carnavon and studied drama at the University of Stellenbosch^[1] and the University of Cape Town.

Career

She started her acting career in Shakespearean productions and later turned to singing, writing and storytelling, performing her gentle satires at the National Arts Festivals of Grahamstown, Oudshoorn and other Southern African theaters. As storyteller she is best known for her stories of historical African heroines such as Krotoa of the Cape.^[2] Since 2001 she has been apprentice to Oom Johannes Willemse (a Griqua Shaman) in the deep recesses of the Karoo.^[3] She is also featured in "Van Nature", a regular insert on the Afrikaans breakfast show Dagbreek

Kruie kraai koning

Translated from the Afrikaans: "Herbs rule." The phrase plays on the old Afrikaans saying that herbs are natures cure for every and any ailment.^[4]

Since 2003, Pienaar and Oom (uncle) Johannes Willemse (a Griqua Shaman^[5]) in his late 90's are regulars on Amore Bekkers' afternoon drive show (Tjailatyd) on the National Afrikaans Radio Station (Radio Sonder Grense, (RSG)) and answers listeners questions on a weekly basis from location in the heart of the Great Karoo of South Africa.^[6] Pienaar received great acclaim in the Afrikaans community^[7][8][9] thanks to the efforts of Amore Bekker and RSG with this program.

Pienaars book: "Kruidjie roer my"^[10]" / "The Griqua's Apprentice^[11]" on folk remedies from the Griqua and Afrikaner (Boer) communities was published with the help of RSG.

In her own words, the publication of The Griqua's Apprentice is "the first step in preserving the Karoo herb heritage for South Africa and the world".^[12]

Personal life

After contracting cerebral malaria on a trip to Mali in West Africa in 2001 she was severely weakened and decided to stay on Theefontein (the farm of her second cousin Jacques Pienaar). She claims that the Karoo and its herbs healed her.^[13] Pienaar never married.

References

1. "Documentary Website"
2. "Random House Publishers - Profile of Pienaar"
3. "Umuzi Books - Profile of Pienaar"
4. "Interview with Antionette Pienaar (17 January 2009)". Roekeloos.co.za. Retrieved 2010-11-26.
5. "DeKAT Magazine - Special Interview with Pienaar (Pg.104-109)". Dekat.co.za. Archived from the original on 25 December 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-26.
6. "(The healing power of nature) - English Website". Kruie kraai koning. Retrieved 2010-11-26.
7. "DeKat Article". DeKat Article. Archived from the original on 25 December 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-26.
8. "Umuzi Books - Pienaar". Umuzi.book.co.za. 2008-10-17. Retrieved 2010-11-26.
9. "Film". Healing Power of Nature. 2008-05-04. Archived from the original on 20 October 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-26.
10. Pienaar, Antoinette; Willemse (2008). Kruidjie Roer My (in Afrikaans). South Africa: Umuzi Books. p. 248. ISBN 978-1-4152-0059-9.
11. Pienaar, Antoinette; Willemse (2009). The Griqua's Apprentice. South Africa: Umuzi Books. p. 243. ISBN 978-1-4152-0073-5.
12. "Kruie Kraai Koning - About Oom Johannes and Antoinette"
13. "Kruie Kraai Koning - Umuzi Books"