Meeting Hannes Maritz through Zoom is an experience in itself, as my waiting screen turns from black to finally providing me with an image of the entrepreneur, I’m greeted by Hannes seated before a large orange-brown earthen-coloured wall, while dressed impeccably, though casually, in an all-nude outfit. As I comment on the effect of his background, he laughs sharing that he’s currently seated within the business’ library where they store many of the effects that create what has now become the iconic ‘Kraak experience’. “It’s all so very Kraak.”
Within the fine dining and luxury experience trade, this is a sentence that speaks to well-curated, beautifully designed, and exceptionally tasteful event styling which has peaked on social media platforms and been emulated by many in the design industry. Listening to Hannes’ story, it becomes quickly apparent that his line of work is a matter of divine circumstance. “I quickly realised that I am a storyteller and I wanted to tell stories about people’s wedding days” shares Hannes, while sharing the tale of how he’d applied for 24 roles in differing industries which eventually led him to getting one call back for an internship at a wedding venue. The only wedding venue he’d messaged in his entire job search. “I’m of Namibian origin, I grew up on a farm and I did not know that there was a space called a ‘wedding industry’ so I was surprised.
After growing in the industry, I realised that I did not want to waste my time setting tables every Saturday, but I wanted to incorporate interior architecture into my work. That was when I started thinking of the idea of the brand that would eventually become Kraak.” Having first had the idea to craft his own brand in 2008, Hannes took the leap to begin the business in 2010. Kraak meaning “crack” speaks to the perfection of imperfection of the settings Hannes works to achieve when crafting his grounded aesthetics. “The main thing for me was storytelling and that was how I decided on what my ethos should be. I began to incorporate clay, branches, twigs, rocks and pebbles into my event settings initially as a way to assist my clients as they were very budget-conscious, however, the entire design turned into something that the clients really wanted and was something the industry was missing.”
After curating events by himself for some time, Hannes’ events became popular enough that he began to hire team members to help him further the business. “A crack is extremely unique, you don’t get two of the same crack on a surface if it’s created by natural impact”, Hannes says while walking me through what it takes to create a Kraak wedding experience. “When consulting with a client, our consultations are more about asking them what they like. We query where the client spends their time, what their family is like and where the client dines”. This provides Hannes and his team with a basis of where to begin so he can create a unique event with that magic Kraak touch.
As a result of the exceptional attention to detail being imbued into each event, the Kraak team only curate between 20 and 30 weddings per year. Having had great success within the wedding industry, Hannes then branched into creating his seasonal dining event called Kraaktafel. “This is the long table in the middle of nowhere which showcases my own tastes where I don’t have to make considerations for a bride’s wedding dreams. This is my contribution to the design industry where my team and I showcase what we feel the approach to events should be for the next season.
We ask many of our partner vendors to create unique items for us to use at these events. Many of our industry partners ask us ‘What can we create for you this season?’ Because Kraaktafel has become a space where once an idea is used then it becomes something a bride wants to have at her wedding. In this way, we have a lot of input in the industry allowing us to help make the industry beautiful.” But what of those who wish to purchase a piece of the Kraak experience? Slowly being introduced is the Kraak Kapsule, which is a collection of artisan-produced items that will be available for sale to the public from the beginning of 2025.
Book yourself a Kraaktafel experience, while you still can for their November and December dates: https://www.kraak.co.za/kraaktafel
