We were so excited to settle in Hermanus for a couple of weeks, soon after we got married. Both of us work online, so we knew all we would need is an AirBnb on a monthly discount, good WiFi, and we’d be ready to go. Digital nomad life for the win!

If only it was that easy… The WiFi in the house we rented was basically non-existent. Not only that, but our gigs and gigs of mobile data was useless because the area we were staying in had almost no cellphone signal, so we couldn’t use our mobile devices as hotspots either.

As a writer, my troubles weren’t as big as my husband’s. Being a maths and science tutor, he needed to be on video calls every day. Explaining density, pressure or factorisation to a 17 year old with a lag or a break in the line can be catastrophic…

Our solution? “Let’s find a co-working space!” We started to investigate with little hope, in all honesty. I mean, Hermanus isn’t really that big, I ignorantly thought. What are the chances of there being a co-working space here? A quick search online revealed that Hermanus has not only one, but two co-working spaces. We were slightly nervous that it might be too expensive for us, but decided to pop in at Co.Unity in the centre of town to enquire.

Friendly staff received us and explained the various packages. The vibe really excited us – there was an unseen productivity buzz in the air complemented by the hypnotising smell of perfectly brewed coffee. This was ideal. We signed up that same night.

Our days in Hermanus were marked by productive work, excellent coffee made by the super-barista, Alan, exceptional burgers from the food truck at Co.Unity (I highly recommend the Jam-it-Up burger), and post-work beach walks, runs on the cliff path, and bodyboarding sessions infused by Hermanus’ champagne air.

For us, Hermanus and all it encompasses, all that it offers, is a way of life… And a co-working space like Co.Unity enables that way of life.

Ilse and Louw