poor communication with the community. In 2017 / 2018 a new primary school and a new library opened in Memel / Zamani, the library being equipped with covered parking, air conditioning, toilets, a play area for young children, numerous reading rooms and an excellent computer room. These developments were funded by government. A library has also been established in one of Memel's three primary schools, with donations facilitated by the Rotary Clubs of South Africa and the United States. A new community centre and police station are planned for the future. A badly needed new health clinic has also been built, but as of May 2019 it is not yet equipped and not yet open. For decades the main highway that bypasses Memel was dangerous due to a combination of its badly neglected state and speeding motorists. In 2015 work was finally completed and the road was resurfaced, making travel a safer experience. However, as of May 2019 large potholes are once more beginning to appear. Economy The economy of the Memel-Zamani area is that of a typical rural community on South Africa's plateau where livestock farming and maize cultivation dominate. Tourism is also important, with the bird life, the natural environment of the surrounding mountains and wetlands continuing to attract visitors. In the early 2000s, with the influx of house-buyers from the cities and overseas, house prices moved from the R50 000 level to around the R600 000 mark but this trend has now slowed. Memel's estate agents reported little business after the worldwide recession of 2008. Residents of the town have traditionally kept gardens and small orchards of fruit trees. Some newcomers have expanded that practice by developing permaculture gardens, based on rainwater and storm water run-off. Local organic gardens now produce dozens of vegetable varieties in summer, as well as butter, yoghurt and cheese. A Farmers Market takes place on some weeks during the growing season. Four separate houses have been constructed by methods of natural building, including rammed-earth and straw-bale. Solar and wind power are suited to the area and much new development aspires to be off-grid. Memel Organics have been the main proponent of sustainable living, having established extensive permaculture gardens. In November 2014, they opened Memel Organics Boutique Guest Houses much of which was built using rammed earth techniques and utilises solar water heaters for radiant hydronic underfloor heating. Some of these developments have