How a biker bar became a rock roadhouse route
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The Karoo Saloon, a famous rock roadhouse on South Africa's Route 62, was transformed by owners Marius Slabber and Janet Brewer into a vibrant music venue. The article reflects on the history of the bar and its role as a cultural landmark for travelers and locals.
Why it matters
It documents the cultural significance of independent music venues in rural tourism corridors.
A look back at how Marius Slabber and Janet Brewer built the Karoo Saloon into Route 62’s famed rock roadhouse, a haven of live covers, good wine, and unforgettable jams that defined an era.
6 Aug 2026 The stage at the Karoo Saloon on the Under Karoovian Skies weekend in September 2017. (Photo: Chris Marais) Dive Deeper Speed Read Summary Listen Dive Deeper In my 20-year career covering the Karoo, mostly spent bumping over dusty roads in an old grey bakkie and giving voice to Heartland dwellers, I’ve come to respect all manner of hustle out here.
It’s been a long and lovely procession of shamans, rieldans queens, Zen masters, junksters, bikers, AfrikaBurners, shape shifters, blacksmiths, backyard philosophers, night owls, prospectors and stoep-sitters with the wisdom of the world in their eyes.
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