AVANAR (pronounced like Avatar) originates from my name, Anton van Rensburg.
After finishing school, my career began in 1992, working alongside my parents in family-owned enterprises. For most of that time, I was deeply immersed in agri-fruit processing, manufacturing, and the international food commodity trade, building my career as an entrepreneur and businessman. I gained hands-on experience across all facets, departments, and levels of business—from sales and finance to general management, board-level leadership, and business ownership—developing a deep understanding of business operations, strategic growth, and international trade.
In 1997, my father and I co-founded AVANAR International, an international trading company specialising in industrial fruit products. Over the next 25 years, it evolved across various industries, adapting to new opportunities while remaining rooted in entrepreneurship and exploration.
But in 2015, I took a leap of faith, stepping away from my life in South Africa in search of a new perspective. A major motivation for this decision was the pain of being alienated from my children—two young boys—an experience that reshaped my understanding of life and led me to question everything. I needed to step away, not only from my home but from the entire framework of my past (the South African political and economic landscape in 2015 was deeply entrenched in the Zuma-era state capture environment—what then felt to me like an increasingly bleak and complicated future for our country).
My journey led me to India, where I co-founded an organisation dedicated to selfless service and karma yoga. It was here that I immersed myself in the philosophy of giving without expectation, a lesson I came to understand on a deeply personal level. While this principle was central to our mission, I found that my own interpretation and embodiment of it differed from that of my co-founder, offering me an even deeper opportunity to reflect on the complexities of altruism and human nature.
It was also in Rishikesh India, on the banks of the Ganges River in 2015, that I first heard the sound of the bansuri—an ancient bamboo flute that resonated deeply within me. That moment reshaped my path, drawing me into the depths of Indian Classical Music.
From 2017 to 2019, I studied at Vrindaban Gurukul in Mumbai, the school of the esteemed Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, where I deepened my study of the bansuri. In 2022, I was also honoured to graduate as a Bansuri Guru with Indian Classical Music via iSM Circle, an online offshoot of Vrindaban Gurukul. I remain committed to lifelong study and exploration of this genre and craft. My music is a fusion of Indian ragas and South African influences, blending tradition with personal expression.
Between 2016 and 2017, I met Rhodi-Anne, and our paths intertwined. What an amazing woman! In 2019, going into 2020, just before lockdown, we settled together on a family-owned farm in the Western Cape, where our shared passions took root. In 2024, we sealed this journey in marriage—a continuation of the life we have been building through love, music, and creative expression.
As my interests and pursuits expanded—from global trade to music, nature, astrology, and craftsmanship—AVANAR evolved beyond a business; it became a personal trademark, representing my journey through life and the projects that inspire me.
Beyond music, my life remains an ongoing experiment with the truth—a process of questioning, refining, and aligning my actions with deeper authenticity. This currently unfolds through astrology, Soma, leatherwork, community involvement, and regenerative farming, particularly through the development of Little Rock Garden and Arboretum—a space dedicated to preserving biodiversity, cultivating meaningful connections with nature, and creating a legacy of growth and renewal. It also extends to the restoration of The Old Post Office, which has been transformed into a space for creativity, history, and connection (open most Saturday mornings for local trade, coffee, and conversation).
Each of these endeavours reflects this experiment—a search for meaning through hands-on engagement with the world. Some projects have developed an online presence of their own, which can be explored through the relevant menu links.
This blog and record of my journey is also my way of keeping track of what I have been doing and sharing it with whomever may be interested—especially my children—so that one day, they might look back and see the path I walked, the experiences I lived, and the love that has always been there for them.
This website is a living collection of my journey—a space where experiences, passions, and lessons converge, subject only to my own “algorithm”—no outside filters. Whether through music, craftsmanship, philosophy, or nature, my path remains one of exploration, service, and transformation.
I invite you to walk this journey with me.
Much love and gratitude,
Anton