Karoo weddings - or just bargains?

There are some people who would choose to get married in one of the many Karoo towns but one would think that the number of people electing to go to these remote spots would be few and far between.

This Prince Albert property is set on a 27ha estate and has a grand manor house, extravagant entertainment areas and a four-star guesthouse. It is on the market for R21m.

"Not so," says Wayne Rubidge of Pam Golding Properties Karoo franchise. "There is a global trend to smaller, more exclusive weddings, that are held in a country environment that is picturesque, romantic and affordable," he says.

Apparently wedding planners have been eyeing out-of-the-way destinations such as Nieu Bethesda, Graaff-Reinet and Prince Albert for their wedding parties. And Rubidge has a number of properties on the market that, he claims, are ideal for special events or weddings too.

He refers to a dedicated wedding venue in Prince Albert that is set on a 27 hectare estate and has a grand manor house, extravagant entertainment areas and a four-star guesthouse. It receives 10 hours of lei water a day from the Prince Albert fountain. The property is on the market for R21-million.

Alternatively, Rubidge says, anyone interested could spend R900k buying an agricultural shed of 288 sqm in Prince Albert and then convert it into a home or a special events venue.

"While towns like Graaff-Reinet and Prince Albert hold enormous appeal, smaller destinations such as Nieu Bethesda are equally popular. Just seven kilometres from this village is a 3 000 hectare sheep and game farm in a magnificent setting in the middle of the Karoo. The farm is up for sale at a price of just over R13-million," says Rubidge.

Of course anyone interested in living in the Karoo can find plenty of bargains around. In Steynsberg you can buy a hotel for under R1-million. Or you can own a Victorian mansion in Aberdeen that is selling for R890k or a small farm with a stone barn, kraals and an old watermill in Graaff-Reinet that's on the market for R1,8-million.

And if the Karoo is not an ideal location then there's always the Northern Cape region where, in Vanwyksvlei a building called the Annex, adjacent to the town's hotel, is on the market for just under R49k.

Perhaps the price of this property is an indication of the interest that people have in visiting the town or settling there.

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