As a follow-up to their recent Africa Wealth Report, global residence and citizenship planning firm Henley & Partners has teamed up with New World Wealth to review the luxury lifestyle estate sector in South Africa.
As mentioned in the Africa Wealth Report, South Africa is a global pioneer in estate living and is home to many of the world’s best lifestyle estates. Notably, there is a strong link between investment migration and estate living. For instance, most of the wealthy foreigners that buy second homes in South Africa, tend to buy them on lifestyle estates or in luxury apartment complexes. This is also the case in several other countries globally including: Mauritius, Portugal, USA, UAE and New Zealand.
According to New World Wealth analyst Andrew Amoils, estate living is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, especially among affluent people that travel a lot and have homes in several countries around the world. This is mainly due to the safety and environmental benefits of estates. Ecologically friendly lifestyle estates with natural indigenous wilderness areas are becoming particularly popular.
READ: 2022 Top eco estates in the world | And benefits of living in SA eco-estates
“New World Wealth has been rating the top estates in South Africa for the past seven years. During this period, we have visited over 200 top-end estates across the country. Our top 10 lifestyle estate picks for 2022 are listed below (in no particular order).” These estates score strongly in the following areas (ratings criteria):
- Maintenance of estate – the most important factor.
- Location, views, and scenery.
- Communal gardens and parks.
- Design and space.
- Safety.
- Activities and facilities available on the estate.
- Birdlife and nature - birds are an excellent barometer for the health of an ecosystem.
- Environmental awareness - our ratings favour ecologically friendly lifestyle estates with natural indigenous wilderness areas, also known as "eco-estates".
Zimbali:
Zimbali Coastal Estate is located next to Ballito and about 10 miles north of Umhlanga. It is widely considered to be one of the world's best eco-estates. Zimbali is known for its coastal forest and birdlife and has been instrumental in helping to conserve the "King of Africa's jungles" - the mighty Crowned Eagle. The estate has been home to breeding Crowned Eagles for more than 20 years.
According to Dr. Gareth Tate, manager of the Birds of Prey Programme at the Endangered Wildlife Trust: “There aren’t many raptors that demand the level of respect that Crowned Eagles do. Not only for their raw beauty and vital role in the ecosystem as apex predators. This is largely owed to their temperament and incredible strength, particularly in their oversized dagger-like talons which have extraordinary crushing power to take down large prey. They are a true keystone species and guardians to Africa’s dwindling forests and form vital components of the forests they inhabit.” Please see our full feature on the Crowned Eagle here.
Steyn City is located near Broadacres in Johannesburg. It is probably the best-designed estate in South Africa, with large amounts of beautiful indigenous parkland between the various distinct residential neighborhoods. It offers a nice mix of houses, townhouses, and luxury apartments. The facilities & clubhouse there are world-class, as is the new 300-meter swimming lagoon. The birdlife on the estate is also very impressive
Highland Gate:
Highland Gate is located in the Steenkampsberg mountain range near Dullstroom. The estate is very unique as it is located right inside the mountains, making it one of the most picturesque estates in the country. The birdlife here is also very impressive with Malachite Sunbirds, Red-collared Widows, Brown-hooded Kingfishers, and Long-crested Eagles all easily found on the estate.
Fancourt is located in George on the Garden Route. It is undoubtedly South Africa’s top estate for golfers, with three highly rated courses on the estate. The two original courses (the Montagu and the Outeniqua) were built in the early 1990s, whilst the world famous Fancourt Links was added in 2000. The estate features some of the most beautiful houses in the country and is very top-end. The birdlife and wildlife there are also impressive – the rare Caracal has even been seen on the estate.
Princes Grant Estate:
As remote as it is beautiful, Princes Grant is arguably South Africa’s best-kept secret. It is a bird lover’s paradise as Trumpeter Hornbills, Mangrove Kingfishers, Narina Trogons, and Palm-nut Vultures are all found on the estate. Like Zimbali, it is also home to the Crowned Eagle. It features a nice mix of house designs and the clubhouse there is lovely. It is one of the only estates in SA with direct beach access (others include Zimbali and Sunset Links).
Val de Vie Estate:
Val de Vie Estate is located in the Cape Winelands between Paarl and Franschhoek. Highlights of the estate include: a wellness farm, vineyards, polo fields, a top golf course (Pearl Valley), and beautiful mountain backdrops. It is highly rated by both local and foreign buyers - see article from the New York Times here.
Steenberg is one of the pioneer estates of South Africa. Originally a vineyard, Steenberg was re-developed by JCI in 1990 to include a golf course, hotel, spa, and housing estate. The estate still contains a large winery and vineyard to this day. There are relatively few houses at Steenberg when one considers the size of the estate.
Pezula Private Estate is located in Knysna on the Garden Route, next to Pezula Golf Estate. The estate is very exclusive and the houses there are spaced far apart, offering their residents a lot of privacy.
Whale Rock Ridge is located in Plettenberg Bay (also known as Plett) on the Garden Route. The 100-hectare estate is located in a prime part of Plett and offers residents stunning views over the bay. The bottom gate of the estate is located approximately 100 meters from the beach.
Waterfall Equestrian Estate is a super-exclusive estate located in Waterfall City. It is home to some of South Africa’s most spectacular mansions and the stands there are particularly large.
Sub-categories (in alphabetical order):
Top five luxury apartment complexes in SA for 2022:
De Meermin - Plettenberg Bay
The Hermanus - Main Road, Eastcliff, Hermanus
The Oysters - Umhlanga
San Michele - Clifton, CT
Whitehall Court - Killarney, JHB
Note: When it comes to price growth, luxury apartments have been the best-performing residential segment in SA over the past decade as many buyers have moved away from houses. Apartments in Umhlanga, Hermanus, and Plettenberg Bay have performed especially well over this period.
READ: Bishopscourt remains one of the most in-demand suburbs and continues to enjoy robust sales
Top five wildlife estates in SA for 2022:
Elephant Point
Gondwana Private Residences
Leopard Creek
Mjejane
Royalston
Note: “Wildlife estates are often difficult to define. For our purposes, they refer to estates with abundant wildlife in a natural setting of indigenous bushveld/forest. They essentially allow people to buy their own private homes in the bush. Many of them also operate as game reserves.”
SA’s most exclusive estates:
The most exclusive estates in SA for 2022 are listed below. These five estates were selected based on their high average price for a house and their strong appeal to wealthy people (HNWIs). They generally offer their residents a lot of privacy with a low number of stands and large plot sizes. They are all very exclusive.
Leopard Creek
Pezula Private Estate
Silverhurst Estate
Steenberg
Waterfall Equestrian Estate
Top estates in each region (in alphabetical order):
Top five estates in KwaZulu Natal:
Princes Grant Estate
Simbithi
Zimbali
Note: Most of the top estates in KwaZulu-Natal are located in the Ballito area, which is a world leader in estate living.
Top five estates in Cape Town and the Cape Winelands:
Atlantic Beach
De Zalze
Domaine des Anges
Steenberg
Val de Vie
Note: Estate living is becoming increasingly popular in this area, especially in the Cape Winelands of Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch.
Top five estates in the Garden Route and Whale Coast:
Fancourt
Pezula Golf Estate
Pezula Private Estate
Whale Rock Ridge
Note: The Garden Route stretches from Mossell Bay to Storms River on the South Coast. Notable towns on the route include: Plettenberg Bay, George, Knysna, Wilderness, Natures Valley, Keurboomstrand, and Mossell Bay. The Whale Coast is the area between Cape Town and the Garden Route. Notable towns on the Whale Coast include: Hermanus, Rooi Els and Bettys Bay.
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