KwaZulu-Natal’s residents might be trying to live amid poor service delivery, protests and riots, but certain parts of the province are seeing luxury estate and other residential developments.
There is a growing number of exclusive lifestyle estates on the KwaZulu-Natal coast which Seef Properties argue are changing the landscape and bringing new money into the province.
Estates such as Zimbali, Simbithi and Hawaan are now ranked among the top estates in South Africa.
Andreas Wassenaar, licensee for Seeff Dolphin Coast said that estates such as Zimbali and Simbithi are a primary target for high income earners, strongly boosted by the semigration and work from anywhere trend, but are also sought for second homes and investment properties.
These top-end estates also attract international buyers including those from the wealthy African countries, he said.
“Zimbali Estate is home to the highest number of luxury homes in KZN,” said Wassenaar.
“Zimbali ranks with the Atlantic Seaboard as the top coastal areas for high-net-worth buyers and investors. The estate is home to 650 properties valued upwards of R10m with 150 of these valued above R20m,” he said.
Many wealthy individuals from Gauteng own property here as second homes.
“While factors such as two years of Covid-chaos, the 2021 July riots and recent floods have affected the market, Zimbali has held up well,” he said.
An assessment of the market over the last year shows that Zimbali achieved sales worth almost R487m at an average price of R7.1m, fairly evenly split between freehold and sectional title properties.
The average selling price for freehold homes is R9m, putting the estate among the top end luxury suburbs in the country. The highest price achieved was R17.2m and the highest price for sectional title property achieved was R11m, while the average price stands at R5.25m for a sectional title unit.
Simbithi Eco Estate has also fared well, achieving a notable 134 sales worth close to R685m in 2021. The average price stands at around R5.1m. Just over half of all sales were freehold properties which sold at an average price of R6.1m up to a notable highest price achieved of R22m. Sectional title units sold at an average price of R3.9m and a highest price of R10.6m.
The Brettenwood and Dunkirk estates also ranked among the top luxury estates according to Wassenaar. Brettenwood Coastal Estate achieved sales worth almost R140m while Dunkirk Estate clocked up R128m in sales. Both offer luxury homes in the R5m to R10m range.
Meanwhile, the Hawaan Forest Estate in Umhlanga now boasts a median freehold price of R9.3m which puts it among the top estates in the country. The estate is known for the ancient forest which borders it and is home to 100 luxury homes with several vacant plots still available in the R4m to R6m range. House prices generally range from around R8m to R26m for a luxury mansion.