Simbithi Eco-Estate Newsletter April 2024

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SIMBITHI!

FRoM THE GeneRAl MAnAGeR

My family and I first came to Simbithi in 2007, when we met the late Iaian Laing, who was the Estate Manager at the time. I remember being very excited to meet with him after we purchased our property and hearing about all the up-and-coming developments for Simbithi.

At the time, the developers were still active, of course. The Country Club, as we know it, had not been constructed yet. I remember the excitement when WBHO unveiled the plans for the new Country Club, and watching with interest as the building was constructed. And, now here we are, about to celebrate our 20th birthday, Simbithi. It is nothing short of amazing to see how our Estate has flourished, and how the original vision has come to life. Our population has

grown considerably, and it is gratifying to see the diverse, colourful community we have become. Our foundations were laid on the spirit of community building. With that firmly planted as an underlying core value, it remains the golden thread for Simbithi today, as we go forward with values of integrity, commitment, accountability, respect and excellence.

This weekend, we host part one of our birthday celebrations on Saturday. We’ve got the Lumo Disco for our teens, Movie Night for our kids and a party on the deck with Rockhaven, Tiaan Rivers and a special, surprise guest – a real blast from the Simbithi past, to give you a hint.

Next weekend, we are on the Guineafowl sports field on Sunday, 14 April 2024 for part two. It’s going to be a day of fun with a kids’ zone, with inflatables, fun activities on the day, face painting, a birding walk, a snake show, a colour run and our birthday

picnic. We are particularly excited about our Recycle the Magic Competition, where one team stands a chance to win the top prize worth R20 000! Read more about how to sign up later on in the newsletter.

I would like to encourage each of you to take part in at least one event as we celebrate our birthday and experience the beauty of Simbithi and her people.

As I end off, I would like to say thank you to all previous board directors, committee members, managers, staff members and residents who have contributed to the Simbithi story. To the current team, let us keep going as we enter our 21st year.

And, to you, the Simbithi community. Here is to the next 20 years.

I look forward to continuing to build with you!

Marc Mc Clure

FROM THE Club General Manager

Dear members and Residents, I hope my column finds you well.

The first phase of our Masterplan is progressing well. We are on track to roll out the precinct in the first week of October 2024 and look forward to a magnificent family sporting complex. In case you missed our communication, we are completing the foundation phase of the project. Platform cutting and piling are now making way for the structural foundations. Ground was also broken for the ablutions and squash foundations on 4 March.

I am sure you will agree the site has undergone a complete transformation from the vacant land it once was.

Last month, our project review committee interviewed, and received quotes from, our subcontractors who will supply the sporting codes of tennis, Padel and squash. The recommendations have been endorsed by the Steering Committee and the subcontractors should be on-site soon. Our engineers have also ensured that our attenuation stormwater tank will serve the precinct well in the future with the ability to top up pools. We appreciate your patience throughout this project. Currently, we are working on a business model and will soon call for resident engagements on the various sporting codes.

Membership models, usage fees and opening times will be some of the topics of discussion. Please keep an eye out for the communication.

As of mid-January, we have had a total of 58 days without a health or safety incident on-site. Well done, team!

New Year’s Eve party, we constantly strive to ensure we bring you the best in entertainment. Our Friday late afternoon live music sets the mood for a few drinks before dinner and our Sunday Carvery and Curry Evenings remain firm favourites. Our events team has also been hard at work populating our venues with events, weddings and conferences. For all our rugby fans… the big screen is coming back! Do not miss the ‘Boks vs. Ireland on 6 and 13 July right here on the deck.

Seating will be first come, first served, so ensure you get to us early to make a day of it.

Onto Club matters.

As we begin the new financial year our team has been hard at work planning the year’s activities; whether it be St Patrick’s Day or the

Our golf committee is planning this year’s Festival of Golf, and the dates set are 29 June to 3 July. This annual event started a couple of years ago and has become a firm favourite on the golfing calendar. Please watch the committee’s communication on the event and be sure to put your name down.

This year also sees the conclusion of the golf course improvement project. All can attest that its development has been a resounding success. The careful thought and commitment the Matkovich team has given the project has certainly seen compliments aplenty on the deck after a game. The new bridge on the 6th looks great and we would like to thank Leon Ackerman and Pieter Boorsma for their commitment to the project.

Then, to the rest of our community, the Heron Pizzeria is officially trading from 08:00. Come and visit for breakfast, or on your way back from your morning workout, pop in for a coffee. The team is looking forward to welcoming you there with new offerings.

Thank you for the support you gave the Club last financial year. We all look forward to doing it all over again. As always, we look forward to seeing you at the Club soon.

I would like to thank my Fig Tree and Drop Zone waitron teams for doing a magnificent job this past financial year with increased patronage, fantastic revenue and a consistent food offering. We look forward to adding the Pavilion bar and pool deck to those fantastic venues at the end of the year.

Stay safe and take care.

Releasing

Birds of Simbithi

Months of dedication, diligence and more than a few pots of coffee culminated in the official release of Birds of Simbithi, recently. Residents, media and guests gathered in the Pavilion Room for an evening of insight into the book’s development and publishing.

Welcoming guests, General Manager Marc Mc Clure thanked all who had had a hand in the journey.

EVENTS

He also asked all present to join him in a moment’s silence in remembrance of resident and photographer Shirley Sage, who passed away shortly after the book was published.

Marketing and Communications CoOrdinator Jodi Chetty then led a panel discussion, hearing from contributors

Dael Stojakovic, Brian Roberts, Pamela White and John Louw and Environmental Manager Ayanda Duma.

Based on-site in Simbithi, Ballito.net Properties has been practicing in holiday and permanent rentals on the Estate for over 17 years, offering full management of your holiday or permanant let with our professional team. Let us give you an expert rental valuation on your home today.

Have you got your copy of Birds of Simbithi, yet? Pop into our HOA Welcome Centre and purchase a piece of Simbithi history for R500 a copy.

nesTing aWaY

Thank you to Paul Johnson for these incredible images of a nesting chameleon in his yard!

l eaping in To 2024

EVIRONMENT

Leaping, hopping and skipping – a group of residents of all ages joined our environmental team recently for an Amphibian Night Walk. The group began at Kingfisher Community Centre and meandered their way through Simbithi, stopping to appreciate these little creatures. Thank you to all who joined us!

Congratulations, Delvin!

Please join us in congratulating our Building Inspector, Delvin Walstroom, on his recent completion of his Safety Management Training Course (SAMTRAC). Well done, Delvin!

secu R i TY

Domestic AlArm systems

At Simbithi, we consider security a shared responsibility that requires our collective input, vigilance and care. For this reason, we encourage you to consider installing an intruder detection system in your home, which you may connect to our 24-hour Control Room. The alarm system would immediately alert our Control Room of an intrusion to your property, upon which officers would respond.

If you’d like to install a system, please note:

• The cost for the system would be per individual quotations against your specific requirements. Your quote must exclude radio transmitters, as a radio frequency transmitter

SECURITY

must be purchased from SEEHOA before installation.

• Alarm transmissions on the system must be on radio data, on Simbithi’s frequency.

• No external, audible sirens may be installed outside the home, as this would disturb neighbouring residents.

If you would like to chat further, please contact our Security Manager, Dysan Parasaraman:

dysan@simbithi.com.

Golf cArts

As per our Estate rules, only electric golf carts are permitted on Simbithi. It is also compulsory for every golf cart used on the Estate to have adequate, public liability insurance. SEEHOA

has established an insurance policy for this liability through the Estate’s broker. A golf cart permit will be issued annually confirming insurance cover. Golf carts may only be driven by persons holding a valid South African motor license. Parents, please adhere to this rule.

Find iT He R e

Did you know you may find a copy of our Estate rules on your Simbithi App? Simply log on and open the documents folder. Here, you will find our rules, our Memorandum of Incorporation and other important documents.

Here is a quick guide on how to download the Simbithi App:

1. Head to Google PlayStore or the Apple App Store.

2. Search 'Simbithi'. Make sure you select the app bearing our green dragonfly logo.

3. Download and input your mobile number, then wait for the One Time Pin.

4. Log in, and happy app-ing!

Ballito Galloping Winds, R102 (Between Tongaat and Ballito)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!

We are DAYS away from our 20 th birthday weekend! Bookings are open for all our exciting events, and we encourage you to sign up to enjoy the birthday magic. Here we go:

SATURDAY, 6 APRIL 2024

Golf: Birthday Bash

There are two fields available for play on Saturday, with tee-off times from 07:00. If you would like to play, please book via the Pro Shop.

All are welcome: bring your family

along and enjoy our beautiful course. When you have finished your round, stay with us for an evening to remember. We have live music and interactive food stations on the deck, and of course our LUMO Teens Disco and Kids’ Movie

upstairs.

simbithi Kids market club Deck | 06:00 – 09:00

Kiddos, set up your stall on the deck and delight the first field of golfers before they play in our Birthday Bash. Spots are R20 each.

EVENTS

lumo Disco: Hello, simbithi teens!

Pavilion room | 18:00 – 22:00 | 13 – 18 years old

An illuminating evening with a live DJ, disco balls and, of course, an abundance of glowsticks!

Bringing MTV back, 20 years later. Burger Bar and drink included (strictly no alcohol allowed).

Prizes for best-dressed on deck.

Bookings for the Lumo Disco and Movie Night closed on 29 March 2024.

movie Night in a land far, far Away… How incredible!

Dragonfly Conference Room | 18:00 – 21:00 | 4 – 12 years old

Settle the little ones in for movie night, with a snack box and pizza. Choose between a nostalgic viewing of 2004’s most popular releases, Shrek or The Incredibles. Childcare included, with surprise guests!

SUNDAY, 14 APRIL 2024

colour run

07:00 - 09:00

Wear white, grab some colour powder, and enjoy a birthday burst of happiness.

interactive Bird Walk

07:30 - 09:00

Get to know the winged residents of Simbithi.

snake show

11:00 - 12:00

Some slithery fun for our littler (and older) residents! 20

EVENTS

recycle the magic: simbithi 20th Birthday competition 10:00 - 12:30

Here’s a chance to bond as a family and write your part of the Simbithi story. For this competition, entrants will use recyclable material to create a model of what Simbithi means to them. You may build your home, one of our community centres or even our iconic dragonfly… Let your imagination run wild as we celebrate our origins as a pioneering eco-estate. The winning model will be displayed at the HOA Welcome Centre, and the winning family will be treated to a prize to the value of R20 000!

Gather on the Guineafowl sports field to reflect on two decades of Simbithi magic. Relive the memories and look forward to the future with renewed excitement. Pack a picnic basket and enjoy a live DJ, an afternoon with the community and a slice of birthday cake.

Official Birthday Party

Guineafowl field | 13:00

Please note, bookings are open to residents and a limited number of guests, only. If you would like to book for the following events, please e-mail your name, the name of the children/teenagers attending, their respective ages and your address to enquiries@simbithi.com, or WhatsApp this information to 073 153 1378. Your booking is only confirmed once you receive written confirmation from our office.

CONTACT DETAILS

Jeff Leaver: Chairman

Clive Mc Creadie: Vice-Chairman HOA

Andrew Mackenzie

Louis Boshoff

Gavin Dunlop

Lisa Southey

Margi Lilienfeld

Frank Bradford: Vice-Chairman SCC EXCO

Director Marketing & Communications board8@simbithi.com

Director Security board4@simbithi.com

Director Finance & IT board3@simbithi.com

Director Design Review Committee board5@simbithi.com

Director Technical & Maintenance board7@simbithi.com

Director Human Resources board9@simbithi.com

Director Environmental board6@simbithi.com

Director Simbithi Country Club board2@simbithi.com

John Gowans

Director Legal & Appeals board1@simbithi.com

The Board of Directors are your elected representatives who volunteer their time and expertise without remuneration. Approaching a Director should be your last resort.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SIMBITHI

Join in the fun for our 20th birthday weekend. Full details available earlier on in the e-newsletter.

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QUIZ NIGHT

The Country Club brings you Quiz Night, sponsored by Harcourts Dolphin Coast and hosted by “The Quiz Guys”.

Venue: The Fig Tree Restaurant

Time: 18:00

Cost: R195pp

Bookings: foodbev1@simbithi.com or 032 946 5403