SECURITY
ENVIRONMENTAL
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
COVER PHOTO
FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER
Dear Residents,
…and, just like that, the year is (nearly) over.
Sitting down to write my 11th, and final, column of the year gave me the chance to reflect on 2024, and what a year it was! From celebrating our milestone 20th birthday, to our #4AndMore campaign that resulted in us attaining quorum for our AGM, to re-opening the Guineafowl Dam after a period of reconstruction.
So, as we swiftly move toward the last few days of the year, let us remember to be mindful, particularly as Simbithi becomes fuller and busier, as is typical for December and January. When you are out at the community centres, parents, please make sure you keep an eye on your children, especially near the swimming pools. Similarly, when you are driving around the Estate, please do so safely and in accordance with our speed limit of 40km/h. Let us refrain from driving recklessly, and texting and driving. I’m sure we would all like to enjoy an incident-free festive season.
There are many more stories, of course, and I’m sure you have a collection of your own to share. That is part of what makes Simbithi so special, each of us see and experience our home in a different way, and the coming together of these stories is where we find the magic.
As I am fond of doing with my last few words of the year, a warm, Simbithi welcome to those of you coming home for the holidays. I hope you find Simbithi to be as charming as you know her to be, and that your stay is restful and rejuvenating. If you are travelling, please be safe, and we look forward to seeing you again in 2025.
FROM
THE GENERAL MANAGER
On a closing note, Simbithi ends her 20th year off on a high, with the conclusion and launch of our sports facility at the Country Club. What a journey it has truly been, and I am sure you are just as excited as I am to experience all the new complex has to offer. I am sad to miss the official opening, as I will be away with my family, but rest assured; once I am back, I look forward to seeing our fit, healthy residents out and about for a game or two.
Have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year, Simbithi.
See you in 2025!
Marc Mc Clure
FROM THE Club General Manager
Dear Members,
Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to all!
I hope my column finds you well.
material expenses, topography challenges and a sport code that had never been attempted in South Africa were just a few of the obstacles the team faced. In the end, I am sure that when you come and view it on Friday night during our grand opening, you will agree the Sport Complex is truly remarkable.
Where has the year gone?
The 15 January feels like it was just last week, when our contractors moved onto site and began to secure the perimeter fencing of our Master Plan Phase One. Now, nearly 11 months later, we have completed the biggest project in Simbithi Eco-Estate’s history.
I would like to thank our professional teams and contractors for delivering this magnificent project. Following our opening, we will focus on delivering a harmonious playing experience. You will see our Sport Supervisors, Ash, Daniel and Junaid managing the facilities, checking bookings and payments on Clubmaster.
To say the project was challenging is an understatement. It tested our collective professional and management minds; unforeseen
On that note, please assist us by booking and paying for your selected slots prior to entering the complex, as this will help us manage the facility better. Should you require assistance with how the app operates, our staff are more than willing to assist.
FROM THE CLUB GENERAL MANAGER
From 1 January 2025, squash will open to external membership. With the support of EXCO, it was decided to open earlier due to the time sensitivity of the offering. League, competitions and tournaments all take place prior to 1 March 2025. Bowls and tennis will require monitoring and a steer from their homeowner representatives as to when they would like to open membership, while Padel remains internal, for now. Membership of the lap pool remains internal as does the Simbithi Gymnasium. This offering works on the same principle as the Gym, where a once-off payment allows swimmers the opportunity to train as much as they wish for a 12-month period.
year celebration. You may see the details on our website: www.simbithi.com/events.
Onto Club matters, bookings are coming in quickly for our Christmas Eve Dinner and New Year’s Eve party. Seats are limited for both events, and they are selling out fast. Prices were lowered this year to ensure we could accommodate more residents and their guests. Reserve your seating now and join us for a once-in-a-
Now, I would like to briefly mention our Kids’ Play Park. The play area has been made bigger and includes the access path to the Pavilion Deck, parents from the Fig Tree and Pavilion deck will have access to this central play area. In the new financial year, we will incorporate more play pieces, so please bear with us for now. For the season we will include a jumping castle for the smaller children. At the entrance to the pathway play pieces have been selected for smaller children to practice their developing skills such as a balance beam, chalk board, swing and climbing wall while our two feature slides have been designed for older children.
Our golf course improvement plan has been a major success, and I’ve already thanked the relevant stakeholders on several of our communication platforms. Visitor rounds will also be maximised during this short festive period. Finally, a big thank you to our amazing
FROM THE CLUB GENERAL MANAGER
Golf Committee who have assisted the Club through 2024. Have an amazing break.
Finally, to my amazing team at the Club; you guys are simply the “Dream Team”, living our values and striving for success at every turn. The compliments from the Fig Tree and Events have remained constant throughout the year and we look forward to an even more prosperous 2025. Don’t forget, residents, your Fig Tree is on your doorstep. Take advantage of this amazing restaurant, its economical prices and mouthwatering selection. It truly is a gem!
hope to see more of you in 2025. Your Club and Estate are certainly well on their way to achieving our mission to the pre-eminent residential eco-estate in Southern Africa.
To all our residents and members, thank you for your amazing patronage and support. We
Craig Nell
Thank you to Kirsty Bisset for these adorable photographs of a family of mongooses out for playtime.
Electrical
Protect Our Vervet Monkeys and Simbithi’s Children
DON’T FEED THE VERVETS!
Over 95% of Simbithi residents honour our environmental policy of not feeding vervet monkeys. However, a small minority have been caught intentionally feeding them. Feeding vervets, no matter how well-meaning it may seem, has harmful consequences for both the monkeys and our Simbithi community, particularly for children. Here are the key reasons why feeding vervet monkeys is detrimental:
1. Loss of Fear of Humans
Vervet monkeys are highly intelligent and quickly lose their natural wariness of humans when fed. Some residents have even boasted about allowing monkeys to take food directly from their hands. But have they considered the danger this poses? Such actions may lead to monkeys grabbing food from a child, potentially with disastrous results. Even setting up feeding stations teaches monkeys to
associate homes with easy food sources, increasing the likelihood of conflict between residents and monkeys.
2. Serious Health Risks for Monkeys
Human food is harmful to vervet monkeys. It increases their parasite load and leads to health problems such as obesity, cardiac issues, and intestinal complications. Studies also show that urban vervets consuming human food experience higher mortality rates and more problematic births, with larger babies adding to these risks.
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Feeding stations exacerbate aggression among troop members and provoke conflict between different troops. Fortunately, Simbithi’s locally indigenous plants provide vervets with all the food and nutrition they need.
It’s also important to remember that more food = more monkeys. Feeding vervets leads to population imbalances, creating additional challenges for our community and the environment.
3. Increased Vervet-Resident Conflicts
Feeding monkeys directly impacts their behaviour and increases conflict with residents. Wild vervets in remote areas of game reserves typically avoid humans, displaying a natural fear response and retreating.
Aggressive actions, like shooting monkeys with pellets or throwing stones, further exacerbate conflicts. These hostile actions increase cortisol in vervets and teach them to view humans as threats, resulting in defensive and aggressive behaviours.
In contrast, vervets at picnic or camp sites that have been fed by people become emboldened, leading to problematic encounters.
Together, as residents and visitors, we can protect Simbithi’s children, maintain our environment, and ensure a harmonious relationship with vervet monkeys. Let’s commit to never feeding or harming our vervet monkeys.
Dr
Stéphanie Mercier and the Urban Vervet Project
Dr Stéphanie Mercier, affectionately known as “Stef,” coordinates the Urban Vervet
ENVIRONMENT
Project and has been a tremendous asset to Simbithi over the past two years. She has hosted walks and picnics to educate residents, especially moms and children, on how to interact safely with vervet monkeys. This in addition to her long hours supervising South African and international students. Her efforts have transformed the attitudes of many residents, fostering greater understanding and respect for these intelligent primates. Learn more about the work at Urban Vervet Project.
A Resident’s Perspective
Marlene Venter, a Simbithi resident who loves wildlife but has had a longstanding fear of
vervet monkeys, recently shared a heartfelt post in the Simbithi Monkey WhatsApp group. Her story reflects how Stef’s work is changing perceptions and helping residents coexist peacefully with vervets.
I had the pleasure of doing a very informative walk with Stef today. What better way to face your fear. Stef, a huge thank you for the interaction walk with the vervets. I feel so much braver even though I'm still a little scared. With a few more walks like these, I would definitely be more confident around these beautiful animals. Had the privilege of also watching Stef take poo samples to send to the lab in Switzerland for testing. If you are afraid of monkeys or love them, either
way, do an informative walk. Stef is absolutely knowledgeable and knows their behaviour, troops, and how to act around them, and she will definitely show you that they won't just attack, even if you have food. "Here are a few beautiful pics from my morning interaction with them." Stef, a huge thank you for today. Much appreciated.
Stef would also like us to share the following:
It's Monkey Baby Season!
Spring has arrived, marking the season when vervet monkeys’ welcome new members to their troops. While it might seem like there are always "babies" around, adult females give birth only once a year, typically to a
ENVIRONMENT
single infant in spring (no twins, despite occasionally seeing females handling two infants). During the early months of a baby’s life, mothers and the troop tend to be more protective, so it’s best to observe from a respectful distance.
If you encounter a troop of vervet monkeys, avoid running or chasing them. Instead, remain calm and quiet, and pay attention to their movements. Neonate mortality is high due to urban hazards such as cars, predators (including dogs), and the ingestion of harmful foodstuffs.
Because young vervets closely follow their mothers and are especially vulnerable, we urge everyone to drive slowly and carefully to prevent accidents.
Thank you, Simbithi residents, for helping us create a safe and harmonious environment for our vervet neighbours!
Adult male and female vervet monkeys. The female is cuddling her own baby as well as a second infant. All the troop members are very protective of their young, especially neonates.
ANNUAL CONTRACTORS’ SHUTDOWN
The annual contractor’s shutdown within Simbithi will occur between Friday, 13 December 2024, and reopen on Monday, 13 January 2025.
Please note the following important details:
• All construction work, including additions and alterations, must cease at least one week before the shutdown for site cleaning and ensuring safety during the break. Specifically, between 2 and 6 December 2024, all work should be winding down.
• Pre-fences down inspections must be completed during the week of 2 to 6 December. If any snags are identified, they must be addressed the following week, from 9 to 13 December 2024.
• It is critical that all necessary documents are submitted to Shantal (bca@simbithi.com) by 29 November 2024 to schedule a pre-fences down (Practical Completion) inspection. No inspections will be conducted in the final week of the builder’s shutdown. If the documentation is not submitted by this date, the inspection will only be scheduled for after 13 January 2025.
• During 13 December 2024 and 13 January 2025, homeowners will not be allowed to move in or move furniture into the property.
Thank you for your cooperation in ensuring a smooth and safe transition into the builders' shutdown period.
Play it your way
We are excited to invite you into a new world of health and wellness at Simbithi, with our new sports facilities. Ahead of the official opening of each sporting codes, we have created WhatsApp groups for each, where you may receive regular updates and chat about upcoming matches, events and tournaments. WhatsApp groups are available for:
• Simbithi Tennis
• Simbithi Padel
• Simbithi Squash
• Simbithi Bowls
To join a group, please WhatsApp 073 156 1378, and we will add you to the SCC Community on WhatsApp. Our new sports facilities bring a new facet to life at Simbithi. Whether you want to walk, run or cycle our trails, swim in any of our community pools or enjoy the new facilities, you can #PlayItYourWay.
SECURITY AWARENESS
December Holidays
By now, your holiday plans are likely already in motion, as befits this time of year! As we prepare for the festivities, please may we remind you that security is a shared responsibility. We invite you to assist us, as we ensure our community’s safety. Here are a few key tips:
• If you have family and friends, or guests, visiting your home, please share our rules with them, and request their compliance.
• Have a technician test and service your house alarm system before you leave your property.
SECURITY
• Pets may not be left unattended at a residence. Suitable arrangements, either of engaging a friend or house sitter, must be made. Alternatively, the pets must be taken to a kennel off the Estate.
• Make prior security access arrangements for your visitors or tenants, to avoid unnecessary delays that may occur.
• Register short-term letting with our Welcome Centre. Contact our Welcome Centre for further details, on welcomecentre@simbithi.com.
• It is suggested that service providers conducting services at your premises be supervised.
• Issuing of visitor access codes must be managed and controlled accordingly.
• The Community Centres are for the use of residents, and their limited visitors.
• Parents and adults must supervise their children at the Estate common property.
• Golf carts may only be driven by persons holding a drivers license.
• Public disturbance, interference with other residents is prohibited.
• Pet owners must ensure their dog/s are on a leash when outside their property.
Visitors are not permitted to bring pets onto the Estate.
• If your property is going to be vacant
Be vigilant and security conscious at all times. In case of emergency, contact the Control Room on 032-946 8373/4/5.
Please take note of the following operational hours for the festive period:
1. The Golf Course is open for bookings to externals between 16 December and 13 January 2024. To book your tee time, please contact proshop@simbithi.com or 032 946 5407.
2. The Country Club is closed on Christmas and New Year’s Days.
3. The Access Office (situated at the HOA Welcome Centre) will be closed on all public holidays, and during the weekends.
4. The HOA Welcome Centre is closed on Christmas and New Year’s Days.
Board of Directors
Jeff Leaver: Chairman
Clive Mc Creadie: Vice-Chairman HOA
Andrew Mackenzie
Louis Boshoff
Gavin Dunlop
Pamela White
Margi Lilienfeld
Frank Bradford: Vice-Chairman SCC EXCO
Director Human Resources 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 Marketing & Communications 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.
Access Control
946 8381/66 bca@simbithi.com
Control Room
946 8373/4/5 controlroom@simbithi.com Environmental & Landscaping
946 8382 environmental@simbithi.com
Finance Manager
946 8368 fm@simbithi.com General Enquiries
946 8360/1 enquiries@simbithi.com General Manager’s Office
946 8364 gm@simbithi.com Heron Pizzeria
946
946 8384 tm@simbithi.com
Single Residential
Single Residential
Sectional Title Units
Sectional Title Units TOTAL DEVELOPMENT: 1485 of 1610 = 93% developed