Simbithi Eco-Estate Newsletter - July 2024 by FabMags

FroM ThE General manaGer

Dear Residents,

Just before I began writing this column, I finished reading through the penultimate draft of our 20th birthday commemorative magazine. It really is an extraordinary publication that tells the story of Simbithi, from inception to where we are today. The photographs included are quite something, too. When one browses through images showing hectares of sugarcane when development first began, to the stunning aerial shots of Simbithi taken this year, it tells a story of vision, tenacity and community. We cannot wait for you to read this special edition, once it has been published. Reading through our history and hearing the words of those who love the Estate just as much as we do reminds me that Simbithi is something to be treasured. In the same way we would shield the things we love, which we have invested in, it is our hope that we fiercely stand in protection of Simbithi, too. This considered, the rising instances of vandalism are exceptionally disappointing. It is disheartening to see our property damaged, repeatedly. We have issued several warnings – there is another update later in this e-newsletter – and I want to emphasise that vandalism will not be tolerated on Simbithi. It is against our culture and values, and we ask for your assistance in reporting any acts of vandalism you witness or come across.

Speaking of taking care of what we hold dear, Mandela Day is next week! We have shared communication on our plans for the day, and we hope to see you out on the Club deck on the 18th. We are packing stationery for learners affected by the recent Tongaat tornado. A worthy cause, and always a great time with our community.

FroM ThE GENErAL MANAGEr

Still on the subject of our community, thank you for your feedback and engagement regarding the proposed upgrades to the Guineafowl Community Centre. We are reviewing the first phase of the programme, which will include upgrading the quality of grass, installing irrigation systems and tidying up existing facilities. The comments we have received from our community will be reviewed in relation to proposed changes to the hard structures, and we will then share the final design.

Finally, we enter the AGM season next month. We will call for director nominees on 15 July 2024, and we encourage homeowners to consider standing for the available seats on the Board of Directors. As we share communication on the resolutions for this year’s meetings, let us engage respectfully and meaningfully for the betterment of Simbithi. Busy few weeks ahead, Simbithi! Have a great month.

Marc Mc Clure

FROM THE Club General Manager

Dear Members and Residents,

I hope my column finds you well.

A quick rundown of where we are with construction of our Sports Precinct. (We have a live walkthrough being released within the next few weeks. Watch our comms!)

• Our squash courts have begun to take shape, and the building looks amazing. The internal works are now underway, with electrical and plaster while the gallery and entrance have their foundation structures.

• During the first week of August, the Padel and tennis court subcontractors move onto site.

• The bowls pavilion has its roofing structure and the retaining walls

around the rink are now giving the offering its definitive shape. The substructure layer work will also begin in early August.

• The ablution facilities, just opposite the squash courts, have also received the required electrical and plumbing foundation work.

• The new bar has now received its doorways and hatches. We await the custom-made retractable windows before the internal shopfitting is replaced.

• The lap pool is receiving its motor and filter housing at present while the attenuation tank below is 95% complete.

• We are still on track for opening on the first weekend of November.

Onto current Club matters.

The Club’s revenue stream is still under pressure. The mid-year holidays were short lived, with patrons preferring to take fewer days off as opposed to the weeks they once did. Upcountry patronage

FroM ThE CLuB GENErAL MANAGEr

was only seen during the last weekend of the holiday, which coincided with The Ballito Pro. We have recently invested in an extensive gap analysis and marketing strategy to showcase our offerings.

We urge you to pop in and make use of the Country Club. Why not share a sundowner on the lower deck this winter or book a table at the Fig Tree Restaurant? We have a few new dishes being added to our menu, and why not try our refreshed wine list?

Our affordable weeknight offerings still draw a crowd, and our live music on Friday nights would also love your attention. Also, don’t forget Sunday lunch! We can also customise your special events, so come in and see Thoko Philips, our Events Manager, and let’s celebrate. Our wizards in the kitchen will certainly ensure a memorable spoil.

Moms and dads, we are sorry that our play park is temporarily closed. With construction underway close by, we have been given the opportunity to freshen up the park’s offerings. Sustainable play will be encouraged as our old jungle gym pieces are repurposed into

FroM ThE CLuB GENErAL MANAGEr

exciting new adventures. When it’s time to re-open, we hope young and old will be excited about the layout and look.

As we enter the twilight months of our golf improvement project, we can honestly say that the project has been a success spanning three golf chairmen and a host of golf committee members. As the Club, we are committed to ensuring we maintain and grow our improvement projects going forward.

in the next few weeks as this amazing, bluechip local company begins their journey with us. We look forward to a collaborative relationship well into next year.

A big thank you also goes to Specialised Food Services for their fantastic sponsorship of the Simbithi Country Club’s golf assets. Please watch out for our photo opportunity

If your organisation would like to get involved with sponsorship at the Club, please don’t hesitate to contact me personally on clubgm@simbithi.com. As always, we look forward to welcoming you to our Club. Until then, please stay safe and take care.

Craig

Nell

Plant of the Month Aloe species

WORDS Nqobile Makhaye

Aloes in their variety come in different growth forms, stemless, single stemmed or multi-stemmed. These waterwise beauties are present during all seasons of the year, to live over from one growing season to another and constantly being a feature in a garden for the contrast its adds due to its form.

ENVIRONMENT

It is that time of the year when humans commonly perceive nature as resting. Well, the candle-like floral arrangement of Aloes does not lay low in conveying warmth that flip-flops up in winter. The warm colours portrayed by the inflorescence of Aloes classified as warm colours on the wheel (red, yellow, orange, gold), add a sense of calm and warmth to a surrounding.

While we enjoy the warm hues, we can also give credit to their friends who are pollinating birds, mammals, and insects which are frequent visitors who cannot get enough of the benefits that Aloes offer.

ENVIRONMENT

Aloes are tough plants relative to other garden plants. During garden inspections, I have observed these challenges in Simbithi gardens on Aloes: Aloe rust, insects, scales,

black leaf spots, aphids, root rot, leaf bugs and overwatering effects.

As we note pests are also part of nature, as an eco-estate we do not encourage the use of chemicals. Rather, we groom our plants to keep them healthy so that they are able to withstand enemies.

bed). We must try to avoid water to remaining on the Aloe leaves- Avoid overwatering.

• Allow natural air circulation to encourage the health of Aloes.

Things we can do to take charge in grooming our Aloes are:

• To plant Aloes in the correct location (Environmental conditions must be favourable- Light, Temperature, Water, Humidity, and Nutrition).

• Plant zoning (Planting water wise / equal water needs plants on one garden

To preserve attacked Aloes measures to consider are:

• Removing and discarding infected leaves, applying high water pressure to dislodge various pests from the host plant, physical removal of pests, as an insecticide it is recommended that plants are wiped using soap water (Soaps are made out of natural oils and fats-avoid detergents) and are therefore environmental friendly.

Aloes approved on the Simbithi Plant list:

Aloe chabaudii

Aloe arborescens

Aloe cooperi

Aloe ferox

Aloe maculata

Aloe barberae

ENVIRONMENT

Here is an idea of how we can plant them as an eco estate: Plant Aloes as fillers amongst the herbacious plants that have a grassy appeal to enjoy more of our wildlife. ReferenceImage taken from Maingate, 2024.

Aloe marlothii Aloe parvibracteata

Aloe pluridens

Aloe thraskii

Aloe thraskii Aloiampelos tenuior Aloiampelos tenuior

Aloe vanbalenii

For more information on the Aloe species, kindly visit PlantZAfrica: https:// pza.sanbi.org/

Other references used: Simbithi approved plant list, Available: https:// www.simbithi.com/wpcontent/downloads/ Simbithi-Plant-book. pdf.2020.

Better homes and gardens, Bous, S. Available: https://rb.gy/ph2i8s Abraham, A., WinterQuotes and Descriptions to Inspire Creative Writing, Available: https://rb.gy/rc3wmd

ENVIRONMENT

Simbithi recently commemorated World Biodiversity Day, with a three-pronged event that involved our community. We began with a significant tree naming in the morning, removed alien trees in the afternoon, and ended with an afternoon of tree planting at the Heron Community Centre.

World Biodiversity Day is sanctioned by the United Nations and aims to promote biodiversity issues by encouraging everyone to #BePartofthePlan. With biodiversity forming part of our strategic initiatives, this was a fantastic way to educate and involve our community.

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.

Thank you to all who participated, and we look forward to commemorating this important day, annually.

alien plant of the month

WORDS Nqobile Makhaye

There is no doubt that Simbithi is a familyoriented community, and this culture carries on to cheering and affirming diversity in locally endemic fauna and flora.

we would not want to associate with as an eco-estate, rather than eating outsourced cashews, pistachio nuts or mangos. This month, we are going to learn about the Brazilian pepper.

To keep and protect a thrive in the ecosystem, there are family members we ought to thrive to keep out. There is an irrefutable negative effect of alien invasion to the environment’s ecological balance. This month, we are looking into ANACARDIACEAE- Cashew family, which

Scientific Name: Schinus terebinthifolius (ANACARDIACEAE family) , Common Name: Brazilian pepper tree or Brasiliaanse peperboom (Afrikaans). Here in South Africa, in all tribes, this plant is an alien plant. Brazilian pepper is a tree native to subtropical South America

that was introduced into South Africa as an ornamental plant. Globally, it is regarded as one of the world’s worst invasive trees. Its invasive status in South Africa according to the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) is Category 1b. Category 1b means: Property owners are required to compulsory control as part of an invasive species control programme. Remove and destroy. If they are immature, they can be pulled out with roots. If they

are mature trees landscaping contractor can assist.

Brazilian pepper description:

Form: An evergreen green shrub or small tree, 3-10 m tall

Leaves: alternate compound,

Fruit: small clusters of bright red fruits, Flowers: white

Bark: grey, smooth or becoming furrowed into long narrow flat ridges.

Where does this species come from?

Brazil in South America

How does it spread?

Birds and animals disperse seeds.

Why is it a problem?

Competes with and has the potential to replace indigenous species. Sap is poisonous and irritant. Indigenous birds could neglect the dispersal of indigenous plants because of their preference for the fruits of this alien species.

What it can be mistaken for: Rhus/

Searsia Crenata -Dune Crowberry

Brazilian pepper substitutes: The environmental department can be contacted to come to site and look at the area to give a fitting replacement considering environmental conditions, location, light position to give a more suitable tree to replace with.

As this alien plant can be found growing anywhere in the landscape, here are some recommendations from the department:

As a boundary small tree/ shrub: Tecoma capensis

Verge/screen: Pavetta lanceolata

For its flowers: Deinbollia

ENVIRONMENT

oblongifolia, Vepris lanceolata (open area as a tree specimen replacement with a medium size canopy).

Out of this family we can still enjoy outsourced cashew, pistacio nuts and mangos throughout the time in a balanced ecosystem.

For its berries: Allophylus natalensis, Antidesma venosum

References

For its multi-stem in a small garden: Indigofera spp ( jacunda /natalensis/ micrantha)

Everglades cooperative invasive species management area- Working to protect the everglades from invasive species: https://www. evergladescisma.org/the-dirty-dozen/brazilianpepper/. May 2023.

We can all agree that home is where the ecological balance is. Our gardens can be a strong root to safeguard the important canopy of biodiversity attributes in our environment, while allowing residents to benefit equally from the nature’s provisions.

African entomology: africanentomology. com.2023

Lists and regulations for invasive species in South Africa: https://invasives.org.za/nemba-alien-andinvasive-species-regulations-and-lists/.2020

e Xcelle N ce i N p R ope RTY

We recently hosted our annual engagement with our property practitioners, which was well-attended.

At the virtual engagement, we announced the top performing practitioners for the year under review.

Congratulations to Hunt Properties, for topping the business property practitioners, and to Local Real Estate’s Rory Anderson, who retains his title as top selling property practitioner.

VAN dA lism p olic Y

Following a few concerning instances of vandalism, our security team reminds you that, at Simbithi, we have a zerotolerance approach to vandalism. When instances of vandalism are reported, our officers will investigate and, if perpetrators are identified and they are underage, parents will be notified immediately.

1. A meeting with parents of perpetrators.

2. Opening a criminal case of malicious damage to property at the SAPS.

3. Issuing of a warning or financial penalty to recover costs of replacement or repair.

4. Request for perpetrators to perform community service on the Estate.

In certain cases, we will call parents to view the vandalism. Depending on the seriousness of the incident or damage, the following measures will apply:

Good Neighbourliness

Here on Simbithi, we are a community that is considerate and respectful of others, in line with our values. It is, then, disappointing to note the increasing number of complaints of loud music, shouting and screaming that our security officers attend to. Residents, causing an unreasonable disturbance, inconvenience and annoyance is not only against the rules, but also highly inconsiderate. We appeal to you to be kind and respectful when hosting gatherings at your home.