WAKEFIELDS

LEFT: From left: Myles Wakefield (CEO), Keith Wakefield (Chairman), Paula Haskell (Financial Director) and Haydn Wakefield (Marketing Director).

itÕs about the LIFESTYLE

LIVING ALONG THE KZN NORTH COAST GIVES YOU A “QUALITY STREET” CHOICE OF SOME OF SA’S FINEST RESIDENTIAL ESTATES AND COASTAL VILLAGES

KwaZulu-Natal really does have it all – everything for a superior lifestyle, whether your definition is laidback, cutting edge, or both.

Who wouldn’t want the finest beaches, bush and berg within a few hours’ drive?

The perception that the North Coast is only for the high-end market has altered, as developers create pockets of excellence with price ranges to suit everyone – from first-time buyers to very high-end, freestanding homes, to estate living.

CEO Myles Wakefield manages

Wakefields Real Estate’s Mount

Edgecombe branch, one of four branches along the North Coast – Durban North, uMhlanga (incorporating The Pearls),

Mount Edgecombe, and Ballito. Wakefields is a fourth-generation family business, with branches throughout KZN – but as we all know in recent years, the KZN North

Coast is the jewel in the crown, not only for

KwaZulu-Natal-ers … but for others from around the country and internationally. Some elite residential apartments are comprised of more international owners than local, and we can’t doubt the impact of that level of investment and how it benefits all.

Mount Edgecombe Country Club was one of the forerunners of estate living on the North Coast, not least of all because of its enviable position relative to the limitless retail and other amenities of uMhlanga, King Shaka International Airport, and the beaches, but also the ease with which one can access Durban, east, west and south. Importantly though, Mount Edgecombe offers a dream lifestyle where security is paramount, the green surroundings immaculate, and responsibility for all that fall on management’s shoulders.

Wakefield says, “For all these reasons, Mount Edgecombe has done exceptionally well this year, with buyers knowing they’re purchasing in an ever-buoyant market within the estate. Properties in the upper reaches are being bought and sold at a steady pace. The high standard of everything at Mount Edgecombe never falters, and it’s that constancy which appeals, and ensures property values are not only maintained, but escalate.”

With that easy proximity to Durban and uMhlanga – and their beaches – Durban North’s popularity continues unabated, as young families in particular seek freestanding homes in which to raise their children, while accessing the numerous excellent government schools from preprimary through to high.

Further north at Ballito, well-established residential estates are being nudged by a constant wave of superlative newcomers, all with their own niche markets, and estates within estates. In the same estate, you can choose the wilderness, the beach, the views, or all of the above in a fullservice retirement component.

North Coast residential estates are prioritising health in the shape of indigenous plantings, wildlife, hiking/ cycling trails, and a host of other wellness facilities and attributes. Some are incorporating top schooling, others have office facilities or retail offerings, all have convivial clubhouses for socialising – some with competitively superb restaurants – and always, world-class security is a strong focus.

The North Coast is also appealing to the semigration trend. Literally, as many choose to earn in Johannesburg, they choose to live along this exceptional coastline. With the airport 10 minutes from most villages, it couldn’t be easier. Now, with the increase of work-from-home opportunities, the North Coast is becoming increasingly the lifestyle of choice. Surf, work, cycle, golf – life here is good, and increasingly, there’s a residential offering for a far broader spectrum of South Africans.