Neighbourhood 4 FEBRUARY 2018
PROPERTY & LIFESTYLE
Picturesque Why properties in exquisite Sodwana Bay are regularly snapped up by savvy homebuyers, page 2
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SUBURB FOCUS: SODWANA BAY
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BUSINESS Q&A
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NEW ESTATES
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PROPERTY NEWS
4 FEBRUARY 2018
Neighbourhood
Suburb focus
Sodwana Bay Here’s what’s happening in property in the area WORDS: ANNE SCHAUFFER IMAGES: STEVE RUBIN & ISTOCK
S
odwana Bay is part of Isimangaliso Wetland Park – a Unesco world heritage site and a marine reserve. It’s around four hours’ drive north of Durban and more than five hours from Johannesburg. The town is an integral part of the
Zululand coastline, where you’ll find about 328,000ha of pristine natural ecosystems comprising swamps, lakes, beaches, coral reefs, wetlands, woodlands, coastal forests and grasslands, supporting an astounding diversity of animal, bird and marine
life. Its position on the coast, combined with its proximity to major game parks, such as Isimangaliso, Ezemvelo-run Imfolozi-Hluhluwe Park and Mkhuze, makes it a massive tourist hot spot. Sodwana is a small village which springs to life in various holiday periods. The wealth of nature’s bounty means much of the employment and soul of the region revolves around hospitality, adventure, nature and water sports. The coral reefs in Sodwana Bay are one-tenth the size of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, but they’re considered just as important, with 1,600 marine species recorded here versus 1,800 found in Australia. These pristine reefs are secure breeding grounds for fish. Without them, fish populations would radically decline. Conservation in the area is front of mind for the local authorities, and
Unit G04, Old Castle Brewery Bldg 6 Beach Road, Woodstock Cape Town, 087 828 0423
Many of the homes here take advantage of the accommodation needs of local and international holiday-makers, many of whom return time and again. Homes are converted into B&Bs, have self-catering units attached and some have registered camping and caravan sites on their grounds. There are also numerous dive centres with affordable accommodation, which ranges from camping to glamping, log cabins and chalets. You’ll also find more upmarket guesthouses, hotels and lodges in the vicinity. At Sodwana Bay, you’ll also find holiday homes, timeshares or units within a complex. These are largely owned by divers/fishermen and are either used or rented out.
Gauteng couple, Carol and John Klein, have long co-owned a simple cottage with three other families. “We love to dive and we happily journey here at least three times a year. This co-ownership works well for us, as each couple gets to use it for a quarter of the year and we share costs and responsibilities.”
Schools
Sodwana Bay Primary School caters for pupils from preschool up to Grade 7. For higher grades, parents usually send their children to boarding schools in the surrounding towns of Empangeni, Richards Bay or Pongola. The Grantleigh
SIMON BREED, HOLIDAY-MAKER
EDITORIAL TEAM: Group Editor: Charis Le Riche charisl@yourneighbourhood.co.za Senior Sub-Editor: Mlungisi Mthembu
Property
Much of the property outside the Park needs a PTO (permission to occupy) from the tribal authorities; in other words, there are no title deeds. Property ownership is not possible within Isimangaliso Wetland Park.
I’m a diver, fisherman and nature lover, and I’ve visited here for 20 years. The word Sodwana is Zulu for ‘the little one on its own’, which sums it up for me. Sodwana Bay is a piece of paradise.
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registered tour companies recognise the fragility of Sodwana Bay’s reefs and operate responsibly.
ADVERTISING SALES: Visit yourneighbourhood.co.za or call 087 828 0423 Designers: Anja Bramley & Samantha Durand Group Online Editor: Lauren Joubert
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4 FEBRUARY 2018
Neighbourhood
EAT:
DO: • With more than 1,600 marine species in its coral reefs, Sodwana Bay is perfect for diving and snorkelling. • Offering a large population of gamefish and billfish, it’s a great area for sport fishing. • It’s a prime location for birdwatching and there are plenty of game reserves offering safaris where you can see the Big Five. • Enjoy a hike on a trail to the nearby Ngobozeleni Lake. • Take part in a sea turtle tour where you can view leatherback and loggerhead turtles. • Learn to kitesurf at one of the many schools in the area.
(Curro) private school – Grade RRR through to Grade 12 – situated just north of Richards Bay/Empangeni is a popular choice. There are school buses which transport children between these various little towns.
• Leatherbacks Restaurant: for seafood and grill • Mseni Beach Lodge Restaurant: for sundowners and stunning views • Elephant Waterhole at A Day in Africa: for a vibrant atmosphere and traditional dishes • The Lighthouse Restaurant: for a family-friendly setting and tasty gourmet pizza • Twisted Sisters: for Spanish tapas
Sodwana Bay is one of the world’s top 10 scuba diving destinations and offers boat diving 364 days a year. The ancient fossilised sand dunes that form the reefs, run parallel to the shore, stretching up towards Mozambique. Beginners and advanced divers flock to the area because visibility is great, the water is warm and, with an impressive number of marine species found in this marine reserve, the reefs are a photographer’s dream.
PROPERTY NEWS
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For sale in the North Coast Median asking price:
Monthly bond repayments
R1,32m
For a typical property in this area
For a typical property (three-bedroom house)
R997,000
R745,000
R1,35m
In a complex
For an apartment
For a house
You’ll pay
R12,958 per month
Property Type: SLEEP:
13%
• Sodwana Bay Lodge – hotel and timeshare • Coral Divers • Triton Dive Lodge • Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife campsite • Mseni Beach Lodge • Vis-Agie Resort
However, you don’t have to get wet to enjoy Sodwana Bay, you can also amble along some of the trails (a 5km guided walking trail leads nature lovers and bird enthusiasts around the coastal forests and dunes). Quad biking is also popular here, as are safaris to the superlative game parks where the Big Five can be seen – you can self
12% complex
drive or join a game drive with one of the numerous professional tour companies. Charles Clarke and his family are part of a mixture of bird and game lovers and fishermen. “There’s something for everybody here. I fish. The rest of the family either head off to Imfolozi or sections of St Lucia, the kids will mountain bike or swim and I (try to) provide a fish supper on the braai.” If you prefer to be in the air, microlighting is also available.
Other water-based activities range from ocean tours, kite surfing, learning about sharks and sea turtle tours. Every year Sodwana hosts the nesting season of the large leatherback sea turtles and their smaller cousins the loggerhead turtles.
Shoppe is a unique retail space offering the best in local art, gifts and curiosities curated with the utmost care and attention to detail.
@shoppelocalsa ShoppeLocalMadeSA
Station Drive
Station Drive
Umgeni Road
Smiso Nkwanyana Rd (formerly Goble Rd)
Limited edition pieces by local artists www.shoppelocalsa.co.za
Mon 09:00-16:00 Tues - Fri 09:00-17:00 Sat - Sun 10:00-14:00
Based on
R1,32m median asking price
apartment
Spear and sport fishing are popular activities here, with the main season running from November until May, but the great topography of canyons and offshore reefs, combined with deep water, means bait and gamefish can be found throughout the year. Schools of gamefish and many billfish make their way past Sodwana, including blue marlin, black marlin, striped marlin and sailfish. Sodwana also hosts a number of South Africa’s major fishing competitions.
15a Station Drive, Durban, South Africa (inside Con Amore)
75% house
There are numerous professional companies which, on top of charters, also offer professional scuba diving courses and kitesurfing lessons.
Explore
Contact Sonia Vosloo 083 626 6088 shoppe_local_made_sa
over a period of 20 years at 10,25% prime
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PROPERTY NEWS
4 FEBRUARY 2018
Neighbourhood
My business B neighbourhood Kershni Naidoo creates delicious gourmet cakes from her home sweet home in Pietermaritzburg WORDS: TIVANIA MOODLEY
IMAGE: SUPPLIED
aking is an art form which requires creativity and lots of time to design and create gourmet cakes and pastries. Kershni Naidoo, who recently participated in the BBC’s The Great South African Bake Off, never expected her dream of baking to take off so exponentially. Her business, Cakes by Kersh, offers the perfect combination of decadence and affordability. Q: How did your business start? A: I started baking because of my kids. We used to buy birthday cakes which didn’t taste as good as they looked. I then decided to make them myself. My friends and family started placing orders and this is how the business was born. Q: Why did you choose this area to set up shop? A: Being a mom, I wanted to work close to home, and there’s no place better than my home itself. It also makes great financial sense for a start-up business. Q: How did you find your premises? A: I’m fortunate enough to be able to work from home and from the comfort of my own kitchen.
Q: Who are your neighbours? A: I’m currently in a residential area in close proximity to a supermarket, takeaway and hairdresser. Q: What are the shop rental/ sales prices like in this area? A: A s I work from home, I don’t have a monthly rental expense. Q: How many people visit your business each day? A: People come and go according to appointments that are set up. Cake tasting and planning is done according to customers’ needs and wants. Q: Do you have any expansion plans? A: I plan on building a bakery on my premises. This will include a showroom, display area, bakery and a kitchen to host baking classes. Q: Do you operate online as well? A: I’m currently on Facebook and I’m planning on hosting a website soon to display my latest offerings. Q: What’s your most popular item? A: My most popular items are the kids’ novelty cakes.
Q: Why are the premises ideally suited to your business? A: My target market is Pietermaritzburg and its surrounding areas. I’m easily accessible to everyone as I’m situated on one of the main roads in Northdale.
SEE FOR YOURSELF: Cakes by Kersh 061 491 4189 goo.gl/GB8cQW
SODWANA LODGE
Dive & Fishing Resort
e c n e i r e p x e An e m i t e f i l a f o m u n in g a ish M F RS
E RT
A
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035 571 9101 | 035 571 9113 reservations@sodwanabaylodge.com
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PROPERTY NEWS
4 FEBRUARY 2018
Neighbourhood
New estates cater for demand Enigma Private Estate and Gold Coast Estate see excellent sales WORDS: CANDICE BOTHA
IMAGES: SUPPLIED
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mhlanga and surrounds have much to offer the homebuyer, but there’s been a clear gap in the market for freestanding homes within gated estates for some time. Two developments, Enigma Private Estate and Gold Coast Estate Sibaya, which launched late last year, are filling this gap and seeing record sales. “A significant amount of research has gone into the creation of Enigma Private Estate, and one obvious factor is that there’s undoubtedly a huge need for more secure lifestyle estate offerings in the Umhlanga area,” says Stefan Botha, director,
YUNUS PARUK & CHARLES THOMPSON, DEVELOPERS, GOLD COAST ESTATE SIBAYA
Rainmaker Marketing. “In many cases, you can see that there are not enough estates to keep up with the demand, which was demonstrated by the quick uptake of Enigma Private Estate, which sold more than R200m in four months and now stands at 65% sold.” Gold Coast Estate in the new Sibaya Coastal Precinct saw similar interest and was 80% sold prior to public release – the result of a strategy adopted by ID Realty, a specialist development sales agency, which understood the uniqueness of the product and chose to introduce it to a select network prior to showing it to the wider market.
“There’s no doubt that this success is a result of the fact that we’ve explicitly answered market demands. Gold Coast Estate not only offers a premium location, but also the best in security and everything that families could want in terms of facilities,” says Charles Thompson, developer, Gold Coast Estate. Private Property statistics over the last two years show an average price increase of 21% in the Umhlanga area; this is expected to increase substantially with the inclusion of Enigma Private Estate. “Research suggests that buyers are willing to pay more to ensure they can live in a secure estate in a prime location,” says Botha. Gold Coast Estate offers architecturally modern three-, four-, five- and six-bedroom homes set within a serene natural environment and has a bespoke design to ensure that each purchaser can tailormake their home according to their own taste. Enigma has followed a similar architectural philosophy with a modern development that stands apart with warmer materials and muted tones that feature prominently in the 90 homes.
ENIGMA PRIVATE ESTATE
Danville Excells in the Sports Arena The 2017 International Surf Rescue Challenge (ISRC) took place in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand from 30 Nov – 3 Dec 2017. The competition is conducted over three tests, which includes swim, surf board, surf ski and beach events. Danville’s Ally Chislett was selected for the South African Youth Team for the International Surf Rescue Challenge and registered her first international victory in the Youth Girls Surf Swim on Day 3. Ally has won the Competitor of the Competition in her age group for the last 3 years at South African Stillwater Champs. She won the same overall title in her u12, u13 and u14 years at the South African Nipper Surf Lifesaving Champs.
TEL: +27 (0)31 560 0350 FAX: +27 (0)31 563 7371 www.danville.co.za
At the 2017 Junior Swimming Nationals Ally was placed 2nd in the girls 15 years 100m Freestyle and 3rd in Girls 15 years 200m Individual Medley. On 18 November Danville Diamond, Sabina Lawrie, flew the South African flag high when she was crowned junior world Surfski champ (U18) in the International Canoe Federation’s Ocean Racing World Championships in Hong Kong, just days before writing her final three NSC exams. Sabina had some outstanding results in 2017 having competed in six major events and achieving five 1st places and also placing 4th in junior girls (with Christie Mackenzie) at the ICF World Canoe Championships.
DANVILLE PARK GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL Passion
Potential
Purpose
117 Inanda Rd Hillcrest
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Call 061 505 5033
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Limited Stock Available
18823
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