Neighbourhood 28 JULY 2019
PROPERTY & LIFESTYLE
Wander along One of the main tourist attractions in KZN, the Midlands Meander continues to charm locals and foreigners alike, page 2
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AREA FOCUS: MIDLANDS MEANDER
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28 JULY 2019
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The Midlands Meander Nineteen years ago a handful of artists and artisans who’d chosen country life over urban met to discuss the mutual benefits of a collaboration. Fast forward to present day and the legendary Midlands Meander continues to reinvent itself.
*Map not to scale
WORDS: ANNE SCHAUFFER IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK & GOOGLE MAPS
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he Midlands region of KwaZuluNatal is a wonderful stretch of South Africa, dominated by endless farmlands, winding country roads, and glorious countryside. Unlike the KZN coast, this elevated region has four distinct seasons, with frost, snow and roaring fires in winter; sensational autumnal colours and dense layers of leaves; the fresh beauty of spring blossoms; and in summer, pale yellow expanses, fields with hay bales, and wonderfully warm temperatures. The Midlands Meander was a wonderful concept dreamed up by a handful of creatives who’d chosen to escape the city stresses for country calm but needed to generate an income. This collaboration became the Midlands Meander and within five years resulted in the Midlands Meander map, which lead day trippers and tourists to their studios. Today, there are over 150 Meander members – establishments providing a wide range of services, ranging from food, art and crafts, to action, activities and accommodation.
Get started THE LONG WALK TO THE STATUE OF NELSON MANDELA AT HIS CAPTURE SITE NEAR HOWICK
Get hold of a Midlands Meander map book from selected outlets, access it online at midlandsmeander.co.za or call
033 330 8195. The joy of the Meander is that, from Durban, it’s not simply one day trip never to be repeated. There are so many restaurants, spas, crafters, you name it, there’s ample variety for numerous repeat trips, and it’s the perfect destination when hosting overseas or non-local visitors. It’s not possible to mention a fraction of the action here, so do check the Meander Map book.
The Meander routes The Midlands Meander has five separate routes covering different blocks of the Midlands, with the Meander’s footprint stretching from just beyond Mooi River in the north, Hilton in the south, Karkloof in the east, and the foothills of the Drakensberg in the west. The routes are: • Route 1: Hilton to Merrivale to Howick to Karkloof to Mpophomeni • Route 2: Curry’s Post to Balowan to Mount West • Route 3: Dargle to Fort Nottingham to Nottingham Road • Route 4: Lion’s River to Lidgetton to Balgowan to Nottingham Road • Route 5: Nottingham Road to Rosetta to Kamberg to Mooi River Advice from seasoned day-tripping Meanderers is to choose a lunch spot and work backwards and forwards from that, according to its position in the Midlands. If lunch isn’t your goal, then select a few retail or other outlets and plan to move around that route. Some of the members are well known, like the leatherworks of Groundcover and Tsonga, and have grown to the point where their brands supply retail outlets… but in all instances, it doesn’t take away the authenticity of buying leather wares, olives or cheeses from their source.
SANI PASS
PUBLISHED BY TIMES MEDIA PROPERTY PUBLISHING 1st Floor, Block H, Sable Square cnr Bosmansdam and Ratanga roads Milnerton, Cape Town
In numerous cases, you’ll be able to watch the producers at work. There’s something to be said for children seeing precisely where that cheese you’ve bought, came from.
Where to stay The Midlands has a wide range of accommodation, from self-catering little cottages, to full-service fivestar boutique hotels and spas. The price range is such that you’ll always find something to suit your budget. For foodies, there’s the gourmet overnighting Cleopatra’s Mountain Farmhouse, for spa bunnies, there’s Fordoun and Brookdale, and for something a little wilder, Karkloof Safari Spa. Little getaway cottages abound, and they’re ideal for those keen to spend the weekend trout fishing, like Whispering Waters, Waterford Manor, or Inversanda Farm cottages on a working farm (ideal for kids).
Nature action
Most of the Meander is a nature experience, but there are some exceptional opportunities like picnicking in the Karkloof Conservation Centre grounds, and bird watching in their world-class hides. Head up to Waterford/Giants Castle, and enjoy san art, hikes, walks, scenic picnic spots. Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve, too, is a wonderful outing. The Karkloof Canopy tour in the indigenous Karkloof forest offers a little adrenaline with your nature fix – zip line among towering trees and forest birdlife. Horse-riding is a popular pastime or passion in the Midlands, so try Bergtrails. Mountain biking trails abound, and numerous venues have trails on site or nearby, like Rockwood Lodges or Lions River Country Cottages.
Child-friendly
You’ll find animal farms at Yellowwood Café and The Bend, and at Swissland Cheese, children can feed the goats. Checkpoint 103 is a great spot for kids to let off steam, as it’s home to everything from Epic Karting to Bubble Soccer, paintball, to an outdoor bike track.
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28 JULY 2019
Neighbourhood
PROPERTY NEWS
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A MODERN CHAPEL
HOWICK FALLS
COURSES • Aladdin’s-de-Light: pottery, raku, stained glass, and more • Dragonfire Beads: make your own colourful, handmade beads from Venetian glass • Marrakesh Cheese: make your own cheese • Peter’s Gate Herbal Centre: how to use herbs to make culinary ingredients, soaps, cosmetics, home remedies and household products • Sterling’s Wrought Iron: beginner’s course in basic wrought iron and metal work THE PIGGLY WIGGLY SHOPPING CENTRE
THE ST JOHN'S GOWRIE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
EAT • Highgate tasting room, wine cellar and restaurant, Dargle • Hartford House, Mooi River • Il Postino Pizzeria and sports bar, Howick • The Farmer’s Daughter at Yard 41, Howick • Yellowwood Café, Howick, on the historic Fairfell Farm • Caversham Mill and Restaurant, Caversham
CULTURE • The Zulu-Mpophomeni tourism experience • The Capture Site Visitor’s Centre and Museum • Rhode House Museum, Mooi River • Howick uMngeni Museum • Fort Nottingham Museum
LU X U R Y L I M I T E D E D I T I O N
CAKE-2-GO LOU HARVEY COOLERS
GAUTENG PÂTISSERIES:
KZN PÂTISSERIES:
Ballito Lifestyle Centre Durban North Gateway Theatre of Shopping Liberty Midlands Mall Morningside The Pavilion Shopping Centre
w w w. ch a t e a u g a t e a u x . co . z a # s h a re t h e m o m e n t # ch a t e a u g a t e a u x
Cresta Shopping Centre Glenfair Boulevard, Lynnwood Menlyn Park Shopping Centre Pineslopes Boulevard, Fourways Riverside Centre, Bryanston The Glen Shopping Centre The Zone, Rosebank Thrupps Centre, Illovo
WESTERN CAPE PÂTISSERIES:
The Village Square, Durbanville
Neighbourhood
28 JULY 2019
FOCUS ON: CHÂTEAU GÂTEAUX & LOU HARVEY
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Two iconic brands from Durban... have partnered to release an exquisite range of limited-edition cake bags
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he collaboration between Château Gâteaux and Lou Harvey began on the back of both brands’ expansion into the Middle East, when Château Gâteaux marketing manager Anna Kelly found herself on the same flight home from Dubai as friend Lou Harvey.
“It was totally coincidental that Anna and I ended up on the same flight,” explains Lou, “but as we got to talking, we began discussing opportunities to work together and do something unique. We had discussed the notion of our two brands working together before, but it really took that flight to push this project into action.”
ANNA KELLY, MARKETING MANAGER, CHATEAU GATEAUX WITH LOU HARVEY
PAUL WIGGINS FROM BADGES AND SILVER ART
Over the years, many Château Gâteaux clients have expressed interest in having a cooler bag that would make transporting their cakes from A to B a lot easier. Anna quickly saw the opportunity to develop an innovative solution in collaboration with Lou Harvey’s expertise and creative insight. “Partnering with Lou on this project was a dream,” says Anna. “She has the perfect combination of structural insight and material understanding to design a bag that will maintain the integrity of our cakes. Add to this her incredible flair and design talent, and we knew we had a winning recipe.” A unique finishing touch was included by a third partner, Badges and Silver Art, a Durban-based company that manufactures medals, trophies, cufflinks and lapel pins for events such as the Comrades Marathon, the Seoul Winter Olympics and for Nelson Mandela. The final touch was added by owner Paul Wiggins and came in the form of beautifully crafted Château Gâteaux zippers that replaced the iconic “LH” zips found on most Lou Harvey bags. The bags are uniquely designed to hold two Château Gâteaux 24cm cakes and are insulated like cooler bags to ensure the safety and integrity of the cakes inside. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if people find other uses for the bags too,” chuckles Anna. “They are super stylish, and the unique square shape makes them ideal to pack cooldrinks or snacks for the beach or a trip to the park. So, I expect we’re going to see a lot of excitement around these bags!” The limited-edition bags come in three beautiful designs that are instantly recognisable as Lou Harvey creations. Only 100 of each design will be released, and the bags will be available at any of the 15 Château Gâteaux Pâtisseries nationwide, from end July to coincide with their 22nd birthday. The bags will retail at R399 each.
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PROPERTY NEWS
28 JULY 2019
Neighbourhood
What the Flisp? Flisp is a subsidy which assists qualifying households to purchase a residential property for the first time. Are you eligible? WORDS: ANNE SCHAUFFER
IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK
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lisp stands for Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme, a subsidy designed to help South Africans put a foot on the first rung of the property ladder. It falls under the umbrella of the Department of Human Settlements. The subsidy for which you’re entitled can be used to reduce the initial mortgage loan amount. This makes the monthly loan repayment instalments more affordable over the loan repayment term, and makes good any shortfall between the qualifying loan amount and the total price of the property purchase. The subsidy can also be used to pay for transfer and bond costs. Once your subsidy is approved, the funds will be paid to your transferring attorney’s trust account in readiness for the transfer of the property into your name. Rhys Dyer, CEO of bond originators ooba, explains the ins and outs. Q: Who qualifies? A: To qualify for Flisp, you must be a South African citizen – or hold a permanent residence permit – a first-time homebuyer, must be married/co-habitting/single with a dependant, and must have a total gross household income of between R3,500 and R22,000. Q: How much is the subsidy worth? A: The subsidy alters according to your income, in other words, it’s granted on an income sliding scale. The subsidies range between R27,960 and R121,626. Q: What can the money be used for? A: This subsidy can be used as a deposit which will assist you to qualify for a home loan and aid
you in securing a better interest rate on your home loan, making your monthly instalment more affordable. Alternatively, the subsidy can also be used to pay for transfer and bond costs. Q: How do I go about applying? A: You must have an approved home loan before applying for the Flisp subsidy. The Flisp application form must be completed and submitted, together with all the supporting documents (listed on the application form), to the NHFC or to the relevant provincial department of human settlements’ offices. Once the subsidy is approved, the funds will be paid over to the transferring attorney’s trust account on notice of readiness to lodge the transfer and bond documents. Q: Are there any important factors to remember? A: To qualify for this subsidy, you or your spouse/partner mustn’t have previously derived benefits from the housing subsidy scheme or any other state-funded or assisted housing subsidy scheme which conferred benefits of ownership, leasehold or deed of grant. You mustn’t have received a government housing subsidy before, nor owned a fixed residential property before. Importantly, if your home loan application is declined by the bank, you will not be able to access Flisp. So, once you know your income falls into the eligible band, take the time to access ooba’s online affordability tool on ooba’s website (ooba.co.za). It’s easy to fill in, and you’ll know in minutes what size home loan you will be eligible for, if you are approved.
28 JULY 2019
Neighbourhood
PROPERTY NEWS
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Semigration fuelling rental demand on the North Coast B allito’s permanent population has more than doubled from 12,000 to 30,000 in just over a decade, creating a big rental demand in this coastal town.
provinces and need to commute to work weekly. Regular commuting is made possible by the King Shaka International Airport that’s around a 20-minute drive from Ballito.
Mark Johnson, Seeff’s licensee, North Coast, says even though the rental market here is buoyant, stock is a major issue – especially with regard to property in gated communities priced from R8,000 to R18,000 per month.
Investor buyers who purchase investment properties in the lower end of the market enjoy better return on investment than buyers who invest in the top end. “We’re a growing market and this makes it a fairly safe purchase for an investor. There’s also good capital growth to be had when investors buy smart, regardless of the price bracket.”
Johnson continues that the North Coast has been earmarked for massive residential, commercial and resort development estimated at around R76bn that’ll bring even more people to the area. He says families are semigrating to Ballito for the lifestyle, many of whom are still working in other
He concludes that like in many other areas in the country, tenants in Ballito are prepared to pay a premium to live in property within gated communities – sometimes up to between 25% and 40%.
8 Molteno opens in Upper Claremont S
et in a quiet cul-de-sac, this recently launched 28-unit upmarket apartment complex is centrally situated to schools, transport, and shopping centres, and is in close proximity to Claremont Gardens and the Life Kingsbury Hospital. The more budget-friendly bachelor and one-bedroom units are located on the first and second floors, with the upper two floors comprising the larger two- and three-bedroom units, each with a large balcony. Priced from R1,485m (inclusive of VAT and no transfer fees), the apartments feature open-plan living and dining areas with a variety of fittings and fixtures to choose from. The bathrooms feature the latest fixtures while the kitchens are fitted with top-quality appliances, granite tops and taps. All units are prewired for fibre and DStv connections and the complex is fitted with electric fencing, CCTV cameras, intercom and a guard house. Most units include tandem parking for two cars and the roof level provides residents with amazing mountain views, a communal pool and braai area.
beach resort
Book your school holiday break at Salt Rock Hotel for Amazing sea views, Tidal Pool, Dolphin viewing fresh Oysters & of course our famous curries
Repro rate relief
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he recent repo rate reduction of 25bps (to 6.5%), coupled with early indicators of recovery in the South African residential property market, bodes well for the rest of the year and underscore the opportunity for homebuyers to capitalise on the current favourable market conditions before the market enters a decisive upturn. “The time to buy is now,” says Dr Andrew Golding, chief executive, Pam Golding Property group. According to him, the reduced repo rate, albeit modest, serves to send a positive message to investors, buyers and those with existing mortgages. “It’s signalling that the time is ripe for early adopters to capitalise on the current opportunities presented to get into the market – particularly firsttime purchasers, as mortgage lending remains competitive in the current market, which still favours buyers. “Given the benign inflation rate environment and subdued economic growth, with a somewhat stronger rand and the likelihood of the US Federal Bank reducing interest rates
on the horizon, it was timeous for a cut in the interest rate. It’s anticipated that this will help create stimulus for the economy and property market, as well as a confidence boost for consumers in general. “It’s encouraging to see that the national housing market already appears to be starting to see these promising signs, which bodes well for an uptick in activity now that the dust has settled on the election.” Mike Greeff, CEO, Greeff Christie’s International Real Estate, agrees. “The repo rate cut will no doubt encourage ‘wait and see’ potential buyers to buy. The drop will have an immediate easing effect on consumer budgets and will make more disposable income available as a cash injection into the economy. “Prospective buyers will also be more likely to obtain funding from lending institutions as the government looks to jump-start the economy. This is not a bad strategy at all, as it sends a positive and proactive message to foreign investors and governments that South Africa is filled with potential and ripe with investment possibilities.”
Invest in a carefree retirement lifestyle in beautiful Bergvliet
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EXPERIENCE EVERGREEN FOR YOURSELF AT OUR NEXT APARTMENT VIEWING. 30TH AND 31ST JULY AT 11AM DAILY. CALL SHARON ON 087 808 7000 TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE. BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU.
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