Neighbourhood 17 DECEMBER 2017
PROPERTY & LIFESTYLE
In full flow With the festive season under way, we bring you a list of exciting family-friendly activities, page 2
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HOLIDAY ATTRACTIONS
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BUSINESS Q&A
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PROPERTY TRENDS
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NEWS & LIFESTYLE
17 DECEMBER 2017
Neighbourhood
Suburb focus
Holiday guide Live on the edge, escape the city and embrace nature with Neighbourhood this December WORDS: CHARIS LE RICHE
IMAGES: SUPPLIED, DULLSTROOM ACCOMMODATION & ISTOCK
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he December holidays are the perfect time to get out of your comfort zone and venture outside your city. Here’s our pick of the best adrenaline-pumping activities, top hiking trails and perfect escapes from the city!
Live on the edge River rafting
Ground Zero Adventures offers a range of activities for thrillseekers – from archery to quad biking. But it’s the river rafting that we can’t get enough of. You can enjoy a two-hour, full-day or even a two-day trip on the Jukskei or the Crocodile rivers. The more adventurous can take on the five-day trip on the Orange River.
Paintball
You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to paintball ranges in Pretoria. Get together with friends, and even family, and battle it out until there’s only one person standing.
Skydiving
Why not see the Capital from a new perspective this December – from the clouds as you make your descent to the earth! The ultimate adventure activity, skydiving is a must for any visitor and should be on everyone’s bucket list.
High Flying with Acrobranch
Acrobranch at the Big Red Barn in Centurion offers great activities for active adults and kids. The High Flying course is the highest and most challenging course and boasts an impressive 48 obstacles.
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17 DECEMBER 2017
Neighbourhood
Outside the city
NEWS & LIFESTYLE
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Explore the Wonder Cave at the Cradle of Humankind The Wonder Cave is the third-largest cave chamber in the country. Take on the 90-step descent or abseil down. It’s home to fossils of rodents, frogs, lizards and birds, and has beautiful rock formations.
Hot-air ballooning in Hartbeespoort What better way is there to see the resort town of Hartebeespoort than by hot-air balloon? The Hartbeespoort Dam and Magaliesberg make for the perfect backdrop as you experience the sunset from the clouds.
Game drive at Pilanesberg Game Reserve
Home to the Big Five, Pilanesberg Game Reserve is only three hours away from Pretoria, making it perfect for a day or weekend getaway. You can enjoy a game drive in an open safari vehicle and have close encounters with a variety of wildlife.
Out riding in Cullinan
Trout fishing in Dullstroom
Cullinan’s beautiful setting in the Highveld countryside is a huge attraction for people looking to escape the fast-paced city life. Horseback safaris are a popular activity where you can get close to nature at your own pace.
The small town of Dullstroom is known for its charming atmosphere and is rated one of the top fly-fishing destinations in South Africa. The Highlands Meander’s Trout Triangle can be found between the towns of Dullstroom, Machadodorp (60km) and Belfast (33km).
In nature Faerie Glen Nature Reserve
Faerie Glen Nature Reserve is a 128ha oasis in the city. It offers a variety birdlife (more than 150 species) and a series of nature trails and walks of varying difficulty. There are also easy-to-follow footpaths and clear signage.
Tswaing Crater
Only 40km northwest of Pretoria, this 1,946ha conservation area is best known for its impact crater where a meteorite half the size of a football field slammed into the earth approximately 220,000 years ago.
Oubaas Trail, Smuts House
The Oubaas Trail is a 2,3km trail created by the Friends of the General Smuts Foundation. The trail ends at the Smuts Koppie where you’ll find an obelisk in memory of the Smuts family. There are also guided educational tours of the Smuts House Museum and the Smuts Koppie.
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PROPERTY NEWS
17 DECEMBER 2017
Neighbourhood
My business neighbourhood Blue Leaves in Magalieskruin specialises in handmade pastes and sauces WORDS: ZENA LE ROUX IMAGE: SUPPLIED
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lue Leaves products go through a comprehensive selection process to ensure that only the best quality gets to your pantry. The product range includes pastes, a salad dressing, relishes and a pasta sauce. There are also promotional gifts sets, cheese and biltong platters and wedding favours. All products are made without artificial stabilisers, thickeners, starches, colourants or preservatives. Owner, Lee-Anne Coetzer, tells us more. Q: How did your business start? A: The company started out as just another girl who had dreams of making gorgeous, flavourful dishes just like her Portuguese grandmother. In our family, the best and most memorable times were always associated with great cooking and conversations around tables stacked with delicious food.
Learning from Mae (Portuguese for “mom” and our name for granny), I started experimenting with a few pastes and sauces just for family use. Soon I was bombarded with requests for more and that’s how Blue Leaves was born. A humble beginning snowballed into a truckload of sales within the first year. Q: Why did you choose this area to set up shop? A: W hat we love about Magalieskruin is the weather and that you can find everything you need within a 5km radius – from schools to hospitals and shopping centres. The locals are old school, down-to-earth people who are eager to help each other where they can. Q: How did you find your premises? A: We found the premises three years ago via Property24. Q: Why are the premises ideally suited to your business? A: The location is ideal for growing chillies and other produce. They love the temperature. Q: Who are your neighbours? A: Our neighbours are residential owners: mostly new families with children or pensioners. Q: What are the shop rental/sales prices like in this area? A: The prices of shop space in the area are expensive. We, therefore,
realised that working from home would save us a lot of money. Q: How many people go through your store each day? A: We don’t have people visiting us on site, but we have six retailers currently selling our products. And we have a loyal following of clients who buy online and at markets. Q: Do you have any expansion plans? A: We’re looking at adding a small greenhouse so we can start planting tomatoes, onions, stevia and ginger. We’d also like to sundry our own tomatoes and expand our product range to sugar-free versions. Q: Do you operate online as well? A: We have an online store that can be found on our website (blueleaves.co.za). Q: What’s your most popular item? A: It’s a tight race between sun-dried tomato paste and our onion relish.
SEE FOR YOURSELF: Blue Leaves 083 632 2241 blueleaves.co.za
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PROPERTY NEWS
17 DECEMBER 2017
Neighbourhood
2018 property trends Estates, drones and retirement homes will have their moments next year WORDS: CANDICE BOTHA
IMAGES: ISTOCK
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ext year is predicted to be a buyers’ market. “The market is going to be affected by business and consumer confidence levels, and we expect these to differ regionally and from area to area,” says Berry Everitt, CEO, Chas Everitt International Property Group. He says there’ll be challenges related to the country’s current political and financial difficulties, but, overall, it will be a buyers’ market – and buying is what the smart investors and consumers will be doing, whether they’re first-time buyers getting a toehold in the market, buy-to-let investors building up their portfolios or existing homeowners upgrading to bigger or more luxurious properties. “A trend bubbling under now is for family members to assist homebuyers to finance their new homes. Parents and grandparents are taking second bonds on their own homes, providing assets or cash as collateral to help younger members of the family become homeowners,” says Everitt. Gated estates and complexes which offer a combination of lifestyle and security
will be sought-after. “Open-plan living is always popular and there’s been a market shift towards low-maintenance community living, whether in smaller complexes or lifestyle estates,” says Maurizio Dalle-Vedove, area specialist, Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty Durban, Durban North and Umhlanga. “We’ll see more focus on retirement villages as the demand continues to outweigh supply and eco-efficient homes and eco-estates will also become more prominent.” Recently built homes in new developments will also prove popular as they satisfy the demand for modern design and make good investments. “With the surge of development property coming on the market, it would be very wise to invest if it’s possible. Being able to purchase a property at today’s prices and only start paying for it in approximately 18 months makes great financial sense,” says Kerry Bailey, principal, Tyson Properties Umhlanga. Developments will not be confined to outlying areas of major centres, either. “Due to the increasing pace
of urbanisation, we also expect to see more densification wherever this is possible in high-demand, central suburbs that are close to all amenities and well-served by public transport,” says Everitt. “Developers will once again be on the hunt for older homes on large stands that they can rezone for multiunit sectional title and cluster projects in areas such as Fourways, Rivonia, Houghton and Rosebank in Johannesburg; Brooklyn and Lynnwood in Pretoria; Durban North; and many of the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town.” In terms of marketing, virtual tours and 3-D imaging will become increasingly popular next year. “Online media marketing, including virtual tours, is becoming the trend,” says Bailey. “Drone photography will also become more relevant, as commercial licences become more freely available, and the most talked about will probably be the use of Matterport cameras to create 3-D models of home interiors that give potential buyers an immersive, interactive experience of being in the property they are viewing online,” says Everitt.
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