Wildlife estates are becoming more and more popular in South Africa, especially with foreign buyers. Here are some of the top wildlife estates in South Africa, ranked in alphabetical order.
Article Source – Property24 – Author: Andrew Amoils
Gondwana Private Residences
Gondwana is located just outside Mossel Bay and encompasses 12 000 hectares of bushveld. Gondwana is also a game reserve with various lodges. The residences are therefore just a small section of the reserve. Most of stands have impressive views over the game reserve. The number of stands is still undecided.
Kruger Park Lodge
Kruger Park Lodge is situated in Hazyview on the banks of the Sabie River, 10 minutes away from the Kruger National Park. The estate features a 9-hole golf course and comprises 140 private homes and 84 timeshare units over 110 hectares.
Hopewell Conservation Estate
Hopewell is located just outside of Port Elizabeth. The estate is particularly large – ranging over 3 000 hectares. The number of stands is as yet undecided. The first phase of 16 units (with permission for a further 25) range in size from 2 500 to 4 000 square metres.
Intaba Ridge
Intaba Ridge is located just outside Pietermaritzburg. It offers 200 stands over 300 hectares. Intaba (“Mountain” in Zulu) Ridge refers to the north-facing, mountain ridge within the estate overlooking Pietermaritzburg.
Mjejane Lifestyle Estate
Mjejane Lifestyle Estate is located on the banks of the Crocodile River, bordering Leopard Creek and looking onto Kruger Park. Notably, Mjejane has access to the big five. The estate offers just over 200 stands (45 houses have been built to date) over 4 000 hectares with 10km of river frontage.
Mahathunzi
Mahathunzi is a new estate located just outside Pietermaritzburg next to Karkloof Safari Spa and Hilton School. It offers 49 stands over 1 000 hectares.
Raptors View
Raptors View is located in Hoedspruit, near Kruger Park. It offers 300 stands over 1 000 hectares. Around 200 homes have been built to date. Raptors view is one of the most well-established wildlife estates in SA – it has been going since 2000.
Royalston
Royalston is located just outside of Port Elizabeth and comprises 185 stands over 1 000 hectares. The development also includes the Royalston Hotel, Frail Care Centre, Wildlife and Education centre, Dog Walking Park and the Lake De La Vie Wedding and Conference Facility.
Shandon Estate
Shandon Estate and Eco Reserve is located in Nelspruit and consists of 87 stands over 780 hectares.
Zandspruit Estate
Zandspruit Bush and Aero Estate is located in Hoedspruit, near Kruger Park. It offers 200 stands over 650 hectares. Of the 200 stands, 162 are bush stands and 38 stands are aero stands. The estate is surrounded by Mountains.
For the complete article (below) on the Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate visit – Century 21
WHAT IS A WILDLIFE ESTATE?
The meaning of Housing Estate changes from place to place. In Hoedspruit a Wildlife Estate means owning either a 5,000m² or 10 000m² (half a Hectare or 1 Hectare) stand on which you can build a thatched house or lodge as it’s referred to, with predetermined architectural guidelines. Each house is surrounded by bushveld and most houses do not have gardens (although, indigenous plants are permitted). There are no fences or walls around the properties allowing game to move freely between the properties. It’s not uncommon for animals such as Nyala, Porcupine or Warthog to make themselves resident around your home.
One of the biggest perks to living on a wildlife estate is that you have usage of the farm and facilities. This includes facilities such as hiking trails, cycling trails, picnic spots, game drive areas through to restaurant, gym, horse stables and sports facilities. In most estates this portion of the property common is for the pleasure of home owners. What makes a wildlife estate special, is that it gives owners the freedom to enjoy the bush beyond just the one hectare of ownership.
With the growth of wildlife estates, there has been a move away from traditional farming such as cattle and agriculture, towards properties that will in future be protected as conservation areas. This has meant game numbers in the area have increased and wildlife estates allow safe areas for these animals to live.
THE INVESTMENT POTENTIAL
Property has always been used as a cornerstone for investment. A long term view should always be taken when considering the investment potential of any property, but it certainly helps when wildlife living offers tangible lifestyle benefits from day one. Wildlife Estates like secure villages and golf course developments have shown an above investment return. There are a number of factors which add to an estates potential to appreciate in value. These include security features, estate maintenance and management, as well as aspects that increase the property’s future asking price such as large stands, master designed architecture (yes even in the bush) and of course location, location, location. Similar to coastal and golf course estates, properties with superior views within a wildlife estate command a premium over those homes without. Thus stand selection for a prospective build is one of the most important decisions a purchaser can make. Views in a wildlife estate mean different things for different people; some like large trees, others enjoy rivers and dams, some mountains, others open plains and some people are happy with just plain bush.
Wildlife estates given their exclusivity are exceptionally well serviced. They have strict access control, constant guard patrols, and surveillance systems, anti poaching, game and environmental management, infrastructure maintenance such as roads, fencing and water. The maintenance of a property will also influence its potential value. Some wildlife estates have the advantage of an estate manager while others are managed by the home owners, who know the area and have local knowledge of service providers.