Cape Town, 14 December 2018: It’s the biggest prize on South African television right now! Win A Home on SABC3 continues to be a show that changes lives as Yvette Blignaut from Edenvale won her very own apartment at Balwin Properties’ luxurious Paardevlei Lifestyle Estate worth R3 million in the exciting fifth season finale.
Yvette was one of six finalists randomly drawn from around the country after entering the competition on the Private Property website and is now the proud owner of her very own brand new dream home.
2018 has been a difficult year for Yvette having been retrenched in January, after seven years of service with an office printing supply company. Originally from East London, Yvette loves the coastal life and has been looking for a chance to move to Cape Town with her two pugs and partner Chantal.
From starting the year with a retrenchment to ending the year with a brand-new luxurious home worth R3 million, Yvette is proof that life can be unpredictable at times.
“It was a surreal moment,” explains Vyette. ”I saw the key in the safe, but was so overwhelmed by emotion it didn’t register at first. It feels unbelievable.
This year has been incredibly tough on me and I didn’t know what the new year was going to bring. I was in a dark place, but now, the darkness has lifted and suddenly I can see the light. This has truly been a life-changing experience.”
Over the past 12 weeks, the Win a Home Design Duos, Rekopile Belebesi and Koketso Marole (team R&K), Kehumile Mate and Nicholas Smit (team Contrast Control) and Melissa Oosthuizen and Sinead Turner (team Perma Peeps), have transformed three white-box apartments at Balwin Properties’ Paardevlei Lifestyle Estate in Somerset West into spectacular designer homes.
Each penthouse is fitted with the latest appliances from Samsung ensuring they are truly designed for a connected lifestyle.
Now, in a nail-biting season finale, Rekopile Belebesi and Koketso Marole of Team R&K were crowned as the winning Design Duo after wowing judges Bryan Courtney of Private Property, Slade Brookes of Balwin Properties and Buhle Mathole of Kabu Design Architects. They walk away with the Judges Choice prize of R100 000.
Known for their glamorous and sophisticated designs, Team R&K brought a clean industrial look to their space while maintaining a warm African feel. Sharing the victory with Team Contrast Control in the first challenge, they started the competition with a bang and went on to design the winning kitchen, as well as the judges’ favourite lounge and balcony space. The duo cemented themselves as front-runners of the competition and continued to surprise the judges with their ideas and practicality which ultimately saw them secure the title as the winning Duo of Win A Home season five and scoring themselves R100 000 in cash.
“This duo has grown the most as designers through this series. Their sense of style and glamour shines through in their work. While they were not always the most organised team, they brought a sophisticated culture to their spaces,” the judges said of the winning design duo. “They took risks with beautiful art pieces and unique design elements while still maintaining a practical live-ability. Listening and learning was their strongest asset and. as a team, they implemented many of the suggestions from the mentors and judges and therefore grew tremendously throughout the show. They truly created a glamorously modern African-inspired space.”
“Design is a way of life and winning has proven to be just that, a truly humbling experience,’’ said Koketso reflecting on the win. Her teammate Rekopile agrees, saying; “For me design has always been about the balance between aesthetics and functionality. I think we were able to achieve that, and we are so grateful for the recognition!’’
Furthermore, Kehumile Mate and Nicholas Smit of Team Contrast Control received the most votes from the viewers at home which scored them an incredible R20 000 cash prize as Viewer’s Choice winners, which was handed over to them in the form of a giant credit card by Sbusiso Kumalo, Head of Marketing at Capitec Bank.
The big winner is undoubtedly Yvette Blignaut, who can start the new year in a spectacular new home at the Paardevlei Lifestyle Estate in Somerset West and who’s life truly has changed. Win a Home is proudly brought to you by Capitec Bank and Private Property South Africa PTY Ltd.
