Top 10 luxury apartment complexes in South Africa

The New World Worth report has released its 2019 ratings on South Africa’s top 10 residential estates – including lifestyle, wildlife, golf, equestrian and parkland estates – and top luxury apartment complexes.

Rating criteria used to compile the report include communal gardens and parks, design and space, maintenance, location, views and scenery, security features and activities and facilities available on the estate.

According to the report, South African estates were moving towards lifestyle and retirement estates, with developers creating small neighbourhoods within the estates, compared to the old model where houses were spaced evenly around the property. Parkland estates with parks, birdlife, walks and trails were also becoming more popular.

Only the USA had more residential estates than South Africa.

These are the top 10 estates (in alphabetical order) in South Africa for 2019:

1. Arabella – Located on the Bot River Lagoon, just outside Hermanus, Western Cape. House prices range from R3 million to R15 million.
2. Atlantic Beach – Located between Blouberg and Melkbosstrand in Cape Town. House prices range from R2 million to R20 million.
3. Fancourt in George on the Garden Route. House prices range from R3 million to R50 million.
4. Pezula in Knysna on the Garden Route, with house prices ranging from R5 million to R50 million
5. Simbithi in Ballito, with house/apartment prices ranging from R2 million to R40 million
6. Steenberg in Cape Town. House prices range from R10 million to R40 million.
7. Steyn City in Johannesburg. House/apartment prices range from R2 million to R40 million.
8. Val de Vie in the Cape Winelands between Paarl and Franschhoek, with house prices ranging from R3 million to R50 million.
9. Whalerock Ridge in Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route, with house prices ranging from R3 million to R35 million.
10. Zimbali, with house prices ranging from R5 million to R75 million.

Val de Vie was rated the top residential estate in the country and the Western Cape, with Steyn City leading Gauteng, while Fancourt leads the Garden Route and Zimbali is the best in KwaZulu-Natal.

Also read: With a man-made beach, the billions keep pouring into Joburg’s Steyn City

The top 5 wildlife estates in South Africa were Gondwana Private Residences, Leopard Creek, Mjejane, Royalston and Welgevonden.

The top 10 luxury apartment complexes were (in alphabetical order):

1. De Meermin in Plettenberg Bay
2. Embassy Towers in Sandton
3. Melrose Arch in Sandton
4. Raphael Suites in Sandton
5. San Michele in Clifton
6. The Bantry in Cape Town
7. The Houghton in Joburg
8. The Pearls in Umhlanga
9. V&A Marina Apartments in Waterfront
10. Whitehall Court in Joburg

SA real estate advisor Basil Weinrich said: “Residential estate living is on the rise, especially among the more affluent. We estimate that over 40% of South Africa HNWIs [High-net-worth individuals] live or have homes on residential estates.”

The New World Worth reported in September this year that South Africa had the most multi-millionaires (those with more than $10 million) in Africa at 2,070; those with more than $100 million (centi-millionaires) sitting at 94; and five dollar-billionaires.

(Compiled by Vhahangwele Nemakonde)

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