The worldwide movement towards eco-friendly living has taken centre stage in the design ethos of lifestyle estates across the country, directing architectural and decor trends without compromising on luxury and style.

If you have a hectare or two lying idle, would planting a vineyard be a good idea? That depends on what you plan to do with the grapes. There is a slew of residential wine estates in the Western Cape, and for very good reason. Vineyards are beautiful, and living among them is a privilege and a pleasure.

Climate change has been widely acknowledged as one of the greatest long-term challenges facing humanity. In their monthly report to member countries this October, the United Nations warned that the world has 12 years to avert catastrophic climate damage, and countries needed to get their financing in order.

The four critical qualities that every leader needs to survive in the industry are adaptability, reliability, the ability to make and own difficult decisions, and being able to engage stakeholders.

Blok is a property development brand that is designed and curated by passionate urban dwellers. This understanding results in the ability to create a living space that delivers on multiple aspects of city living from the delicately constructed flow to the generous size of each apartment.

The property market in Mauritius has been a major contributor to GDP since government enabled foreign investment via the Investment Promotion Act in 2000. Possibilities for residential property purchases by foreigners have been refined over the years, with the Integrated Resort Scheme (IRS) being launched in 2006. According to investinmauritius.co.za, capital growth has exceeded 300% in the last decade.

Crossways Farm Village and the New Ruralism: new towns, old farms, 21st-century opportunities. Old policies and new ideologies have plunged South Africa’s rural areas into a downward spiral towards economic disater. It doesn’t have to be like this, though – if we return to basic by reconnecting with our agricultural roots. ‘Agriculture,’ says Chris Mulder, ‘is the new golf.’

BLOK RAW’s FORTY ON L brings global travellers and savvy locals a trendy urban lifestyle at a deliberately lower price point without compromising on quality.

The Green Housing Company is a Gauteng-based building and property development company. They work across a spectrum of markets including domestic and commercial buildings such as off-grid shopping malls. Their speciality is building highly insulated and energy-efficient homes for both the high-end luxury property market and the affordable housing sector.

Rather than fight your way to a popular holiday spot this December, stay home and get to know your city better. Really, are you going to join the lemming exodus down to the coast? Or brave the crowds at OR Tambo so that you can spend hours squished up in a plane? While a holiday is a great idea, sometimes getting there and back is so stressful, you need another one once you get home.

Buy direct from the developer and save thousands on your property investment in Cyprus (member of the European Union). Many South Africans are looking to invest in overseas properties, with most of them seeking a Plan B as well as an investment opportunity.

While the end-of-year holiday is a great time to go hiking, biking, diving, surfing or more, it’s also a great time to kick back and just chill. And what better way is there than to line up a bunch of seriously feel-good movies, make some popcorn, open a bottle of something fizzy, and curl up on the couch surrounded by friends and family, with at least one pet snoozing gently on your lap?

Restoring and developing old buildings is essential to preserving our heritage, so it’s important to go beyond minimum compliance with the regulations. There’s so much to consider when you’re developing an old building – and that’s over and above the regulatory hoops.

Storage units are cheap to build and easy to maintain, and there’s a constant demand for tenancy. So what’s the catch? Self-storage units are a tempting option for property developers. But in an increasingly competitive market, cheap building costs and attractive rental income has to be balanced with a quality offering.

Take advantage of balmy summer nights by organising some fantastic outdoor events for your residents. One of the big advantages of living in South Africa is our fabulous weather, and one of the big advantages of living on an estate is the open space – so take advantage of those fabulous summer nights by organising some great outdoor events for your residents.

As private equity funding continues to enjoy favour among South African investors, we take a look at the traditional structure, and consider alternatives.

With increasing consumer awareness of global warming and CO2 emissions, combined with possible future carbon taxes on various industries, it may be time to rethink concrete.

Digital transformation is disrupting every industry across the world. The real estate sector is no exception, with residential and commercial markets seeing a large number of techprop and proptech start-ups each year.

You have to have plants on the estate, so why not plant things that can bring in a bit of an income? Many estates have quite significant tracts of open land, some of which is used for recreation, and some of which is just there because the plan for the estate specified a certain percentage of green open space.

How can residential estates contribute to reversing the preponderance of plastic waste in our surroundings, rivers and oceans? Plastic litter is possibly the most visible of the environmental issues facing us. And, unlike greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, it’s not really debatable.

In addition to providing high quality and highly desirable homes, the Azuri team is offering a 3.5% income guaranteed for...

At Arabella Country Estate, we believe that community is what makes our estate one of the best in the Western Cape and is one of the key reasons why we are consistently voted one of the top 10 estates to live in!

It seems every investor is jumping on the property investment bandwagon and boasting about margins and fantastic rental incomes. Granted, the property market, especially in Cape Town CBD, has been given a shot in the arm thanks to short and medium-term-type rentals and the success of student accommodation, Airbnb, Bookings.com and the likes, but believe me, managing and making a favourable ROI on a second or third property is not a walk in the park. Getting it right, though, can be one of the best investments you ever make.

Blur the lines between the great outdoors and your interior spaces by replicating nature’s colours on your walls. Here’s how.

While developers of smart cities claim that they are healthier than non-smart cities, do they really address the issue that cities – regardless of their IQ – are unhealthy? Or are they just applying a metaphorical Band-Aid?

Danish students are living in beautiful floating container homes in Copenhagen Harbour. Can this system help us to solve our affordable housing crisis?

Prefab housing does not have a great track record as an affordable option in South Africa. So could IKEA-style flat-pack houses work here like they are in the UK?

Humans or robots? It sounds like the sort of choice you’d only have to make in a sci-fi movie, but for more and more estate security managers, it’s a very real dilemma. The advances in digital technologies – including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, automation and machine learning – have made it possible to employ a full-service security force staffed entirely by non-humans.

Diep River is currently seeing rapid urban renewal and is expected to assume its place as a popular hub for new families and up-and-coming professionals. We are extremely excited to be introducing Eaton Square, our 4-storey, mixed-use project situated on Main Road, Diep River, to this area.

Zane found his aptitude for property development early in his career. After graduating from UCT with a BSc in Property Studies, he pursued the complex and intriguing arena of asset management, finding that the assets he was drawn to most often were in the property sector.

We have recently taken our newly launched Section 12J property fund to the investment market. I’m a property specialist, with a bit of an asset management background, so the 12J structure really appealed to me when it first caught my interest. What I’m finding is that many people we are chatting to about the tax incentive really don’t fully understand its structure and workings. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, right? Wrong!

Citizenship by investment in under nine months and visa-free travel to 143 countries, including the EU Schengen area, UK, China, Singapore and Hong Kong, is seeing Grenada in the Caribbean receiving increasing attention from South Africans, including those seeking an ideal holiday home with sound investment potential plus rental income from a growing tourism base.

Many South African clients are motivated to immigrate to the U.S. and are prepared to invest a significant sum of money, but are not prepared to wait a substantial amount of time to enter the U.S. Educating children in the U.S. is a priority, as is avoiding taxation on worldwide income and flexibility to travel in and out of the U.S. 

There has been increased demand from High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs) in South Africa seeking secondary citizenship as a way to protect themselves and their families from the risks caused by external political and economic factors beyond their control.

A lovely garden impacts positively on property values and relationships with your neighbours as well as the quality of your leisure time. A garden is a joy to behold. But did you know a garden is also a joy to create? We all know that exercise, fresh air and a moderate amount of sunshine are good for you, and gardening provides all that. But there is more to gardening than that.

Jeffreys Bay in the Eastern Cape is best known as a top surf spot, home to the perfect wave. The J-Bay Open is one of the stops on the Men’s Surfing Championship Tour, and boasts the longest right-hand point break on the planet.

Can estate managers use personality tests like Myers–Briggs to create (and manage) better teams, boards and bodies corporate? Despite widespread scepticism, more and more organisations are using personality tests like the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to create and manage their teams. Should you?

The sharing economy might just revolutionise all aspects of estate living, ushering in a less expensive, more connected way of life. Just a few years ago, it seemed as though shoppers had embarked on an acquisitive drive that would have no end. Consumerism had reached precipitous heights: the more one had, the more one needed. Houses were bursting at the seams as people responded to ads pushing more, more, more.

More and more South Africans are evaluating the feasibility and advantages of investing in residential communities. Large mixed-use developments are sprouting up all over the country, and buyers are opting to invest in a secure lifestyle estate, where a return on capital is highly probable.

It’s good business to protect natural areas within your housing estate, not only because they make it a nicer living space that can command a higher property price, but also because the functions they provide have monetary value for both you as the property owner and also the municipality within which you live.

The AfrAsia Bank SA Wealth Report for 2019 has named Durban-Umhlanga-Ballito corridor as the fastest growing wealth market in South Africa, with a 25% growth trajectory reported over the last decade.

The FNB Property Barometer reports that the number of new townhouses and apartments nationally accounts for 60% of all new stock on the South African property market. This is a significant increase of almost 50% in just the last three and a half years; previously reported as 29% in 2015, and 13% in 2000. 

One of the first things we ask before buying a house, now, is whether it has FTTH, and what the cell phone reception is like. We live and breathe technology, and we believe we have shaped it to our needs.

The value of a tax-free savings account (TFSA) is seen in the long term. Once the investment is sizeable enough, the tax-free aspect becomes noticeable on the growth. It may not make sense for you to open a tax-free investment for yourself, but starting one for your child could be a fantastic idea.

Early October 2019 saw the Property Practitioners Act of 2019  signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The new law was generally welcomed by property practitioners … even if there was initially some confusion about who exactly counts as a property practitioner!

Chris Mulder is no stranger to winning awards. In his illustrious career, Dr Mulder – together with his team from CMAI Architects – has won numerous awards from US and South African professional associations and universities since he founded the firm in 1980.

Countless studies have shown that outdoor activity is good for your mental health, and – interestingly – even more so if there is water involved. And that’s hardly surprising. We all know that the sound and sight of water is soothing.

The Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment puts extra responsibility on developers to reduce their carbon footprint, right from the planning stage. As more signatories add their names to the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment, South African developers are reflecting on what it means for them – and for the building industry.

Most people who work in an office from, say, nine to five, spend between one and three hours every day commuting. That is time that could be spent at the gym, strolling on the beach, shopping, doing chores, cooking delicious meals, walking the dog, or playing with the kids.

Why choose between buying something beautiful and buying something useful when you can do both at the same time? Designer and artist William Morris once wrote: ‘Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.’ Functional art combines both these directives, giving you the best of both worlds.

Imagine a retirement community of like-minded people – of artists, academics, birders, mountain bikers, anglers or retired nurses. It’s possible.

Finding the right property is hard enough but negotiating the right price and related fees can be harder, especially if one party is unwilling. Sometimes you may need to walk away from the deal.

We all know retirement facilities are the new big investment opportunity, and research shows that the R1.5 million price mark is the sweet spot. The most recent census conducted in 2011 put the total South African population at 57.7 million people. Of this number, 5.4% were aged 65 and over. When compared to the same figure in 2000, only 3.7% were aged 65 and over.

Joburg is fast becoming a megacity, but how does it compare with existing African megacities for return on investment? Cairo, Kinshasa and Lagos all carry the status of megacity – cities with a population of at least 10 million inhabitants. Fast on their heels are Dar es Salaam, Luanda and Johannesburg, which are predicted to attain the status of megacity by 2030, according to the United Nations.

Bamboo is sustainable and easy to grow, and South Africa has the perfect conditions for cultivation. Could this be the answer as a building material for affordable housing?

To take the greening of your estate seriously, you must consider each step from conception to design, through the building process and continuing to operation and management.

As Gen X hits 50, existing and planned estates need to re-evaluate their position on retirement, and on multi-generational living. As the oldest of the Gen Xers are turning 50, and watching their baby boomer parents ‘raging against the [dimming] of the light’, they are starting to ponder their own mortality, potential morbidity and – shock, horror, gasp – old age!

Greenhill Estate in Waterkloof Heights is Pretoria’s new premier off-grid​ estate. Conceptualised and developed by the Green Housing Company, the estate features insulative advanced tech buildings , ensuring that the contemporary-styled homes will require minimal (if any) heating and cooling, and more.

Things are moving in Azuri Ocean & Golf Village in Mauritius on the new neighborhood of Rive Droite, with an exquisite villa that will soon be revealed.

Converting leads into sales is the most important element of ensuring the success of your development, so it’s worth streamlining the process. When selling off plan, it is important to remember that you are doing just that … selling a plan, a concept, an intangible future. And, without those sales, there is a good chance that your development may never get off the ground.

It can be tricky discussing finances with your ageing parents, but it’s vitally important to have some sort of plan...

There are some fabulous citizen-by-investment opportunities for gaining a more powerful passport and/or living in a safe, secure and convenient location. But emigrating is a big step, so – regardless of how attractive the nuts and bolts of the offer – you really should make sure your soon-to-be-adopted home is a place where you could actually live. And the best way to do that is to take an LSD trip.­ This kind of LSD trip is not a psychedelic, away-with-the-fairies experience – quite the opposite. LSD stands for ‘look, see and decide’, and it’s a practical, sober exploratory trip that is undertaken with open eyes and an open mind.

Developers in the USA are cashing in on doomsday prophecies by building extreme survival estates. Could this work in SA? For many residents, security is the number one reason for moving to an estate. There is a comfort in the electric fences, controlled access, and the staffed gates. But, for some, that’s not enough.

The new Integrated Resource Plan sets out a roadmap for SA’s energy supply. What does that plan look like, and what opportunities does it offer residential estate developers?

Facebook has been likened to a virtual community of more than two billion people, but the company’s attempt to build a real – bricks as opposed to clicks – village is proving more problematic. Originally planned to provide office space for Facebook and housing for some employees, the Willow Village development has been plagued by controversy.

Sales have been brisk at the luxurious Akasha Villas lifestyle estate on the west coast of Mauritius. Only three villas are still available for sale. Priced at €595,000, permanent residency is part of the package for investors, their spouses and dependants up to the age of 24.

The Islands is a revelation for those who equate Hartbeespoort and its surrounds with golfing – it’s a slice of European-style marina living.

Every residential estate understands the need for a people-focused environment, but a few truly stand out as accessible, integrated and human-centric.

Less is more, space is freedom, possessions weigh you down, clutter makes you sick. So tidy up. Decluttering is the new big thing, and a quick Google search will reveal a slew of best-selling books on the subject, all published in the last three years. So rush off and buy them all – you’re bound to find space for them.

Simplicity is deceptively hard. In fact, it’s one of the most difficult things to achieve in garden design. And, with all the confusion of different plants, materials, accessories and styles available to gardeners today, it’s daunting too.

Families buy into estates largely so that their children can grow up free to play and to explore. And that’s not just because it’s nice. It’s vital. So developers who want to entice families should ensure that they leave lots of ‘room for adventure’.

When reaching retirement, we’ll almost all be faced with the choice of taking either a guaranteed annuity (also known as a life annuity) or a living annuity.

You’d have to be living under a rock not to be aware of the tons of plastic floating in our oceans, the mountains of refuse filling up our landfill sites and the waste clogging up our rivers and streams, let alone our highways and byways. We’ve gone way beyond the solution that recycling offers. While it’s a valid industry for the employment it offers and the waste it deals with, it’s no longer enough. Nowhere near enough.

Fourth industrial revolution technology is fast manifesting in every South African business sector, creating ever more seamless ways of living and working, but the property market is where it’s already becoming a living, breathing reality.

South Africa’s lack of affordable housing is a well-documented problem. The country is short some 2.3 million houses, and the number continues to jump by nearly 200,000 every year. The picture is no better outside of our borders either, with 1.6 billion people – it’s estimated that, by 2025, a fifth of the world’s population will lack secure, adequate, and affordable housing.

In an age where home security has become the norm, the chance to live in an environment that does not look like Fort Knox, but is completely secure at the same time, is becoming more and more of a need than a luxury for most people.

Summer is around the corner, and you’re probably thinking about heading to your favourite coastal holiday spot. It’s a great opportunity to gaze out to sea and contemplate – nothing! But, perhaps it’s also a good time to think about the sea. We can’t imagine a world without it, and it is so big, we can’t imagine it ever changing, or being vulnerable. But it is. And it is time to think about it.

More and more people are buying homes in residential estates, with around one in 10 South Africans choosing a luxury lifestyle community when purchasing residential property, according to Lightstone – a local business that provides valuations and market intelligence on property.

Fabulously positioned at the top of Waterkloof Heights, Greenhill Estate offers 360-degree views and energy-efficient, sustainable living in an exclusive, secure lifestyle estate.

With records of its initial development dating back to the 1760s, the Bo Kaap is among Cape Town’s — and South Africa’s — oldest residential areas. One of the first houses built in the area during this initial wave by architect Jan de Waal still stands as the Bo Kaap Museum on modern-day Wale Street, echoing the area’s original name of Waalendorp. It’s a rare glimpse of the prevailing urban design inclinations some 250 years ago.

It should seem unsurprising to most of us that urban space is at a growing premium. It’s been a growing trend across the world since the industrial revolution, but particularly so in the last few decades as people flock to urban areas.

Discussions around retirement typically revolve around having the required funds to live comfortably once a person stops working. This ‘income for retirement’ is what most of us save up for during the bulk of our lives.

We can truly echo San Lameer’s slogan ‘The Good Life!’, as we thoroughly enjoyed the good life in so many ways for a few days. Thank you to San Lameer for treating the early arrivals to some Night Golf to whet our appetite for the ‘main event’.

Estates in the residential community industry and all ARC members will have heard by now that we have established the Residential Communities Council (RCC), which has been successfully registered with CIPC as a non-profit company (NPC) that will pursue the objectives as defined in the MOI.

Community Association Institute of South Africa (CAISA) is the first international chapter of the US-based Community Association Institute (CAI). We believe that home owners and community associations should strive to exceed the expectations of their residents.

Effective communication in a world of information overload and instant gratification is difficult to achieve. But this becomes even more challenging when the accuracy of the information on which these communications are based comes into question.

According to an article written by Ravi Kaneriya for the World Economic Forum, studies show that the key to happiness lies in having rich social bonds and meaningful relationships. And being part of a community is a powerful way to build those relationships in a faster, more scalable way.

Great management teams don’t just happen; they are built – carefully and deliberately. Creating an effective management team, which is probably one of the most important functions of boards, trustees and HOAs, requires both discipline and being open to new ways of doing things.

Sometimes, good intentions go bad. When things go wrong, there are always lessons to be learned. Read on. Not all decisions are easy. Be careful not to ignore a problem and hope it will go away. In this litigious world, if you have a question, seek advice. Surround the board with competent advisors. This will make your job easier. What follows are eight real-life examples of situations faced by boards of directors.

Nedbank is the first bank in South Africa to incorporate a lifestyle enhancing virtual assistant into its banking app. With the exciting addition of two new features in the Nedbank Money app, these life-enhancing digital solutions are set to catapult the highly rated, award-winning MoneyApp beyond the realm of banking.

Positive news to emerge from Statistics SA today is that South Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 3,1% in the second quarter of 2019 (to end-June), compared to a decline of 3,1% in the first quarter.

Gowrie Village in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands is the quintessential country community, integrated into the greater village of Nottingham Road. Established in 2002, Gowrie’s sense of relaxed rural spaces and neighbourliness are key to the success of this mixed-use estate.

Which processes, procedures, and best practices keep a successful older estate at the top of its game? Marina Martinique – a unique Cape-Caribbean-style estate consisting of 384 residential stands and 475 units in group housing developments – is built around a lake and seven kilometres of constructed canals that lie three metres above sea level, and whose water is pumped in from, and flows back into, the ocean.

On the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain in Somerset West, the prestigious Erinvale Country Estate and Golf Club, which will be celebrating 25 successful years in 2020, was one of the first residential golf estates in South Africa. To find out what the ingredients are for this success, we chat to Kerstin Dinklage, Erinvale HOA trustee responsible for marketing and communication.

Silver Lakes Golf and Wildlife Estate epitomises idyllic and peaceful estate living. The estate has been developed around a world-class Peter Matkovich signature golf course and a game reserve that offers spectacular views of the lakes and tranquil surroundings.

Not so long ago, if somebody wanted to have their complaint heard, the best options were to write a letter to the newspaper (and hope that it would be published) or dial into the radio. now, in the digital age, everyone has a voice. Never before has it been easier to have your concerns or thoughts heard – no matter how insignificant or trivial they are – and that has implications for estate managers

The world is facing a climate crisis. A young Swedish schoolgirl is now leading a global campaign of defiance driven by school children. The world has just experienced the hottest July ever recorded, even while a vocal segment of the chattering masses in leading economies like the USA believes that the science underpinning global warming is a massive hoax perpetuated by scientists who are – somehow – conspiring to make money.

Cape Town is South Africa’s most scenic city, and the South Peninsula is arguably the most scenic part of the city, so it’s not surprising that savvy people have – for ages – put up with the long commute in order to live in this little slice of paradise.

The Section 12J tax allowance has introduced an exciting new asset class that has attracted over R6 billion within a very short period of time. Let’s explore how this can benefit developers.

Projectprop, which owns Leloko Lifestyle and Eco Estate in Hartbeespoort, is seeking a solid new buyer, or buyers, for this idyllic estate following a resolution by the shareholders to disinvest in the company through the sale of all of their shares.

The sluggish economy and continued inflationary pressures are taking their toll on the property market in general. According to credit bureau TPN’s latest report, the last three years have seen a steady decline in demand for residential properties, with a concomitant increase in the supply of properties. What’s more, the bureau says vacancy rates remain consistently high at 8.64% with escalations at just 4.85%. Most worrying for estate and property managers is that tenant good standing numbers continue to decline, with a current level of 81.8%.

The oldest ceramic object is a nude female figurine dating back to about 25,000 BC, found in the Moravian Basin in the Czech Republic. Generally accepted to be a fertility symbol that formed part of a wider culture, no one knows how the first one was made. Perhaps a man yearning for his wife, or even – let’s not limit ourselves here – a youth on the brink of puberty, fashioned a voluptuous woman from a handy bit of clay and, not appreciating his handiwork, tossed it in the fire. Unbeknown to him this action hardened his creation, enabling it to last until this lifetime…

As AI, big data and smart homes become a lived reality, what are residential estates doing now to make that future happen?

The gardens, areas of natural vegetation, rivers, water features, paths and even parking lots on your estate are all part of your ‘shop window’. So they need to be beautiful – and also sustainable in every sense. That’s where Servest comes in – creating beautiful spaces that enhance your estate both aesthetically and environmentally.

The world is changing faster than any of us can comprehend. So how can homeowners associations and estate managers plan for the future? And what is reserve funding, anyway?

Most community associations seek to enforce their rules while still maintaining a harmonious community that the residents view as a desirable place to live. At times, though, these goals seem to be contradictory, and strictly enforcing the rules can result in controversy.

Policies, procedures, our governing documents and our rules and regulations are binding on members who choose to buy into a homeowners association or sectional title scheme. But, of course, the directors, trustees, management, and the members themselves have to ensure that these are lawful, consistent and fair, and that they protect the common interest of the community at large.

Your home is likely to be one of the most valuable assets you will own. While you put a lot of time, effort and money into making it the ideal home, it is equally important to keep yourself informed on how well this investment is protected.

There comes a time in everyone’s life when simple day-to-day tasks become overwhelming and difficult to deal with; when confidence levels start to wane, and cooking becomes a frightful chore. Thankfully, most retirement estates offer a wide variety of assisted-living options – just what you need when that helping hand is required.

Travel – whether for business or leisure or both (bleisure?) – can be extremely exciting. But it comes with its own set of risks. According to short-term insurer, Travel Insurance Consultants (TIC), a division of Santam, it is wise to prepare for the unexpected by getting travel insurance before your trip and understanding exactly what you are protected against so that you have enough cover for any eventuality.   Some of the other most claimed for travel events are pre-existing medical expenses, cancellation of journey, luggage loss and travel delays.

As with anything in life, knowledge is power and in today’s risky economic climate, investors need as much as possible to make bold, calculated investment moves that yield great results. Cue Estate Living, South Africa’s leading resource and specialist consultancy within the community living environments. Masters at building relationships and identifying new opportunities, Louise Martin and Jaime-Lee Gardner’s innovative services are helping investors and developers all over the country to understand their market.  

We hear every day that 70 is the new 60 and that with advances in medical science people are living longer. Looking at this realistically if I work to age 60 but live to 90 I will have approximately 40 years to save up for a 30 year retirement.

Some of us get the idea of “Joburg luxury” completely wrong: We see ourselves in the car of our dreams driving down William Nicol on the way to work. When in fact, real city luxury (or perhaps even city happiness) could be found not when you upgrade your ride but when you shorten your commute. Living closer to work does not only add more time to your day and more buck to your budget, but recent research shows that it can also improve your overall wellness.

In the words of Richard Branson, ‘launching a business is essentially an adventure in problem solving …’, and in the case of AMAX Electronics, they’re having one heck of an adventure as solving problems is what they do best. Their 15 years of experience in solving the security problems of secured communities has seen them grow to market leaders in this technology space.

Thinking of investing in Cape Town or further afield? Lock-up-and-go investment properties have become more and more popular as investors realise the benefits of low maintenance, security and easy placing of tenants.

Not a day goes by without one hearing of some municipal crisis somewhere in the country. These range from banal but extremely annoying stories of billing crises, lack of budgetary control and bloated bureaucracies to the horror story unfolding in Emfuleni, where total collapse of the municipality as a functional entity has unleashed a tsunami of raw sewage flowing unabated along the streets and through the buildings, as it makes its way to the nearest river.

The Medine group, a century-old key player in the local sugar industry with a land bank of over 10,000 hectares, launched its Education Village in 2012 in the region of Pierrefonds as part of its diversification strategy. This campus has been designed to host a selective cast of world-class and internationally recognised institutions across different fields of study.

The secret to successful property development is spotting opportunities before others do, seeing potential in a place where others don’t. It’s about taking the gap, thinking out of the box, and a whole lot of other clichés. And that’s just what Dennis Hope did more than three decades ago.

A development is not a residential estate – it’s a place with houses in a greater or lesser stage of completion. But there comes a time when the developer steps out, and the homeowners association steps in – and from that moment, the estate becomes a community – a place where people live.

In a worryingly flat property market, developers are facing an ever-growing challenge to find value-adds to help them move units.

Santam’s seamless insurance product continues to receive enthusiastic support from developers and development financiers alike.

On 24 and 25 September 2019, heads of state and government will gather at the United Nations headquarters in New...

The South African National Biodiversity Institute’s awesome online resources make finding information about the living world around us a genuine pleasure. And if you’re a gardener, developer, or estate manager with a special interest in indigenous plants, it’s a treasure trove almost as rich as biodiversity itself.

Often, it’s the reserve-like setting of a lifestyle estate that makes it a draw card for residents. But what happens when nature starts encroaching on households?

Combining a successful land claim, community development, hard-nosed economic opportunity, responsible conservation ethics, and a fabulous tourist destination, Mdluli Safari Lodge is a win-win-win-winner. 

By some estimates, South Africa has a housing backlog of about 2.3 million, and that number grows by about 178,000 houses a year. Despite the country’s sophisticated banking system, busy property market, generous impact investment projects and advanced construction industry, neither the public nor private sector has been able to catch up that backlog.

How do you fancy heading out to sea on what is really not much more than a very big log tied to a smaller log?

One of the most enticing features of WhatsApp is its offer of end-to-end encryption. This has ensured that our most personal conversations, and our treasured photographs of children and grandchildren, would be safely sent to family members and friends in a closed and safe communication loop.

On Friday 5 July, South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, was the first world leader to be in two places at once. Is this the beginning of a bold new era in politics – and more?

The future of ‘Smart’ everything – leveraging digital technology to do just about anything more efficiently – is inextricably linked to our ability to ‘connect’ via the internet. ‘Smart’ anything and ‘Smart’ everything will depend on a frenzied exchange of data with, within and between people, entities, things and machines. The actual connection required for this exchange – in terms of speed and accessibility – will be as critical as available and adequate bandwidth is, or we risk losing out on the next wave of the internet. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is what the gurus the world over are calling this next wave.

When you look at them closely, the gardens and protected wildlife areas on your estate probably host an astonishing number of different plants, insects, birds, and even reptiles and mammals. Your observations about the natural world around you can be enormously helpful to scientists – and collecting data can be a lot of fun, and a great way of building your community, too.

Developers, HOAs, municipalities and the management of all manner of complexes, schools and campuses are learning that there are some things you just can’t fight. Put up as many ‘Keep off the grass’ signs as you like, people will take the shortest (or most convenient) path to get to where they’re going. So, the smart ones are giving in.

Retirement is the new buzzword in the residential development market, but building a retirement village is an enormous undertaking with huge implications – it’s a much bigger deal than building a golf or eco estate. So, is there room for small investors to cash in on this profitable sector?

What are the key drivers for the buyers in residential estates and how can a security service provider support estate managers? The impact of security risk at residential homes in the form of violent crime and burglaries, has fuelled the growth and development of residential estates to meet the upward demand.

Arabella Country Estate, home to Fynbos and fine living, located on the shores of the Bot River Lagoon surrounding the magnificent World Heritage Nature Reserve, has recently been re-certified with their full ISO 14001 compliance certificate.

South Africans are notoriously bad at saving money but the annual National Savings Month is a great opportunity to get your kids involved in some good financial habits which can set them up for life!

If you’re attacked in your home on a residential estate, who’s responsible for your protection? The answer – and the legal technicalities around private security and personal firearms – might surprise you.

Gardening in the driest or windiest parts of the country? Xeriscaping may be the system you’ve been looking for. We’ve all heard about water-wise gardening – the practice of choosing, grouping, and placing plants according to their watering needs in order to maximise the efficiency of the little water you have.

Seeking secure retirement community living but for under R2 million? There are surprisingly many options. Today’s retirees are quite a young lot, living active, lock-up-and-go lifestyles that often set a fine example to the generations after them, but not all of them have R3 million or more to invest in a contemporary home on a lifestyle estate.

Many South Africans are investing in property in the UK, and if you can afford to do so, now is a great time! Whether it be due to family or business circumstances, future plans or simply the desire to diversify, there are some exciting opportunities to look at.

Have you planned sufficiently for your retirement? It’s about a lot more than finances – you also need to decide where to live. Retirement isn’t what it used to be. Slowing down and putting one’s feet up is no longer the “default setting” in later life.

Harbour Bay Village is the pinnacle of exclusive retirement living for the age 50 and older. This exclusive retirement development is located behind the Harbour Bay Shopping Centre and the medical day hospital.

Blue water, a beautiful mountain, a bustling food scene … no, it’s not Cape Town, although it’s easy to see why inland-dwellers consider the
Hartbeespoort area the next best thing to a beach. 

We’ve come a long way since Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth documentary in 2006. Although not the first we’d heard of climate change and the effects of globalisation, it was an eye-opener for many and it sparked fierce debate. Things that were only spoken of then are now becoming reality, and we probably all understand the severity of global climate change, and what this means for future generations. 

When you read the word ‘wearables’, it conjures up images of wrists with Apple watches or Fitbits, especially for those of us who deal with certain health insurance companies. But wearables are much more than monitoring your heart rate, steps and sleep.

Satisfy your dream of owning property in Europe by investing in one of the region’s most dynamic and affordable cities – the wealthiest city in Portugal and its capital, Lisbon.

Wherever in South Africa you live, it’s probably freezing, so you’ll be thinking of escaping to somewhere warm – possibly with turquoise water, waving palm trees and snow-white sand. But then, come summer, you may head north to go skiing. It just shows how out of touch we can be with the seasons. But we don’t have to be.

Pest control is an essential element in estate management, but it needs to be carefully managed – both to ensure the safety of residents and pets, and also to prevent ‘collateral damage’ to urban and peri-urban wildlife.

If you’re thinking of investing in South Africa, it’s worth looking at some of the rapidly developing industrial hubs that are evolving in strategic locations around the country.

Trudging around the golf course and playing tennis are ‘like so yesterday …’ your teenagers say, rolling their eyes skyward. Followed by a ‘there’s nothing to do here’ as their fingers tap the keys and the mayhem of one of a dozen blood-and-gore-filled computer games continues. This lament can be heard from tweens, teens and young adults the world over – gone are the days that residential estates could get away with the bare essentials of outdoor activities like (indoor or outdoor) gym, jogging and MTB trails, and a pool. The youth of today are way more demanding, and as parents and estate developers we need to take heed.

The Internet of things (IoT) has become a hot topic of conversation with technical, social and economic implications. It is a concept that not only has the potential to influence how we live, but also how we work and play. Projections for the impact of IoT are notable, with some anticipating as many as 100 billion connected IoT devices, and a global economic consequence of more than US$11 trillion by 2025.

Hardly a day goes by without the future of South Africa’s power grid making front-page news. Keeping the lights on, and sustainably, is a favourite topic around the dinner table, whether you live in Port Elizabeth or Pearl Valley.

Backed by over 19 years’ experience and expertise, and strong relationships with major banks and estate agents, BetterBond is one of the largest bond originators in South Africa.

We’re all getting older – it’s just part of the cycle of life. And with no fountain of youth or magic chocolate bar to cure us of our ailments, we’ll just have to make do with ageing and the added health issues that arise.

The estate that appears so avant-garde today will have lost its competitive edge in 20 years, as developments with ever more sophisticated technology take the lead. So, how do you remain relevant? This is the question Dainfern sought to answer when it recently embarked on renovations to its clubhouse, restaurant and outdoor areas.

The destination requires no introduction! Mauritius combines attractive business opportunities in a strategic regional location, a high economic resilience, and social stability with a quality lifestyle amidst a welcoming population and landscapes of great beauty in which to indulge in a wide choice of leisure activities – the perfect balance.

Being in a car accident is stressful but just imagine having your insurance claim rejected because of something silly that you did! It could be a financial disaster and make your unpleasant situation far worse. Don’t let that happen and take a look at these 4 common mistakes to avoid when you’re involved in an accident.

It’s Youth Month, when SA focuses on the 38% of the population aged between 18 and 35. But there are two distinct generations of consumers represented within that cohort, and they have very different ideas about real estate. Generation-Z, born between 1995 and about 2010, are the world’s “digital natives” who have been exposed to the internet, social networks and streaming media their whole lives, and they are proving to be very different from the Millennials born between 1980 and 1994 – especially when it comes to their views on real estate.

Planning for retirement can be both exciting and scary. Exciting in the sense that you’re planning for a life event that is spoken about so often throughout your life that it’s really a milestone and period to look forward to. Scary though, as you never know whether you’ll have enough since it’s impossible to predict the future. So much could go wrong in our economy and even if you’ve invested offshore, nothing is certain.

A single network infrastructure offering solutions and services to suit the requirements of individual residents.

With a starting price of R2.995m The Residences plot and plan homes at the award-winning Sitari Country Estate outside Somerset West offer excellent value for money, and the release of new plan designs opens up a plethora of choice for potential purchasers. Claudius Combrinck, Executive Director of Uvest Property Sales, explains: “We have just released a further set of plan designs for The Residences, all of which are freestanding homes with three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a double garage.”

Empowering first-time homeowners with a one-off government-funded subsidy . The Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme (FLISP) offers an amazing opportunity for qualifying individuals to own their first property. It’s unfortunate that the details and implications of FLISP are not commonly known, and that there are some misconceptions about its process and value. The benefits, however, are huge, and estate agents and those involved in financing have a crucial role to play in educating prospective buyers and assisting in the process.

Thirty years ago I attended a lecture in Minneapolis USA by a Dr William Bridges on change and transition. Change he said is what happens in the real world but transition happens in the mind. When planned change fails its usually because people have not made the mental transition to accept the change. He offered a simple way to understand transition by breaking it into three stages. Stage 1 is all about making endings and letting go. Real change he said must begin with an ending, counter intuitive isn’t it.

You can have it all – live in the country with wide-open spaces. Perfectly balancing freedom and space with top-of-the-range, AAA-rated security, Monaghan Farm offers safe, secure country living – a place to breathe, relax and wind down. A place to bring up a family in a nurturing environment without the hustle and bustle of city life.

If an endless supply of pasteis de nata isn’t enough to entice you to relocate to Portugal, perhaps the favourable quality of life, cost of living and friendly investment and residence programmes will do the trick. Portugal has become one of the most sought-after destinations for South Africans seeking to relocate, largely because its investment opportunities and Golden Visa regime make it one of the easiest European Union countries to secure residency and citizenship – simply by purchasing property to the value of €500,000, provided certain conditions are met.

Facial recognition – whether it’s a passing fad, or the next big thing, one thing is sure: everyone has an opinion – good, bad, delighted or furious.

Community. What a nice concept. So simple. So appealing. And so elusive for residents of so many common-interest ownership developments that are communities in name only. A collection of residents who share ownership but nothing more may form an association, but they do not create a community by any definition of that term. True communities – living, breathing, vibrant communities – are not born, they are built, and the community association board is the primary architect in that construction process.

The Eastern Cape is a friendly and endlessly fascinating province – especially if you’re a fan of wild places – and its residential estates reflect its amazing diversity. There’s literally something here for everyone.

The Eastern Cape is a region of extreme diversity. Pristine beaches rub shoulders with forest-clad dunes, aloes punctuate the sere brown Karoo plains, and the history of Settlers, San and Xhosa communities tells stories of the region’s past. It’s South Africa’s premier malaria-free Big Five safari destination and it’s an adventure junkie’s playground – the highest bungy jump in the world, some of the world’s best surf, great diving, mountain biking and hiking – and it boasts South Africa’s only ski resort.
But it’s not all nature and adrenaline.

How important are estate rules, and can they really be enforced? This question is at the heart of a recent legal wrangle between Mount Edgecombe Country Club Estate Management Association II and a resident.

“I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars.” Walt Whitman. The ubiquitous urban lawn. Where did it come from? Do you really need one? And what do you choose if you do? In the bad old days they used to say you should never interfere with a South African’s lawn – or their braai. And while that’s probably still true for the braai, is it really still true for the lawn?

A promising new treatment for memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s, ageing and depression was presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting in Washington DC on 14 February this year. An auspicious date. If it works, no doubt everyone will love it.

Quick! Which ridiculously handsome South African is wind-resistant, drought-tolerant, security-ready, eminently prunable, easy to grow, farmable, culturally significant, and downright delicious? Answer: the plant with the tastiest name of them all – the num-num.

The manufacture and transport of bricks contributes quite a lot to the carbon footprint of a building, which is why some of the finest minds all over the world are looking at alternatives – be it beer bottles, sandbags, straw bales, bag-stuffed plastic bottles, or bricks made from ash, toxic sludge, compressed solid waste, and even cannabis. So it’s pretty exciting that local researchers have come up with a novel, energy-efficient way of manufacturing bricks from a waste substance that usually takes lots of water and other resources to process – and that we don’t usually like to talk about.

The affordable housing market has high demand, low supply, and the promise of long-term investment returns. So what’s the catch? Investing is a long-term game. Gregg Sneddon, the financial adviser who blogs and tweets at thefinancialcoach.co.za, often emphasises this point to his clients: ‘Investing takes time,’ he says. ‘Three years is not “time”.

The almost complete inundation of the city of Beira was in the news for a while, but then it fell away in the midst of newer, more important, or just more entertaining news – Ethiopian Airlines crash, Christchurch mosque shooting, South African elections, a 37-year-old woman successfully giving birth, and David Beckham’s conviction for talking on the phone while driving.

Nose in, fingers out! This is how I was taught to approach risk detection in property development consultancy. In other words, ask lots of questions, look, learn and observe everything, and yes, sniff around. But don’t interfere. 

An educational initiative is providing the communities living around Cape Town International Airport with access to home-building skills and affordable housing – building communities, and laying the foundation for the city’s long-term growth.

If you’re thinking of retirement or scaling down, why not move to a development with a view? Even if you continue working part-time, which is what many modern retirees do, you’ll probably have a lot more leisure time – all the more reason to have scenic landscapes or city skylines to immerse yourself in and enjoy.

Arabella Country Estate, consistently voted as one of the top residential estates in South Africa, has recently undertaken a full rebrand in order to bring their current look and feel more in line with their natural surroundings and eco-system.

Building a new home, or having your existing one renovated, can be one of the most rewarding experiences. But, for most people, the thought of investing in a fixer-upper or a new build is more than a little overwhelming. The good news is that, with a little help and a lot of planning, it’s definitely possible to create the house of your dreams.

Samsung has been a pioneer in TV design for 50 years. Over that time, Samsung has researched what people love most about TV – the way it brings friends and families together and the many details that amplifies the viewing experience. This knowledge has led to innovation that has transformed how people watch TV and is one of the reasons it has been global number 1 for the 13 years. The 2019 QLED line-up builds on this legacy in a big way.

J AND J REWARDS PTY LTD entered the market in 2014 as an innovative wholesale distribution company. Founded by a young Belgian and American, we pride ourselves on sourcing quality products at a great price. We visit up to 4 international trade shows a year to make sure we never fall behind when it comes to tech focused products worldwide. With an office based in Shenzhen, China, J AND J REWARDS has the ability to source, test, and brand products at the highest levels possible. Our head office and warehouse in Cape Town distributes seamlessly to every end of Southern Africa.

Sitari Country Estate situated just outside Somerset West has been a remarkable success story, with unprecedented buyer interest and 926...

On April 23 2019 Samsung announced that its 2019 TV line, including new QLED 4K and 8K models, are available at select retailers nationwide from May. Powered by Samsung’s proprietary Quantum Processor, the 2019 QLED TV line-up features more screen size options, stunning picture quality enhancements, dazzling colours from every angle, exciting new design elements and intuitive smart TV upgrades.

Samsung announced today that its 2019 QLED TV line-up will offer a brand new Ambient Mode that is designed to display various content including world-renowned works of art, even when the TV screen is turned off. Through the Ambient Mode, a variety of content like daily news headlines, weather updates, photos and music can be accessed from the TV screen.

There’s so much to consider when you’re buying a home, not least because of its investment potential. Having said that, you don’t want to buy something just because it makes financial sense and then find you don’t like living there, or possibly worse, follow your heart and find you’ve made a bad financial decision.

You use artificial intelligence (AI) every day, often without knowing it. Shouldn’t your estate’s security team have the same kind...

It’s not uncommon to change jobs every few years and at the same time decide to cash out your provident...

Life’s getting harder, everything’s getting more expensive, the world’s getting madder, and it’s all happening faster by the hour. How...

Most lifestyle estates strive to create a sense of community, yet few succeed. So, how has Kyalami Estates managed to get it right? Wander through any of the events that Kyalami Estates host annually and you’ll notice that almost every resident stops on their way to greet their neighbours. It’s the kind of collegial atmosphere that most residential estates try to emulate but, although they might achieve friendliness, cohesiveness often remains just out of reach. Yet it appears to be an integral part of the Kyalami Estates character; indeed, it’s one of Estate’s defining qualities.

If you’re considering an offshore investment property, it’s best to partner with a company who understands the intricacies South Africans will face, the pros and cons of the markets you’re investing in, the local conditions that might affect your decisions, and the international laws and considerations you should be aware of. Take a look at how IP Global can help you to expand your investment portfolio across borders.

So you want to go on holiday without neglecting your exercise habit, and maybe get out into nature for a good cardio workout. An unspoilt location, good food and wine, a decent bed and a shower at night are essentials. Pretty flowers, wildlife and interesting cultural attractions are a bonus. And you’d prefer for someone else to take care of logistics. Is that too much to ask?

Whether you’re a first-time buyer, a reluctant renter or a wannabe holiday home owner by the sea, buying property requires some thoughtful planning – and with so many factors to consider, not least the political and economic climate of the country, it’s hard to know where to start, but we are confident that Pinnacle Point Estate will amaze and impress you beyond your wildest dreams.

Johannesburg City Council is driving an initiative to restore 84 buildings in the CBD to provide efficient, contemporary accommodation for city dwellers, and tenders have been awarded to various developers who’ve now started this visionary transformation of some of Jozi’s oldest residential hubs.

Arabella Country Estate, one of SA’s leading lifestyle and golfing residential estates situated along the Bot River Lagoon in Kleinmond, is reaping the rewards of their long established water and environmental management plans despite the current drought conditions plaguing the country and the Western Cape in particular.

In a constrained economy like that of South Africa, the possibility of new construction projects is limited. This, along with the rapidly increasing cost of living as a result of the increasing cost of fuel, the inflation rate, and the VAT hike of 2018, has put pressure on consumer spending. That’s the bad news. Here’s the good news.

An important consideration when investing is the state of affairs in the region you are considering investing in – and this goes beyond the obvious financial and political considerations. Ask questions about the sustainability of the region’s energy and water sources, its waste management policies as well as its biodiversity conservation. With all considered, South Africa still ticks most of the boxes for being a desirable region to invest in.

South African design is going places. Porky Hefer’s installations and furniture designs, Andile Dyalvane’s ceramics, Rich Mnisi’s fashion and furniture designs, and Dokter and Misses’ furniture and product designs are just some local pieces increasingly rocking art fairs and exhibition halls around the globe.

Museums are not about old crockery, vintage clothes, beautiful furniture, historical photos and rusty farm implements. They’re about stories, but sometimes you have to look hard to find them. And sometimes those stories illustrate an important principle or moral.

Step inside one of the luxurious units at Sandton Gate Terrace. Craft homes has created specialised virtual tours for 3 of Sandton Gate Terrace’s stunning units. Take your pick and start your virtual tour

The growing move away from suburban residential living to urban living has the potential to unlock a passive revenue stream for investors in a rapidly expanding urban node.

Design is always a matter of taste: after all, one person’s idea of clean lines may be depressingly Spartan for someone else, which makes the question of estate design rather complicated. So how do developers and HOAs appeal to the broad variety of people that estates inevitably attract?

Estate Living campaign themes over the next three months are focused around SA investment, opportunities for growth, and connecting people, businesses and services.Packages comprise of a comprehensive strategy that includes Event participation, editorial reviews, online communication, social media, and sales lead generation. Contact us to get involved.

A much coveted tourist destination, the tropical island of Mauritius is fast emerging as a preferred destination for non-citizens looking for an enticing place to retire. With its all-year-round temperate climate, first-class infrastructure and harmonious environment, this rainbow nation with an affordable cost of living has opened its doors since 2006 to eligible non-citizens looking for a stress-free retirement.

Needing some guidelines in managing and loading/cancelling your prepaid meters? Watch the videos below to get some helpful support and insight. Pro admin is one of the founding members of the electricity re-sellers association and is still actively involved in the industry.

There was much hype and anticipation ahead of Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s budget speech last month. Knowing some of the major challenges the country faces many were interested to see how the Finance Minister would juggle the fiscus to address issues such as the Eskom crisis, rampant corruption and the other issues covered by the media daily.

So the kids have at long last moved out … either with a little ‘push’ or at their own insistence to explore the world beyond. Suddenly the house seems somewhat empty and larger and no longer fulfils the same purpose as before … it’s time to move on to a new beginning, a cosier and more manageable home. Hello retirement, bye-bye rat race!

Many investors have seen their wealth preservation strategies frustrated by a stock market that has moved sideways, delivering below-inflation returns for several years in a row. Contrary to traditional wisdom, better returns are now coming from more secure investments that provide the compelling combination of capital security and high growth in a volatile local investment environment.

In an effort to further showcase their purpose of improving lives and fulfilling aspirations through home ownership for all South Africans, Standard Bank has once again aligned themselves with the Property Buyer Show.

South African retirees have come a long way – and are going a long way. Rather than banish themselves to the local old age home to toil over macramé, those with adequate financial resources are increasingly slipping on their Raybans, waving sayonara and flying off into the sunset.

When chatting over the dinner table you often hear ‘yeah, property in Portugal is doing great’, or ‘you really should be looking at the UK now’. But how do we as South Africans enter the offshore market?

From Sumer to Vredendal, two Thursdays more than seven centuries apart play a serendipitous role in the emergence of South Africa’s cheese industry.

There are many ways to invest for your retirement years and, even though you may contribute to a compulsory company pension or provident fund, you should most definitely not be content with just that.

It seems like just yesterday I was graduating from university with a big future ahead of me and then I was at the alter with Francis and wow my second child was born, a home and a mortgage and an exciting career unfolding. Time moves so quickly and with time so does ones lifestyle. The exhilaration of youthful independence, followed by the responsibilities of family and career, moving home, moving province and so my lifestyle continues to change to suit my circumstances.

Servest Landscaping, with over 4,500 people, 57 horticulturists, and 600 years of combined industry experience, has recently used its expertise and technology to successfully partner with two high-profile clients on their exciting and challenging ecological restoration projects.

The quality of a retirement community is measured by its care, and the quality of care is often determined by the quality of the staff. So, whether you’re looking to hire permanent or temporary nursing staff or to upskill your employees, Procare Operations (Pty) Ltd. is your go-to, one-stop solution.

Retirement villages – or lifestyle estates, as they are now being called – are popping up like (Barberton) daisies throughout South Africa, all with promises of enjoying the best years of your life in surroundings brimming with all the bells and whistles.

There was a time when retirement estates built bowling greens for the ‘more active’ residents, and something as daring as a tennis court or an outdoor pool was considered an unnecessary expense because – well – you know, old people don’t really do exercise.

Boredom is a killer. Ask any preschool teacher or any retirement facility manager and they’ll tell you that the worst thing they can do is let their charges get bored.

People aren’t retiring like they used to. Instead, many are working longer out of necessity or from a desire to remain vital and engaged.

Lombard Insurance has close on 30 years’ experience in delivering guarantees across multiple industries.

Your mind is sure you are 35, but sometimes your ears, eyes, hands and back tell you different, and a lot of the things you did with ease a few years ago may have become a challenge.

The coast of South Africa is more than 2,500 kilometres long, it’s wild and tamed, rocky and sandy, restless and restful, and probably more varied than any coastline anywhere else in the world.

A residential estate is a strange thing. First it’s a piece of land, then a plan and marketing concept, then a construction site, then a bunch of empty buildings.

As retirement looms, it’s natural to begin reflecting on the past, but it’s not a time for doom and gloom. It’s the time to put the past behind you, and look at the new opportunities these changes bring.

Forget the old age homes of the past. Today’s mature lifestyle estates offer residents an active retirement with customised healthcare options.

Drawing on its existing position as industry leader in the life right retirement community landscape, and leveraging the new financial muscle it developed in its transaction with PSG, Evergreen is rapidly expanding its retirement village footprint and setting new benchmarks for every aspect of retirement living.

Internationally there is a trend towards multigenerational living, where sometimes three generations reside under the same roof – either for convenience or out of necessity due to the rising cost of living and unaffordable property prices.

These days your age is not as relevant as your lifestyle, and the concept of retirement estates is changing to accommodate changing needs.

There’s all this talk of how our population is ageing, and how the baby boomers are not ‘going gentle into that good night’ any time soon. But, really, how long can we live? And how will living longer affect society?

With over 800 luxury homes, a world-class golf course, a small-craft harbour, a country club including tennis courts and swimming pools, and three restaurant areas, Pecanwood Estate has already established itself as one of South Africa’s premier residential estates.

Thinking of downsizing now that you’re retired? Then you might want to consider an Evergreen retirement village, which offers plenty of attractive lifestyle benefits. Here’s a closer look at what you can expect as a resident.

Based on a service-level agreement, AMAX offers security, maintenance and communications installation services to estates in Gauteng.

Sixty years ago it was not uncommon for kids to ride their bikes to their grandparents’ house. Children played outside,...

Capital Reserve Fund Management: As trustees and community managers what should we be asking ourselves? Pro admin shares their thoughts:...

The real estate industry has been operating in the shadow of technology, compared to other industries. However, as consumers become...

Forty years ago, old-age pensioners were perceived as stooped, white-haired and often quite grumpy old people killing time until they...

Probably one of the most difficult issues facing estate managers is waste management. It’s a truly Sisyphean endeavour – just...

Every time we hear stories of veld fires, we are alerted to the very real danger to our homes of...

When Simbithi Eco Estate was conceptualised 15 years ago, it was all about ‘home’, and today, the 430-hectare estate has...

Everybody knows that good business has to be sustainable,and that – really – we do not have to choose between...

Some small towns are naturally slow – stuck away in the middle of nowhere – but some have to work...

Careful planning for future repairs and replacements is in the best physical and fiscal interests of the community association. Maintaining...

‘Pergola’ might be the one word more than any other in the language of gardening that gets us thinking of...

As we slither our sweltering way to the end of the hottest summer most of us can remember, we find...

Blur the lines between the great outdoors and your interior spaces by replicating nature’s colours on your walls. Here’s how....

It warms, it cooks, it illuminates. Fire is central to our lives, and it’s not too far a stretch to...

Hunter S Thompson once said: ‘Love is the feeling you get when you love something as much as your motorcycle.’...

While many people choose to live in lifestyle estates for the serene surroundings and country feel, they still need to...

Waking up to an adventure every day. This is what you can expect from the Heron Banks Golf and River...

Caring for the frail and elderly is an arduous task and a responsibility that family members assume without hesitation; coming...

Once a sugar-dependent country, Mauritius has emerged as a well-diversified economy well on the way to joining the league of...

ARC (Association for Residential Community), proactively supports Homeowners Associations and Bodies Corporate, their management teams and trustees, to establish, maintain...

If you have schoolgoing children, you’re probably already thinking about where they will go to university, and how you will...

Remember the fable of The Tortoise and the Hare? The one where the arrogant hare thought that he could so...

Buying your own home can be a daunting prospect. Many of us have spent our lives renting, so when we...

As a prospective first-time home buyer you have seen many articles telling you that at the rate things are going...

Precinct living is a relatively new concept within the South African property realm, but Sandton Gate is proof that being...

However, there was just 602,000 purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) properties available in the 2017/18 academic year. This means that over...

In South Africa, the residential real estate industry is geared towards sellers: estate agents represent the interests of sellers, while...

Save R320 000 on a R1 million property You may be well aware of the strict lending criteria applied by the...

A recently concluded joint venture between Evergreen Retirement Holdings and the Uvest Property Group will see the development of Evergreen...

Real estate investment is generally a great investment option. It can generate ongoing passive income and can be a good long-term investment if the value increases over time. However, when making such investment, one should consider structuring the acquisition through a Trust.

What kind of madness would inspire someone to plunge into icy water on the edge of an active volcano? A...

We’ve just got over the festive season shenanigans, and soon the ubiquitous Valentine’s hearts will be taken down, but just...

Sanitaryware is sleek and efficient, bold colours are in, and tiles are embracing interesting new shapes and retro styles. Tantalising...

Bamboo is one of the world’s oldest natural building materials. In Asia and South America, where it occurs naturally, it’s...

Faster internet, HD television, improved communications & security... Utopia of the digital world and our homes today. All of this...

Unless you have been living in a cupboard for the last few years, you know that fibre is the next...

Of the many good reasons for moving to a residential estate, the one most often cited is security. Residential estates...

Somerset West is fast becoming one of the Western Cape’s most sought-after residential areas. Once a sleepy village in the...

No matter how well things are going, you can’t just sit back and hope the situation will continue, and when...

If the purpose of art is to help us see the world in new and interesting ways, what’s the point...

In the ‘month of love’ we see stylised hearts everywhere. To most people they’re just a cheesy marketing gimmick, and...

‘Honey, I bought a cow!’ might sound like the opening line to a comedy show, but it is a serious...

So, the kids have flown the coop and you’re left with a substantial chunk of home on an even more...

As the new academic year begins, what are the key trends – both locally and abroad – in the student...

Looking for a great holiday getaway that doubles as a tax-wise investment? An investment, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is...

Astute investors have voted, with their ZAR, Serengeti Estates' Whistling Thorns apartments as among eastern Johannesburg’s most desirable investments. All...

If you’re spending thousands of rands a month on accommodation while doing business in Joburg, some careful re-strategising can turn...

Today’s consumer wants internet that intuitively supports their day-to-day tasks and lifestyle through easy, seamless, and well-supported access. But what...

The new City of Johannesburg Land Use Scheme, 2018 was published by The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality (Council) on...

“The price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the price of change.” I may not share many of Former US President Bill Clinton’s opinions but this quote is one of those statements that most people can agree with.

Enjoy low risk with high returns. The age of high-risk, high-reward thinking may be all but over. For years the...

Faster Internet, HD Television, Improved Communications & Security… Utopia of the digital world and our homes today. All of this is possible through a technological breakthrough that is optical fibre. Optical fibre accommodates the constant demand for higher bandwidth.

To retirees, the dream of peaceful and carefree living in city suburbs is fast becoming a thing of the past....

It’s hard to choose between adventure and security or travelling and home comforts, so – here’s the good news –...

With its wide-open spaces, horses, golf courses, superb retail and restaurant options – and even skiing – Fourways is rapidly...

Do you remember the eighties? In those days, Cape Town was not the tourism darling of the world, traffic was manageable, petrol was cheap, music made sense and hotels were not priced according to the exchange rate. But things have changed.

School’s out, and matriculants are at that age when they know everything and are ready to take on the world....

In a period of continuing market uncertainty, players in the property market have plenty of questions going into 2019. Could a handful of disruptive trends – some driven by tech, others by economic factors – answer those questions?

Jozi’s northern suburbs’ skyline is soon to be transformed by a gleaming, jewel-like architectural masterpiece that will tower over Sandton’s...

Getting older and scaling down does not mean your world has to get smaller. You don’t have to choose between...

The devastating Knysna Fires of 2017 destroyed 22,000 hectares of the Garden Route, and a further 85,000 hectares burned over...

Sometimes we travel to relax, to eat, to see great art, beautiful scenery, or amazing animals. Sometimes to hear great...

‘Location, location, location’ is just one – or is that three? – of the Rondebosch Oval Lifestyle Estate’s many attractions....

When reviewing your retirement portfolio, it’s wise to consider all the available asset classes – including offshore property. The key,...

Haven’t we all at some point in our lives wished we could chuck the day job and launch out as...

What is the role of a community association? What’s the difference between sectional title and freehold communities? And how does all this work? These questions and others are answered here.

Investing is risky, so savvy investors need to stick to investment opportunities that offer the potential of fantastic returns, and...

You only need to drive through the upmarket, sea-side suburb of Sea Point to see how many new developments are…

Since the internet has become another basic utility, alongside water and electricity, ISPs have been bending over backwards to try…

Before deciding to invest our hard earned money on the JSE we spend countless hours researching the company that we…

In 2001, the dramatic coastal scenery of Oubaai inspired Ernie Els to design an 18-hole signature championship golf course of...

South Africans have been migrating to Australia over an extended period, and many have elderly parents left in South Africa….

One of the offshoots of the financial crisis of 2007 was that it forced a collision of two very different worlds. According to classic economic theory, wealth and innovation in a society are generated by for-profit businesses, while social change is brought about by not-for-profit, mission-driven organisations.

The future is a strange place, and people communicate differently there. Millennials are finding interesting new ways to chat –…

Black friday isnt over yet! Have a look at these unmissable specials from Eighty Two on Hatfield. For a limited time, Eighty on Hatfield are offering discounted rates on their developments.

The Durban North Coast welcomes a new chapter in the Zimbali legacy. Developed by IFA Hotels & Resorts, the world...

In this video we show you how to make a DIY chalkboard serving tray that's cute and easy to make....

In this video Tanya Visser talks about the different types of insecticides and how to use them. Insecticides are ideal...

Rondebosch Oval in Cape Town’s southern suburbs is a new 41-home estate that incorporates a historic cricket oval and a...

The Efekto water-wise crystals is a polymer which attracts water and it's completely biodegradable and non-toxic. This means it's safe...

supersonic is the latest ISP to hit the fast-growing fibre to the home (FTTH) market in South Africa, backed by…

Creating a Japanese Zen garden is not about slavishly copying the elements and placements; it’s about internalising the quiet mind-set...

Levy income is the lifeblood of any estate, and ineffective management and collection of funds can have a crippling effect...

Vintage bathrooms, done with style, are timeless masterpieces. A classic-style bathroom doesn’t need to look dated. In fact, vintage can look...

An unusual 41-home estate from Rawson Developers has opened new opportunities for families who want to enjoy the many advantages of living in...

In just one year, Serengeti Estates has metamorphosed from a tired and ailing development to a bustling hub of activity....