Kingswood HOA

Spring Day hailed the one-year anniversary of Kingswood’s Community Centre/Clubhouse launch – an occasion celebrated with gusto on Friday 4 September. In the runup to this merry event, KGE CEO Willem Jacobs shared his sentiments on the year that was.

When chatting to The BUZZard, Willem was, along with his management team, staff and residents, bracing for the good vibrations that lay ahead in anticipation of Friday 4 September’s shindig at the now one-year-old Community Centre/Clubhouse (CCC).

On the menu was live music by Suzi Leigh and treats by La Famiglia, with a welcome address and words of gratitude also worked onto the evening’s festive agenda. But in the lead-up to that party, much serious estate business took place behind the scenes.

‘I’m very grateful about the growth we’ve experienced during the past year, and how it has shaped our Clubhouse into a fully functioning entity. Establishing cohesion between the various role-players – golf ops, Pro Shop, restaurant, Halfway House – is an ongoing process that requires lots of work.

‘The fact that the same food and beverage supplier is servicing both golfers and members is a first, but it’s working out well. The ultimate goal, through shaping and tweaking over the past year, has been finding the sweet spot where members and golfers alike are being satisfied.’ (Read more below about how Chef Werner Pons and his La Famiglia team are making this work.)

Moving along at a healthy pace

Repurposing of the gatehouse has been a priority, and residents have reason to be excited about this all-round movement centre. ‘Suzanne Smit is a Pilates expert, among other exercise disciplines that tone and soothe both body and mind. She will run Pure Movement from the gatehouse, where fitting out of this facility kicked off on 7 September.

‘We’ve searched long and hard over the past year to find the right occupant for that space, and we’re sure that Pure Movement will best serve our residents and members,’ explains Willem. And for those worried about having to scale stairs to get there, take note that a lift is being installed – read the full story elsewhere in this edition.

What else is under construction?

‘Building and Architectural Compliance Manager Andries Wolmarans, also based at the gatehouse, has found his feet nicely since taking up his post at the start of this year. He is currently busy redrafting our architectural guidelines, which haven’t been reviewed and refreshed for a while.’

In terms of other noteworthy properties now under construction, the following summary:

Kingswood Village
Eight houses are currently in the building process – they are all in different phases, from design submission to building completion.

Kingswood Cross
One new home design in application stages; two more home designs are in the planning stages.

Kingswood Court
KDC Architects have submitted to council a Site Development Plan for a 12-house complex.

Trusted team to help direct

The Annual General Meeting for members of the Kingswood Golf Estate Homeowners Association was held on 25 June, when four new trustees were selected. ‘In terms of the Kingswood Golf Estate Constitution, they now also serve as directors of Kingswood HOA Properties (Pty) Ltd,’ says Willem.

‘They’ve been settling in well over the past three months. Each has brought their unique skill sets to the table, and my management team and I look forward to working with them closely during the year ahead.’

Visit www.estate-living.co.za for an extensive introduction to new trustees Marilyn Franklyn, Janco du Toit, Ben Vermeulen, and Les Penfold. They will play an integral role in the strategising required by Willem and his team for the year ahead.

Under the bridge

Part of the strategic plan for such HOA matters is the date and exact timing of reparations to the underpass. ‘People are still using the road, but it will soon be closed to allow for extensive repairs. A section of Longbridge Road will also be repaired concurrently with the underpass works.’

Final matters that Willem enthused about include the board’s approval of the Club Improvement initiative – a go-ahead for interaction and integration among all parties that puts Kingswood Golf Estate a step ahead of the rest.

‘We are also looking forward to appointing a new Kingswood coaching operator before the end of this year, with two candidates bidding for the position,’ he concludes.

A fabulous year with ‘The Family’

The BUZZard chatted to seasoned restaurateur Werner Pons about how CCC restaurant La Famiglia has evolved since opening its doors on 1 September 2025.

Werner Pons: In the run-up to the first-anniversary party on 4 September, a golf day was hosted on Saturday 29 August. This members’ competition was well supported, as was our spitbraai that went straight into a screening of the second rugby test – great vibes … and then we won! It all made for a truly memorable atmosphere.

Singer Suzy Leigh provided musical entertainment at our proper homeowners’ celebration, while we served lovely starters, platters, and drinks when people arrived. Once the speeches were over, we celebrated!

The BUZZard: How has La Famiglia evolved during the past year of operations?
Werner Pons: Business has evolved significantly – it was a big change for us to run the Clubhouse restaurant and Halfway House at the same time, catering for all the members, getting to grips with doing that properly, making it seamless. We had to take up the challenge of keeping service levels tops at all times and giving everyone what they want in terms of food: that’s what was required and that’s what we offered from the start. It’s been a big learning curve, and going forward we’ll improve and tailor-make our menus.

The BUZZard: How do these offerings differ?
Werner Pons: Our new menu now out for the Clubhouse is more akin to what you would find at a sports club – simpler options that are more reasonably priced, such as steak, egg and chips, nothing too fancy. At the Halfway House, we are working on a mechanism that will encourage players to order when they reach the last tee box at the 8th and 18th holes. It means that when they arrive at the Halfway House with limited time to eat, their food will be ready. This will enable them to have a bigger meal rather than a snack, or certain dishes that may take a bit more time to prepare – not just grab ’n’ go.

The BUZZard: Have your events at La Famiglia been well supported?
Werner Pons: Oh yes, we’ve enjoyed good attendance at our live music events every second Friday night, and I thank residents for coming out in numbers. Also, there are lots of functions with lots of music scheduled until the end of the year, which is coming quick and fast. It’s also fantastic that our access road is now fixed, beneficial to residents as well as their guests: no more waiting at the stop/go just to get to the estate, which means we’ll welcome more customers to the Clubhouse. So far so good! It’s been a very interesting year, and we’re looking forward to just getting better and better.