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Johannesburg - It’s the green life for South Africa’s super-earners as the richest residents choose to live in stylish but secure golf estates, reported City Press on Sunday.
The nation’s wealthiest neighbourhood is Blair Atholl Golf Estate near Lanseria Airport in Johannesburg.
Here, nearly one in four residents is a multimillionaire.
The latest census figures, released this week, show that 23% of the households in the luxurious estate with its own spa and equestrian centre earn more than R2.45m a year – the census’ highest measured salary bracket.
Part of this 600 hectare estate used to belong to champion golfer Gary Player. The golf course was also designed by him.
Michelle Schmidt, who is in charge of public relations at Blair Atholl, said their stands, an average size of 3 700m², are priced from R3m.
Homes currently on the market in the area range in price from R13.9m to R28m.
The estate that boasts 40 000 trees has its own luxury clubhouse, which includes a restaurant, gym and golf shop.
Its child-friendly community centre has a swimming pool, tennis and squash courts, and there are mountain biking trails on the grounds which have been marked out for residents.
Homeowners also receive private membership of the horse riding club, where there is a manager and qualified horse handlers.
Although she wouldn’t mention names, Schmidt said residents living at Blair Atholl were mostly South Africans, specifically chief executives of large companies.
And apart from sports cars, property owners there quite like their four-wheel drive vehicles.
“Security is very tight and you can only get access to the estate if you have an appointment,” Schmidt said.
Elsewhere in Pretoria, 11% of Silver Lakes Golf Estate residents earn more than R2.45m a year, along with 11.5% of those in Waterkloof and 7% of those in Waterkloof Ridge.
If, however, you can’t afford a house in Blair Atholl, you could always go to the second-richest area in the nation, Saddlebrook Estate in Johannesburg.
Here, 21% of the residents take home more than R2.45m a year.
Estate manager Jade Harris said they have 117 stands, of which 114 are residential units.
“The prices of the vacant stands range from R3.1m to R3.5m, while the residences sell for between R6m and R20m,” she explained.
Harris said what makes Saddlebrook Estate unique is that the homeowners are close to the City of Tshwane, but still feel as if they are living in the countryside.
“We have tennis courts, a swimming pool, two parks and even a horse riding trail,” she said.
The estate has CCTV and armed guards on duty 24 hours a day.
Saddlebrook is far richer on average than the plush suburb of Sandhurst in Sandton, where 12% of households earn more than R2.45m a year.
Of those who live in posh Hyde Park and Bryanston in Joburg north, only 7% are top income earners.
South Africa’s third-richest neighbourhood is Harbour Heights in Hout Bay, Cape Town, with its view of the Hout Bay harbour and Chapman’s Peak, where 20% of households rake in more than R2.45m a year.
The City of Cape Town also has the highest number of millionaires.
There are at least 10 residential areas where more than 10% of residents earn R2.45m or more.
South Africa’s richest neighbourhoods, according to the percentage of households that earn more than R2.45m a year:
Cape Town
The nation’s wealthiest neighbourhood is Blair Atholl Golf Estate near Lanseria Airport in Johannesburg.
Here, nearly one in four residents is a multimillionaire.
The latest census figures, released this week, show that 23% of the households in the luxurious estate with its own spa and equestrian centre earn more than R2.45m a year – the census’ highest measured salary bracket.
Part of this 600 hectare estate used to belong to champion golfer Gary Player. The golf course was also designed by him.
Michelle Schmidt, who is in charge of public relations at Blair Atholl, said their stands, an average size of 3 700m², are priced from R3m.
Homes currently on the market in the area range in price from R13.9m to R28m.
The estate that boasts 40 000 trees has its own luxury clubhouse, which includes a restaurant, gym and golf shop.
Its child-friendly community centre has a swimming pool, tennis and squash courts, and there are mountain biking trails on the grounds which have been marked out for residents.
Homeowners also receive private membership of the horse riding club, where there is a manager and qualified horse handlers.
Although she wouldn’t mention names, Schmidt said residents living at Blair Atholl were mostly South Africans, specifically chief executives of large companies.
And apart from sports cars, property owners there quite like their four-wheel drive vehicles.
“Security is very tight and you can only get access to the estate if you have an appointment,” Schmidt said.
Elsewhere in Pretoria, 11% of Silver Lakes Golf Estate residents earn more than R2.45m a year, along with 11.5% of those in Waterkloof and 7% of those in Waterkloof Ridge.
If, however, you can’t afford a house in Blair Atholl, you could always go to the second-richest area in the nation, Saddlebrook Estate in Johannesburg.
Here, 21% of the residents take home more than R2.45m a year.
Estate manager Jade Harris said they have 117 stands, of which 114 are residential units.
“The prices of the vacant stands range from R3.1m to R3.5m, while the residences sell for between R6m and R20m,” she explained.
Harris said what makes Saddlebrook Estate unique is that the homeowners are close to the City of Tshwane, but still feel as if they are living in the countryside.
“We have tennis courts, a swimming pool, two parks and even a horse riding trail,” she said.
The estate has CCTV and armed guards on duty 24 hours a day.
Saddlebrook is far richer on average than the plush suburb of Sandhurst in Sandton, where 12% of households earn more than R2.45m a year.
Of those who live in posh Hyde Park and Bryanston in Joburg north, only 7% are top income earners.
South Africa’s third-richest neighbourhood is Harbour Heights in Hout Bay, Cape Town, with its view of the Hout Bay harbour and Chapman’s Peak, where 20% of households rake in more than R2.45m a year.
The City of Cape Town also has the highest number of millionaires.
There are at least 10 residential areas where more than 10% of residents earn R2.45m or more.
South Africa’s richest neighbourhoods, according to the percentage of households that earn more than R2.45m a year:
Cape Town
- Kuils River Estate (17%)
- Erinvale Golf Estate (16%)
- Youngsfield (14%)
- Sillery (14%)
- V&A Waterfront (13%)
- Altydgedacht (13%)
- Glen Alpine (13%)
- Boskloof Eco Estate (13%)
- Kanonberg (10%)
- Die Boord (3%)
- Dalsig (3%)
- Kleingeluk (3%)
- Brandwacht (3%)
- Dainfern Valley Estate (12%)
- Sandhurst (12%)
- Westcliff (11%)
- Dainfern Golf Estate (10%)
- Duxberry (10%)
- Moodie Hill (10%)
- Hawaan Forest Estate (11%)
- Bob Rodgers Park (3%)
- Waverley (3%)
- Tempe (3%)
