SA billionaire's African island paradise
SA billionaire plans exclusive, ecofriendly resort for São Tomé and Principe
SOUTH African billionaire Mark Shuttleworth is known for dreaming big, and his latest adventure is no exception — he is ploughing R960-million into creating one of the most exclusive resorts in the world in a tiny island country in the Gulf of Guinea.
The island chain of São Tomé and Príncipe is one of Africa’s smallest nations and is known for its pristine rainforests, unspoilt beaches, game fishing, cocoa crops and a famous guest known by locals as the “man in the moon”.
The entrepreneur earned the nickname because of his trip to the International Space Station, which cost about R200-million.
Now he is smitten with the simple life on Príncipe, which, the story goes, he happened on while looking to buy a private island.
The former Portuguese colony has a population of about 180 000. The island of Príncipe has a soccer team, schools and an art centre — but no ATMs and nowhere to get a professional haircut. San Antonio, the historic capital of Príncipe, is the smallest city in the world, with just 700 inhabitants.
Two years ago, Shuttleworth bought the Bom Bom resort on a small islet just off Príncipe, which was initially developed in the ’70s by wealthy South African Chris Hellinger.
Shuttleworth has since bought several other resorts and tracts of land in a project set to cost his venture capital company, Here Be Dragons, about à70- million (about R967million). He wants to develop the island without disturbing its beauty.
This week he was not reachable, travelling in Asia. But the Financial Times last week reported him calling the island “somewhere ethereal”.
“Ïf you’re going to get involved somewhere like Príncipe, one goal is to ensure that if you fly into Príncipe in 20 years’ time it is as beautiful as it is today,” he told the newspaper. “You have to try to figure out a way to improve people’s quality of life and their ability to participate in the world while still protecting what they may not realise is very special about their environment.”
Company spokesman Tania Garcia told the Sunday Times from Portugal that the island would be developed along five “strategic pillars”: to protect its biodiversity, celebrate its culture and history, support cultural and sporting activities, create space for access to knowledge and create jobs.
Garcia said the company had already done minor renovations at Bom Bom and planned to turn it into “one of the most exclusive resorts in the world”.
On another part of the island, Roça a Paciencia, a four-star “eco-resort” is planned, set in a rainforest and overlooking the sea. A five-star resort, with an African art theme, will be developed on three of the island’s beaches. Roça Sundy, a historic cocoa farm, will be developed to create a cocoa experience for visitors and chocolate will be made.
Shuttleworth has also bought properties in San Antonio to be developed into businesses and a boutique hotel on São Tomé.
The master plan is to “support this country to become a unique tourist destination and truly sustainable both environmentally and socially, as well as economically”.
The company said it had earned the trust of the population and the authorities and was “actively engaged in Mark’s commitment and his vision for the country, whose implementation has a planned investment of à70- million over 12 to 15 years”.
Research teams from South Africa have arrived to catalogue flora species and study the best ways to grow coffee, vanilla and cocoa. Plans for forest recovery are under way and some homes have been identified for rehabilitation. Some 700 jobs will be generated, 90% of which are designated for locals.
Work on extending the island’s airstrip to a 1 800m runway, equipped to deal with aircraft slightly bigger than 16seaters, has already started.