Cosy up to sun king on Kerzner’s Cape estate
SUN King Sol Kerzner is selling one of his crown jewels — 25 hectares of Hout Bay mountainside adjoining his exclusive Cape Town estate renowned for celebrity visits and lavish fireworks parties.
But locals can rest assured that there will be no additional casino or hotel perched above town — the proposed development is an environmentally friendly 56-unit gated estate.
Kerzner’s plans for the estate on the slopes of Leeukoppie have been lodged with the City of Cape Town, with officials poised to approve it next week.
Kerzner needs approval for several subdivisions and erf consolidations to facilitate the development on land covered mostly by pines and gum trees.
Prospective buyers would be neighbours of Kerzner, a man not universally loved in Hout Bay due to his noisy New Year’s Eve fireworks displays, which have prompted intervention from the ratepayers organisation.
Portions range in size from 1 026m² to 1 555m², buffered by vacant plots. A local property expert said the housing development could generate as much as R500-million in sales and infrastructure spend.
Estate agent Rainer Kloos, of RE/MAX Living, said the homes would have “dramatic views” of the Hout Bay Valley and enjoy proximity to “top schools, the city, beaches, restaurants, and the relaxed lifestyle in Hout Bay”.
He said: “I believe this will be a hugely successful development in terms of its location, the wholesome earthy vibe in Hout Bay and the proximity to the city along one of the most scenic drives in the world.”
Although Kerzner values his privacy, his Hout Bay home — Klein Leeukoppie — has featured prominently in the news over the years, not least because of glitzy events with A-list guests like Sylvester Stallone and Michael Douglas.
The New Year’s Eve fireworks displays became so elaborate that he was forced to tone them down. “The whole of Hout Bay used to look up at the mountain to see Kerzner’s fireworks display — I stopped it,” said Hout Bay Residents and Ratepayers Association chairman Len Swimmer, adding that the noise used to traumatise pets.
He said there was no such antagonism towards the development plan, which the association believed could boost property values.
But some of the development’s neighbours are very unhappy, said Dale Lippstreu, spokesman for the Mount Rhodes Residents Association Trust, which represents homeowners on the property’s southern flank.
Lippstreu said residents at the bottom of a cul-de-sac had objected to their tranquil street becoming the development’s main access road.
“We took a poll among our residents, and a portion of them are bitterly opposed to the development,” he said. “People further up [the road] are either ambivalent or in favour. We haven’t objected to the development in principle.”
Some residents oppose the development due to concerns about traffic and housing denALICIA sification, according to objections before the city council.
The additional traffic would be “a recipe for disaster and death”, said one resident, who pointed out that access to the estate would be via an already busy intersection.
Loss of open space on the mountainside was also highlighted. “The fierce objection to the eradication of green belts such as Leeukoppie should be waged by all,” the resident said.
A planning tribunal will consider Kerzner’s application on Tuesday, and city spokeswoman Jean-Marie de Waal said: “The decision of the tribunal is usually available two weeks to a month after the sitting.”
Kerzner is one of South Africa’s all-time business success stories, having worked his way up from relatively humble beginnings to being one of the world’s top hoteliers.
His personal life, including his four marriages, has attracted almost as much attention as his famous hotels. His ex-wives include former Miss World Anneline Kriel.
Now 81, Kerzner sold his family interests in Kerzner International Holdings three years ago. His Hout Bay residence is considered a refuge from the public spotlight. In 2013, he told Leadership magazine: “Look at this view; it doesn’t get much better than this. I am fortunate enough to own one of the great estates in the Cape.”
The additional traffic would be ‘a recipe for disaster and death’