South Africa’s holiday villas for the rich
Luxury destinations for the rich, but they won’t stay for as long
The drought is over, the tourists are flooding back and Cape Town’s priciest holiday rentals this Christmas will top R200,000 a day, say estate agents.
For that, well-heeled visitors will get a Clifton beach villa with space for 12, sweeping ocean views, a chef, butler and property manager, and even a snack bar.
But agents say while luxury will never go out of fashion, even the rich are economising — by shortening their stays.
As usual, Cape Town’s Atlantic seaboard is setting the pace when it comes to prices, making the most expensive Garden Route rentals — at around R25,000 a day for premium properties in Knysna and Plettenberg Bay — look like bargains.
Janine Sullivan, a rental agent at Pam Golding Properties in Camps Bay, said the priciest “villa hotel”-style rental in the seaside suburb could cost up to R180,000 a night. “We have seen increased demand for rentals, especially as the water restrictions have been lifted and dam levels have improved significantly. Positive sentiment is having an impact,” Sullivan said.
Rachel Moncaster of Camps Bay Vacations said demand was stronger than a year ago, particularly from foreign visitors.
“We have seen a late surge in last-minute bookings for the December peak period and into the first few months of 2020. This could in part be as a result of Cape Town being recently named the best city in the world by The Telegraph,” she said.
But if crowded beaches are not your thing, game reserves in SA’s northern provinces also offer uber luxury in the bush.
At Thornybush Game Reserve in Limpopo, a six-sleeper farmhouse at the Royal Malewane safari lodge will set you back R170,000 a night. It comes with fourposter beds, massages on the deck overlooking a waterhole, private butlers and chefs, and a collection of fine wines and whiskies.
And for those who don’t want to mix with other guests, a private game drive will cost an additional R16,000.
Ross Bowers, marketing and communications manager for The Royal Portfolio, the owners of the lodge, said most guests came from the US and Europe.
“Royal Malewane is intimate and exclusive and is therefore a favourite with celebrities and other high-profile guests that enjoy privacy.”
He said notable guests included singers Bono and Elton John, and actors Jeff Bridges and Uma Thurman.
At Leopard Hills in the Sabi Sands Reserve in Mpumalanga, guests pay R35,830 per person a night to sleep under silk duvets in glass-fronted villas overlooking a private swimming pool and the waterhole below.
In KwaZulu-Natal, most luxury seaside mansions along the north coast come with minimum-stay requirements of between 10 and 14 nights. This can mean a price tag of up to R259,000 for a two-week holiday.
Luxury Coastal Escapes — which specialises in luxury holiday rentals — said it was seeing expatriates returning home from countries like the UK and Australia for the summer holiday.
“Our three most expensive homes in KwaZulu-Natal sit at R18,500, R17,000 and R16,000 per night in peak season,” said Louise Vogt, owner of Luxury Coastal Escapes. “Homes at this level offer every mod con and luxury a guest could ask for.”
She said the homes were fully serviced with live-in staff catering to the whims of guests who can lounge on sundecks and use their direct beach access to take a dip in the Indian Ocean.
The Beach House Letting Co, which operates along the KwaZulu-Natal coast, is renting out homes for between R10,000 and R15,000 a night in its luxury house sector.
“Eighty percent of our customers are South Africans, mainly from the Gauteng area, and the remaining 20% are international visitors,” said company CEO Janine Massey.
Andreas Wassenaar, Seeff’s principal in
Zimbali, said short-term rentals were mainly for Gauteng holidaymakers.
“Daily rates peak in December at R10,500 per night and these are always fully booked,” said Wassenaar.
But he added: “We have seen a reduction in the length of stay and a reduction in the daily rate achieved in the market due to severe financial stress, with people making decisions to take shorter holidays.”