Gauteng on sea not that fun for all
Inland ‘coastal’ estate faces complaints of noise and partying
It seemed like a winning combination for the people of landlocked Gauteng — a safe, trendy and relatively affordable estate with a turquoise “lagoon” surrounded by a beach.
But The Blyde Riverwalk Estate’s popularity as a “tourist destination” for day visitors and short-term rentals has backfired for developers, who have had to clamp down on landlords renting properties for short stays.
This follows complaints by some permanent residents about crowds and noise. They claim that visitors “bring in cooler boxes and party in the parking lot”.
New regulations restrict the number of day visitors, and fees to use the lagoon have increased from R100 to R250 a person.
The spat has left some homeowners furious. Following a protest by homeowners on Monday, Balwin Properties, the developers, suspended the lagoon fee increase, pending a meeting scheduled for October 11.
The Pretoria estate has about 900 owneroccupied or long-term rented apartments and 200 short-term rental apartments. Balwin says that another 2,000 units are being built.
Property owner Yonela Somtsewu said the new regulations will kill her B&B. The income pays for two apartments she owns. Somtsewu charges R3,500 a night. “I nearly died ... when I heard the news. I had six people coming that weekend. That’s R3,000 [to use the lagoon],” she said.
Another unit owner, Thabo Selebe, said his two-bedroom “boutique apartment” is always full. Guests pay R2,500 each a day.
“People can’t always go to Durban or Cape Town and this is much more affordable than Sun City,” said Selebe.
“I’m proud to say a lot of families come to my accommodation, so I know the level of rowdiness is low.”
Kay Yeni is a permanent resident in his two-bedroom penthouse. He is angry about the new regulations.
“I have lived here over eight months. I’ve been told to turn my music down, which I do, so it’s not just guests making noise,” he said.
“It’s totally disrespectful that we paid for the lagoon and now they’re taking the attraction from us [by charging an access fee]. They agreed to drop the R250 for now, but they haven’t stopped the access system. That means if I get a taxi to go and come back again, those are my two guest passes. Or I must drive to the gate and meet there. Uber is our most common ‘guest’.”
Kay said that if things did not change he would think of moving. He also questioned why the developers thought it was OK to build 2,000 more units if the first 1,000-odd were already crowding the beach.
However, Themba Nkosi, better known as Euphonik, a DJ, music producer and radio presenter, said that overcrowding is a concern. He is a brand ambassador for Balwin and a homeowner at the estate.
“Speaking as a homeowner and investor, the overcrowding, especially over weekends and public holidays, is a genuine concern,” Nkosi said.
“I would urge all homeowners to vote on October 11 for us to find a way forward in addressing these challenges, as it could set the benchmark for similar issues in other sectional title estates.”
Balwin spokesperson Morné Reinders said the regulations were to prevent overcrowding of the lagoon.
“We had people stealing extra access cards, bringing cooler boxes with booze in and partying in the parking lot.”
Balwin is building another lagoon development in Midrand, but regulations at the Munyaka development will from the outset prohibit owners from offering short-term rentals, the company said.
According to the Munyaka website, the
R9bn estate will have a “crystal-clear, 70,000m² lagoon waterfront”. By completion in 2028, it will have 5,178 apartments.
The property developer said the concept of coastal living in landlocked areas “appeals to homeowners across the globe”.
“It forms part of a move towards more integrated living, where recreational amenities are easily accessible in a safe community environment,” said the company.
“To keep levies affordable, communities of approximately 3,000 apartments are developed on a phase-by-phase basis,” Reinders said.
Steve Brookes, CEO of Balwin Properties, told the Sunday Times: “We take the residents’ complaints at The Blyde very seriously and will continue to work with the homeowners’ association, residents and other stakeholders in finding a workable solution to maintain a safe and family-friendly environment.”
Reuben Phala of LN Motimele Attorneys, representing the rental owners, said the complex rules state that short-term leasing, such as B&B or other holiday letting, would be allowed.
He said that on July 23 the terms of agreement were changed, which had “adverse terms such as double levies, and limiting all homeowners to access determined by the size of their apartment”.
Property law expert Louie van Schalkwyk, of the University of Cape Town’s department of construction economics & management, said nothing stopped the developers from imposing rules as long as they were the majority owners.
“In this case Balwin imposed the rules ... but it doesn’t mean owners can’t reverse it at some stage.”
Community Schemes Ombud Services’ chief ombud, Boyce Mkhize, said The Blyde matter was being reviewed.