Property Perspective: The Festive Buzz Is On - Welcome to the North Coast

Theseason is here and we are loving it. Ballito buzzes at this time of year, theretailers will be busy, contractors will be closing off their last projects andplanning their well-earned breaks and the estate agents will be ready and eagerto service those wanting to explore the hidden gems of our North Coast.

Weare waiting in anticipation for the opening of the Tongati bridge, planned forthis week, which was damaged in the April 2022 floods. This key coastal roadbridge linking Zimbali to Westbrook and Umhlanga is well-used and being closedfor 21 months has had a severe impact.

TheZimbali Lakes Resort has been most impacted by this bridge closure and therenewed flow of traffic along the M4 will ensure a surge of interest. I had thepleasure of visiting the Zimbali Lakes estate this week and viewing theprogress of the golf course and the first grown-in green using the newsalt-resistant Bent grass seeds imported from Florida in the US.

Thislush carpet-like surface is possibly the best green I have seen in the area andmakes it possible for coastal golf courses to enjoy the same quality of greenspreviously enjoyed by the interior golf courses, which are not subjected tosalt content in the air. The fairways of the Zimbali Lakes course are growingquickly and by mid-2024 will be complete. The course is anticipated to beopened to the public in December 2024.

Currently,Zimbali Lakes is promoting a series of prime sites within the exclusive TataliViews precinct consisting of 106 sites, with five of South Africa's bestarchitects having each designed a flagship home to showcase what is possible inthis area.

Thesites provide for ultra-modern architecture and interior design, with everyplatform cut and prepared to ensure views are never compromised by thesurrounding buildings. The first R100m in sales are currently provided asignificant discount making these sites some of the most attractive along theDolphin Coast.

Othernews from Zimbali Lakes is that the amazing Sports Centre is planned tocommence construction in 2024, the Evergreen retirement village is on track tocommence during the same period and with the number of plans now approved thearea will be a hive of building activity.

Currently,off-plan sales of new sectional schemes such as Aurum and others are being madeavailable by Zimbali Lakes developers determined to set the benchmark in newinnovative and environmentally smart opportunities.

Thefirst developments within the Zimbali Lakes Boulevard area have shown us whatrates per/sqm can be achieved on typical studio and one-bedroom apartments. TheOcean Club development is steaming ahead and now with its first phases completeeasy for investors to understand the product and position.

Togetherwith the Zululami and Seaton opportunities and the vibrancy of the ZimbaliEstate and Simbithi property markets, the North Coast has never before been sopoised for growth as we head into a new year. Semi-gration from Gauteng isexpected to continue and the significant price advantage we enjoy over theWestern Cape will make it hard to ignore what we have on offer by those astuteinvestors looking for quality of life.