Homes & Relocation Detail
Living life on the wild side
Ask anyone to describe visiting Africa and most people will at some stage talk about safaris, the Big Five, about getting out into the ‘bush’ to get away from it all
Since the end of apartheid, this sector of South Africa's tourism industry has gone from pussycat to big cat in terms of its revenue-earning potential. Says Andrew Brotchie of SA Homebuyers, a property search company, "Led for many years by the world renowned Kruger National Park, the broader wildlife and ecotourism industry has been spurred on by this growth in tourism and has been coming into its own over the last decade". Moreover, in recent years it's not just been a case of visiting national parks and game reserves that's grown in popularity but owning a stake in them. "The property market in game farms has been growing strongly," Brotchie confirms. "Game farming is the fastest growing sector of the agricultural industry in South Africa, increasing at a rate of nearly six per cent per year." As a result, Brotchie adds: "The amount of private land dedicated to wildlife ventures has increased steadily across South Africa – up to 25 per cent a year in the Eastern Cape alone, according to research conducted by the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth."
It is the province of Limpopo that has been the main beneficiary of this increasing interest. Indeed, Limpopo has almost half the total number of game farms in South Africa, with Mpumalanga, the Northern Cape and Eastern Cape also featuring strongly. Property agent and relocation specialist Leana Nel picks the The Bela Bela district and surroundings in Limpopo as one of the most interesting areas to watch. "It's emerged over the past two or three years as a getaway mecca for the South African bushveld enthusiast," she says.
But why the enthusiasm for this area in particular? "It's ideal bushveld climate, consistent annual rainfall and close proximity to Gauteng (in which the capital Pretoria and the economic capital Johannesburg are situated) and the fact that it is malaria-free make this a most desirable area in which to invest in a weekend getaway or leisure property," Nel comments. She picks out Ditholo and Shona Langa as being particularly attractive to property buyers. "Both offer one-hectare full title stands, secure with game roaming freely. This is 1,000 hectares of untouched bushveld, inspired by true South African tradition." The central theme of most of the bushveld developments is to offer the opportunity to partake in a game farming enterprise without the hassle and financial liability of running a farm in its entirety on your own. Nel explains as follows: "The most important factor potential buyers look for is long-term economic viability. Although a lot easier to come by and run than a farm of any size, such properties still represent a material investment and new owners want the peace of mind that they are becoming part of an economically stable enterprise, with every expectation that it has the potential to remain so."
Nel highlights Raptor's View, situated in Hoedspruit, Limpopo, as a sound investment in this respect as it allows you "to have the property fully managed and earning on long or short rentals". But what about reports of the South African government restricting foreign ownership of land? "Currently there are no restrictions on foreigners owning property in South Africa," Brotchie explains, concluding, "If you are thinking about emigrating, maybe considering your future in 'the wild' does not sound as far-fetched as it once did."
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