Estate Living Magazine Invest SA - Issue 45 September 2019 | Page 22

P R O P E R T Y
&
I N V E S T M E N T
IN THE
BUSH ,AND
OFF THE
GRID
A unique 1,500-hectare
bush retreat in the
Waterberg, only an
hour and a half from
Pretoria and two hours
from Johannesburg,
Boschhoek Mountain Estate
offers residents a sanctuary
away from the hustle and
bustle of Gauteng city life
– and offers management
some unusual opportunities
Boschhoek Mountain Estate was developed as a joint venture
by Herbert Smith and the landowner, cattle farmer Chris
Klingenberg. When they first started in 2007, there were gorgeous
mountains but miles of fences, herds of cattle and only a couple of
jeep tracks. The fences were removed, the cattle relocated, and the
roads repurposed for use by estate residents and management.
The dream
Passionate about the bush and with extensive experience in the
town planning and property development arena, Herbert had
long dreamed of developing an estate that was not about ‘the golf
courses and three-storey clubhouses and the like. It’s really about
the bush. Our typical owners are professional guys who would like
to go and sit on their backsides on a rock and enjoy nature around
them.’
It wasn’t plain sailing. Obtaining all the required approvals, from
EIAs to water usage and licences, was a long process that took more
than four years. By 2011 they were ready to start marketing. They
were selling a dream, as there were still cows behind barbed wire
fences, and no infrastructure. Fortunately, the unrivalled beauty of
Boschhoek’s mountains, streams and bush sold itself. By 2013 they
had sold more than 50 of the 143 one- to two-hectare full title stands
and could proceed with the initial batch of transfers.
What made Boschhoek’s sales easier is that there is no minimum
building size, and no specified house plans or builder. Tented lodges
are also allowed. There is a maximum building size of 500 square
metres, and buildings have to blend in with the bush. A control architect
oversees building plans. In addition, the building’s footprint needs to
be approved by an ecologist.
The owners have 10 years from date of transfer to start building, and a
year after starting to complete the building process. All this makes for
a great opportunity to own a piece of paradise for both holiday home
owners and permanent residents – about 10% of current owners live
on the estate permanently and the number is steadily growing. So far
around 60 homes have been built on the 116 stands (80%) that have
to date been sold, with bush homes varying from a small bush pad
for two through to multimillion rand lodges beautifully blending with
nature. The final phase has been launched, offering some stunning
bush properties at R849,000 to R1,499,000. There is also a down-to-
earth clubhouse with a farm-style swimming pool.
Making it happen
I n terms of bush development, legislation called the Development
Facilitation Act – a parallel piece of legislation but different to
the normal Provincial Ordinances – was used to establish
Boschhoek. It was the only way to establish a full title bush estate as
this legislation enabled them to deal with the Department
of Agriculture’s