Estate Living Magazine Retirement Living - Issue 40 April 2019 | Page 34

P R O P E R T Y
&
I N V E S T M E N T
RETIRE TO THE COAST. BUT
WHICH COAST?
The coast of South Africa is more than 2,500 kilometres long, it’s wild and tamed, rocky and sandy, restless and
restful, and probably more varied than any coastline anywhere else in the world. And here you are with only one
lifetime to live and one retirement to enjoy, and now you have to choose where to settle when – as the Bard might
have said – the hurly-burly’s done, and it’s time to turn to a life of leisure.
KZN NORTH COAST
KwaZulu-Natal’s North Coast offers warm and balmy, tropical
holiday weather, and the rapidly developing towns of Zinkwazi,
Umhlali, Ballito, and Salt Rock feel as if they’re way out in the country,
but with all the urban necessities – and also really close to the city.
And even closer to King Shaka International Airport. It’s a great
destination for surfers, and the fishing’s beyond excellent due to the
many sheltered lagoons and estuaries that serve as nurseries for a
huge variety of saltwater fishes. It’s wonderful for cyclists, too, with
numerous trails through forests and cane fields, and the golf can’t
be beat.
KZN SOUTH COAST
South of Durban, the South Coast is similar to its northerly neighbour,
but more laid-back. Towns and villages like Amanzimtoti, Umkomaas,
Scottburgh, Port Shepstone, Margate, and Port Edward offer
everything from boat-based whale watching to snorkelling, surfing
and fishing, and the scuba diving is world class. With numerous nature
reserves, and more than 400 species of birds on record, there are
plenty of opportunities to connect with nature, and the golf is great.
Widenham Village, near Scottburgh, is part of the Hibiscus
Retirement Villages group – a registered non-profit organisation
whose mission is ‘to provide the best value-for-money retirement
homes and villages in the country’, and which has the distinction
of being the first retirement society in South Africa to implement
life-right ownership. Widenham is set in 100 hectares of coastal
forest. When complete, there will be about 500 units, of which
about 170 have already been sold, and residents started
moving in late last year. There are currently 51 units occupied.
hibiscusretirementvillages.co.za
EASTERN CAPE
The Eastern Cape is an area of transition from the warmer waters
of the north to the cooler beaches of the south, so the ocean here
is particularly rich in biodiversity. The beaches are fantastic, and
the surfing is legendary, with Jeffreys Bay on every international
travelling surfer’s bucket list. It’s also home to the underrated but
awesome Greater Addo Elephant National Park, which boasts
the Big Seven (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, Cape buffalo,
southern right whale, and great white shark).
Settlers Park Retirement Village in Port Alfred is a non-profit that’s
been going for around 32 years. With 270 life-right cottages on 16
hectares, it also offers a care centre with assisted living suites and
flats, a restaurant, convenience store, laundry, library and beautiful
open spaces. settlerspark.co.za
GARDEN ROUTE
The Garden Route, stretching roughly from Tsitsikamma to Stilbaai,
Widenham
Village Zimbali Lakes
Evergreen
Lifestyle
Widenham Village
Settlers Park Retirement Village
A