Located in Boksburg , Johannesburg , an urban lifestyle estate captures the true spirit of African urban living .
PROJECTS
The estate features a model that is for the locals by the locals .
One-of-a-kind features for urban African living
Located in Boksburg , Johannesburg , an urban lifestyle estate captures the true spirit of African urban living .
By Ntsako Khosa | Photos by Similan
The estate was developed by Similan Properties in partnership with Old Mutual and sits on a land mass of about 21 hectares . The entire project is made up of 1 100 units divided between three separate estates , Urbika Apartments , Urbika Lake Village and Urbika Parks . The village has 259 homes made up of free-standing houses and townhouses that will be sold to the open market , ranging from R650 000 to R1.7-million .
DEFINING THE MODEL
Similan challenges the status quo of affordable housing , this time further pushing design boundaries to now specifically address the management of the rental units .
“ We are incredibly proud of our team ’ s ability to provide a holistic , mobile solution to manage the tedious challenges that complicates rental management . We can ’ t wait to introduce it to both our tenants and future landlords ,” says Similan founder , Harold Spies . He explains that they ’ ve invested time and effort not only in the physical design of the estate , but also in how they will enable the tenants to manage their living expenses in a way that will , in the long run , empower them to build a clean credit record .
“ Of course , in this lies a huge benefit to the investors of the apartments , as they have better control of the rental collection ,” he continues . “ Our rental utilities technology is , to our knowledge , a one-of-a-kind for the industry .”
FOR THE RESIDENTS
Urbika Urban Lifestyle Estate is designed for South Africans , by South Africans who understand the Emerging Middle-Class ( EMC ) Market .
“ When developing homes and apartments for the EMC group we have different needs to consider . From single mothers who prioritise the safety of their children , to young professionals looking for internet connectivity and access to transport nodes . Then we have an older , more settled group looking for safety and community values ,
30
MARCH - APRIL 2018
AFFORDABLE
SA HOUSING