Some, such as Raptor’s View, near Kruger National Park in the northeastern part of the country, include wildlife reserves.īasil Weinrich, a real estate consultant from Cape Town, said more than 40 percent of wealthy South Africans - defined as people earning more than about $70,000 a year- now either live or own property on security estates, a figure that is steadily rising.Ĭrime dominates South African life. Many of the communities combine armed guards, cameras and electric fences with recreational facilities like golf courses and gyms. van der Venter, a person of color,was a senior executive at Caltex and British American Tobacco, among other companies, before retiring and moving here. In a country with a long history of racial turmoil, the South Africa pattern invariably results in communities dominated by white people (only about 10 percent of South Africa’s population), with others effectively excluded by income. Only the United States, with a population six times as large, has more of what are known there as gated communities. He also feels extremely safe there.Įstate developments - often built in combination with upscale golf courses - are hugely popular among wealthier homeowners in South Africa, consistently outperforming the general market, largely because they offer a combination of amenities and, as at Val de Vie, state-of-the-art security. van der Venter, 54, enjoys strolling through the grounds of Val de Vie, a gated community 35 miles north of Cape Town that has been judged South Africa’s best for the past two years by New World Wealth, a market research group based in Johannesburg.
Zebra and antelope nibble grass on a small reserve.Īfter a fast-paced career in the corporate world, Mr. CAPE TOWN - Clifford van der Venter admits his own golf game is “pretty useless.” Nevertheless, he was drawn to one of South Africa’s most prestigious golf estates, stretching over 2,500 rolling acres with a Jack Nicklaus signature course, two full-size polo fields, three gyms and a winery.
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