The sport of horse riding is very popular in South Africa and there are several notable areas where property buyers with a keen interest in equestrian sport tend to migrate to. These include agricultural holding areas and increasingly a choice of luxury equestrian estates.
Alisha Dippenaar, general manager for the greater Seeff Sandton/Midrand area, says equestrian estates and smallholdings have done well since the onset of the Covid-pandemic.
The top area for equestrian property buyers is Kyalami. She says it is home to premier showgrounds and equestrian facilities such as the Inanda Equestrian Club and Kyalami Equestrian Park along with stabling, equestrian schools, exercise tracks, tails and outride paths.
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Lightstone data shows there was an excellent uptake in equestrian properties in the Johannesburg/Sandton North and Kyalami areas over the last two years with some equestrian estates achieving some of the highest transactions in recent years.
Midrand has currently *1 127 new property listings, according to Property24 Trends Data, with the average asking price being R1.35 million vs the average selling price of R862 500.
The average sale price per erf for 2021 was about R995 250, while Section Scheme Units average sale price for the same period is R849 900.
The latest residential listings on Property24 show that two-bedroom homes are most widely available, at an average list price of R850 000.
41.7% of the sellers are older than 49 years old, while 75.5% of buyers are younger than 49 years old.
Click here to see all the sale and listing price trends in Midrand
Both Saddlebrook and Beaulieu for example achieved record transactions in 2021. Saddlebrook achieved 14 transactions compared to 9 during the 2015 boom period and Beaulieu achieved 15 compared to 13 in 2015. There were also 11 land transfers in Blue Hills last year.
There has also been strong activity in the agricultural areas such as Kyalami AH (14 transactions in 2021, the highest since 2018), Glenferness (8 freehold transfers, the highest since 2016/7) and Glen Austin.
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Dippenaar says people are increasingly looking to get out of the busy cities and those with a love for horses and nature tend to migrate to the Kyalami area. It is Africa’s top area for equestrian sport and offers an excellent choice of high-end equestrian estates and smallholdings. Aside from local buyers, these also appeal to international buyers who can find excellent value compared to what they would pay in Europe.
While offering a rural lifestyle, these estates and smallholdings are basically on the doorstep of Sandton, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Midrand. World-class amenities including business centres, the Mall of Africa, lifestyle centres, medical facilities and hospitals are easily accessible to residents.
Cath McFarlane is an award-winning showjumper and trainer, and partner to renowned showjumper and trainer, Oscar Ncube, both of whom own LinRowe Stables in Kyalami. Cath recently joined Seeff Sandton as an equestrian consultant, given the unique requirements of equestrian clients.
She says equestrian properties in the Kyalami area offer an unmatched lifestyle with some of the most beautiful scenery and spectacular views of Magaliesberg. Prices of these properties tend to range from around R3.5 million to R35 million but can go into the upper millions for a spectacular top-end estate.
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These are also often sought-after rentals, achieving some of the highest rates ranging from R50 000 to R150 000 per month.
The most popular equestrian estates and areas include:
1. Waterfall Equestrian Estate - median price R12.9 million
This is a top-end luxury estate with plots of 8 000sqm to 10 000sqm and spectacular homes of 1 000sqm, priced from R18 million to R100 million. Equestrian facilities include stabling, paddocks, horse jumping arenas, a polo field, and scenic bridle paths along the Jukskei River and leisure amenities such as hotels, restaurants, a hospital and schools.
2. Blue Hills Equestrian Estate - median price R13.1 million
Blue Hills Equestrian Estate offers large plots upwards of 5 000sqm with luxury homes priced from R10 million to the upper millions. Also, still vacant land selling from around R3.4 million. Communal features include paddocks and lunging rings, various leisure facilities, and a private school (Reddford House).
3. Saddlebrook Estate - median price R7.25 million
The estate borders the Inanda Country Club and offers plots from 1ha to 1.5ha with spectacular luxury homes, priced from R6 million to about R30 million. Equestrian features include bridle paths with cross-country jumps for enjoyable safe outrides. Leisure facilities include a clubhouse, tennis courts and parks and dams filled with natural wildlife.
4. Glenferness AH - median price R3.5 million
Glenferness offers large smallholdings with some ranging to over 25ha with stunning homes, priced from R6 million to around R30 million. Close to the Kyalami Equestrian Park.
5. Beaulieu Country Estate - median price R6.2 million
The area offers hectare-sized plots interspaced with meandering bridle trails and luxury homes, priced from around R5 million to over R20 million for a large property with stabling and equestrian facilities. Aside from the Beaulieu College Equestrian Academy, the estate also includes stables, show grounds and scenic trails.
6. Kyalami AH - median price R4.525 million
On offer are mostly small holdings from 1ha to 2.5ha with luxury homes, often with equestrian features such as stabling, paddocks and more, priced from R4.7 million to R17.5 million.
7. Glen Austin AH - median price R2.65 million
Glen Austin AH also offers small holdings from 1ha to 2,5ha with country houses, often a swimming pool and tennis court, possibly the most affordably priced from R2.7 million to R10 million.
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*Property24 Listings Data Disclaimer: The trends detailed in this article are based on Property24 listings, current at the time of publishing, and property transfer data supplied by Deeds offices, which typically take 3-4 months to reflect. Suburbs are listed according to Property24's geographical database. In some areas this will include both commercial and residential properties. The age demographic data of buyers, sellers and stable owners is determined over a six-month period. These Property Values should not be used as a substitute for independent professional advice and is subject to Property24.com Terms and Conditions.
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