Centurion has evolved from a sleepy Pretoria suburb with smallholdings and large open spaces into one of South Africa’s fastest growing cities. Property developments have mushroomed, the city limits have expanded and large corporates have set up head offices in the area. It is no wonder that residential property is in high demand.
This is according to Craig Hutchison, CEO of Engel & Völkers Southern Africa, who says from Centurion there is expedient access to highways and main routes, and with the Gautrain at its core, commuters have the convenience of comfortable travel to Sandton, Kempton Park, Johannesburg CBD, OR Tambo International Airport and Pretoria. The neighbourhood has a wealth of educational and medical facilities, it has a library, police station, post office and churches, and is also a destination for its eateries, coffee shops, pubs and clubs.
For Clubview residents, malls in the immediate vicinity include the Clubview Shopping Centre, Clubview Corner shopping centre as well as the Eldoraigne Village Centre. World-class shopping and entertainment is on the suburb’s doorstep with the super-regional Centurion Mall and the newly opened dining, gaming and entertainment complex, Time Square, in Menlyn Maine.
Additionally, there are various sports facilities, including golf courses, gyms, the Alpha Centurion sports club and the Supersport Park cricket grounds. In terms of healthcare there are hospitals, clinics and dental care facilities. Schools in the area include Hennopspark Primary, Reformia, Regio and Zwartkop High. Nursery schools include Montessori and Sunshine Corner.
“For consumers who want the best of both worlds - 'country feel' plus the 'live, play and work' lifestyle of the burgeoning Centurion area - Clubview is the quintessential choice,” says Hutchison.
“Furthermore, Centurion is fast becoming the new higher education node with Centurion Academy, Tshwane South TVET College, Technicol SA College, Open Window Institute for Arts and Digital Sciences, Prue Leith Chefs Academy and SA Chefs Training and Innovation Academy. This adds another attractive dimension to Clubview.”
Clubview properties offer a low-risk, high-return investment
Although Clubview offers a mix of residential properties such as houses, townhouses apartments, clusters and new developments, it is still very undeveloped compared to any of its neighbouring suburbs. The agricultural holdings have become very popular for developers as it gives them the land required to build their developments at reasonable prices in order to make it affordable for the affordable income bracket, says Hutchison.
Currently freestanding homes range from R1.2 million to upwards of R4.5 million, and the price of sectional title apartments from R750 000, however, this is expected to rapidly change over the next few years as the area becomes more popular, and land becomes less obtainable.
“Clubview offers investors and buyers the opportunity for an early take-up into the real estate market as the area is experiencing an upward trajectory of growth and development. A 5% to 10% return on investment (ROI) is projected, which is a good return on relatively low-risk investments” Hutchison noted.
New on the horizon
Oak Tree Village is a brand new sectional title building which will hit the market on 1 November 2018. A four-storey walk up, comprising a mix of either two bedroom, one bathroom or two bedroom, two bathroom units. Phase 1 of Oak Tree Village is coming to the market at a starting price of R829 000 - making it ideal for both investors as well as first-time homeowners.
This project is the latest addition to the International Housing Solutions (IHS) portfolio. IHS is a property investment management company that joins forces with institutional investors, authorities, development partners and other industry partners to deliver affordable housing in South Africa and other African countries. IHS identified the greater Centurion area as a growth node several years ago already, and has delivered other projects in the area too.
“Our Focus at IHS is to facilitate and fund the development of affordable housing in high-growth urban nodes in order to make a positive impact on the housing shortage in South Africa, while delivering risk-adjusted returns to the investors,” says Henk Snyman, Senior Asset Manager at IHS.
Willem Odendaal, Technical Specialist at HIS, says the affordability was considered not only in the end product, but also in in the years to come.
“We obtained Green Edge Certification for this development, with aspects such as window-to-wall ratio, roof insulations, the ventilation and water heating systems, to name but a few, ensuring the end user optimal savings on monthly utilities,” Odendaal explains.
IHS decided to partner with Kale Developers in conjunction with Tri-Star Construction to bring Oak Tree Village to life.
“We truly believe that we have a unique product that we are bringing to the market,” says Derek Wheals, Managing Director of Kale Developers.
Wheals explains that the synergy between their vision and that of IHS was the perfect match, as IHS secured an affordable product, Kale focused on the lifestyle aspects of the new owners.
“Not only did we keep an eye on today’s tech-driven world and included fibre to the estate, we also wanted to add something extra, and that was to include natural surroundings and outdoor living to the mix,” says Wheals.
Residents will be able to experience an ‘away-from-home’ feel the moment they exit the door. We have incorporated plenty of green space, with two braai areas, a children’s play area and stunning park area which will be surrounded by a clear vu wall, giving residents walkways and grass areas to enjoy the sunny days, which we in South Africa are so fortunate to experience.”
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