R10-billion Zimbali Lakes development begins to flow

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08-04-2022
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North Coast Courier
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Developments within the resort are to include an 18-hole golf course, the Beach Club, Ocean Club, The Boulevard, The Ridge, Water Club and Sports Club, and will feature a commercial section resembling the V&A Waterfront.

The future of estate living is being defined brick by brick at a R10-billion IFA Hotels and Resorts estate development 2km south of Ballito.

The Zimbali Lakes Resort development broke ground in 2018 to meet the growing demand for estate living on the North Coast.

Estate homes on the North Coast have grown from a meagre 219 to 6 897 since 1994. But developers say they are building more than just houses.

The plan is to create a self-contained community, where someone who worked from home would almost never need to leave the estate.

Developments within the resort are to include, among others, an 18-hole golf course designed by Gary Player, the Beach Club, Ocean Club, The Boulevard, The Ridge, Water Club and Sports Club, and will feature a commercial section resembling the V&A Waterfront.

Situated on the eastern side of the M4 will be the commercial hub, The Boulevard, a mixed-use development comprising a garage site, potential doctors’ rooms, offices, convenience shopping outlets and residential sites.

Construction on this development began in August 2020. The Boulevard will also be open to the general public.

Further south will be the Ocean Club – 456 seaview units will primarily serve as short-term rental units.

On the opposite side of the M4, slightly further south, the Water Club will be situated, a development alongside the Tongaat River.

At more than 300 hectares, the Zimbali Lakes Resort has already seen about 140 planned unit developments sell like hot cakes.

The launch evening in 2018 saw R700-million worth of sales made.

The resort will also feature a state-of-the-art retirement facility called The Village for those over the age of 55. It will have a dedicated on-site healthcare centre with assisted living facilities and professional post-operative care.

IFA Hotels and Resorts partnered with the Amdec Group to deliver on the promise of secure retirement living.

Zimbali Lakes will appeal to nature lovers with planned bird hives, lakes, dams, walking paths and trails for running and biking.

The estate will also be pet-friendly.

Speaking on the development, iLembe Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism CEO Cobus Oelofse, said the socio-economic impact on the region would be significant.

“It is estimated that The Lakes development will create 3 500 permanent job opportunities once complete. About 40 000 direct and indirect opportunities could be created during the development and construction phases.”

The development will have 350 sectional title homes, further adding to the rapidly growing number of sectional title homes on the North Coast which has grown from 4 138 in 1994 to more than 15 722 currently.

According to the AfriAsia Bank 2021 wealth report, which charts property growth from La Lucia to Sheffield since 1994, Zimbali has seen the highest number of new developments in the district, with Seaward Estates, Compensation, Newsel Beach (Umdloti), the Sibaya Coastal Precinct and Willard Beach all featuring among the 12 suburbs with the highest growth.

It is estimated that the entire resort will be completed by the end of 2025, with the first residents moving in during the final quarter of this year.