Conservation Corporation Africa, in a joint venture with Tara Getty, is developing fifteen exclusive private residences for sale on South Africa’s Phinda Private Game Reserve. The venture grew out of the demand for private safari homes from high net worth individuals in Africa, North America and Europe. As a result, CC Africa conceptualized the development of luxurious private residences at the Phinda Private Game Reserve that would be managed and maintained by CC Africa and provide an effortless solution for those seeking to own a game farm in Africa.
The fifteen African Homesteads are similar in architecture and design to Phinda’s Getty House, Tara and Jessica Getty’s private African home that is managed by CC Africa. Each homestead sits on a lot of five acres and has four bedrooms – each with massive private bathroom, plus a fifth bedroom and bathroom for owner’s staff such as a babysitter or personal assistant. Each home features luxury furnishings and finishing carefully chosen to reflect the beauty of the surrounding environment. A swimming pool overlooks the African bush.
The African Homesteads are fully serviced by CC Africa to the same level as it lodges. When the owner is present, each homestead has a dedicated CC Africa trained ranger, tracker, chef, butler, security guard and house-keeping staff, as well as the sole use of an open 4×4 safari vehicle. When the owner is not present, the house is guarded and overseen by CC Africa, but it does not become hotel accommodation. These are private homes for the exclusive use of their owners.
The architectural footprint of each African Homestead is fixed, but there is flexibility in layout. The design team (architect Nick Plewman and interior designer Chris Browne) has built numerous award-winning CC Africa lodges (including Tara Getty’s African home). Chris Browne’s design work was last featured in Architectural Digest in August 2006, and one of his CC Africa safari lodges in India will be featured in the magazine’s August 2008 issue.
The fifteen homestead sites have been carefully chosen to ensure owner privacy. Each site has a unique aspect and while each is extraordinary, owners need to make the weighty decision of whether they prefer a mountain site with glorious views, a site neighboring the rare Sand Forest or one intimately overlooking a water hole. All environmental impact assessments have been completed and approved to ensure minimal disruption to the surrounding vegetation. Construction of the first African Homestead commenced in March 2008 and is estimated to take 9 months to complete.
The structure of ownership of the homesteads is on a leasehold basis for a period of 70 years. Not only do purchasers acquire a home of the highest standard of build and finish, but the major asset is the right to traverse the combined 54,000 acres of Big Five land currently under CC Africa control. Seven Homesteads have already been sold.
Initial selling prices start at R42 million (approximately US$6 million) per unit. In addition each owner will pay an annual maintenance charge. For more information, visit “https://www.africanhomesteads.com”
[See also: Top 100 Suites – andBeyond Phinda Homestead, South Africa]