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Property Profile
The high life
Developer Chris Drummond has his hands full catering for the high end of the market, but he makes sure the little man is not forgotten, and invariably fits in a marathon too
American property developer Steve Wynn once described a resort as being, ‘sort of like how God would do it if He had money’. The same may be said of Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate. Located on the banks of the Bot River Lagoon, with ocean and mountain views and an abundance of bird- and wildlife, it’s already brimming with god-given beauty. Add a good few million rands’ worth of stylish architecture, some vines, a profusion of lavender fields and the odd olive grove, and you’ve got paradise – only enhanced.
Heading up the development is British-born Chris Drummond, executive chairman of IRR Properties Group. With a BSc. Honours in Urban Estate Management, he enjoyed a successful corporate career in London, then moved to Johannesburg in 1983 – the same year he was elected as a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Senior directorships in big corporates kept him busy in Jo’burg, until he zipped off to Spain to develop the luxury residential resort, Miraflores, in Marbella. By then he was a partner in Sage Properties, which he bought out in 1996 on his return to SA – this time to Cape Town. In 1997, Chris launched New Property Ventures, whose offerings include Arabella Golf Country Estate and Pinnacle Point. But Benguela Cove is clearly the flagship of his portfolio: ‘It’s luxury country living on a farm in Africa,’ says Chris. ‘And then there’s the space. There are only 124 homes on 210ha, making Benguela Cove the lowest-density residential estate in South Africa’. Sixty-five of those hectares are devoted to vines, which are clearly thriving: the 2007 Maiden Vintage Sauvignon Blanc has already won an award. Chris plans to add a 150-ton wine cellar, restaurant, a tourism centre and a boutique hotel. The only drawback for some – it’s a cat-free zone, to protect the resident birds. Dogs, however, are welcome… ‘What is a farm without dogs?’ asks Chris.
Back in the city, he finds time in his hectic schedule for the social-upliftment and charity organisations he heads. Chris is chairman of the Claremont Improvement District Company (CIDC), which has been instrumental in the successful urban renewal of the Claremont CBD. Funded by a levy derived from local ratepayers, the CIDC provides additional services, like extra street cleaners and 24-hour security patrols. The company also financed the major road arterial, Claremont Boulevard, to the tune of R24-million. ‘So far, we’ve succeeded in creating an enhanced, safer and cleaner environment, which is attractive to consumers, investors and business owners,’ Chris says. ‘The results speak for themselves: crime statistics have dropped, and, even more significantly, street children are rarely found in Claremont.’
Chris is serious about putting his money where his mouth is, especially when it comes to social upliftment. He’s the director of StreetSmart, a charity that raises money via participating restaurants, where patrons have the option of donating R5 or more (or nothing at all). Funds go directly to established charities that help street children. Chris is also the director of Christel House SA, the local arm of an overseas charity, which developed a school in Ottery that provides world-class education for impoverished kids. Adults are not forgotten: he’s a member of the advisory board of Common Purpose SA, part of an international educational institute dedicated to societal cognizance. ‘We bring together disparate elements of our society, for instance a high-court judge or corporate executive might sit and talk with a policeman or a street sweeper, so each gets a better understanding of the other’s role. It all goes towards building tolerance in society,’ says Chris.
While he’s encouraging those around him to walk a mile in each other’s shoes, it appears that the time spent in his own shoes is far from pedestrian. Chris runs marathons, cycles the ABSA Cape Epic and has climbed three of the world highest peaks. He was within 200 vertical metres of the Mt Everest summit on the north face when a bad fall and a storm forced him to turn back. ‘I’d have lost my life if I’d gone further,’ he says. As it is, he sacrificed a substantial chunk of his big toe to frostbite. He’s since hung up his crampons, and also binned his sandals. But it hasn’t put him off: ‘I’ve run a marathon or two since then and, after some postural adjustments, I can still hit a golf ball straight down the middle of the fairway.’
Future plans include developing two new Planet Fitness clubs, one in Green Point Stadium and the other in the Durban Stadium. The IRR group already owns Planet Fitness MegaClub (Wanderers), the largest gym and health club in the southern hemisphere. ‘We’ve got a lot to look forward to,’ says Chris. ‘Happily, 2010 has forced Government to spend money and boost the economy – this should draw investors. Brits and Europeans cannot get better value for their currency anywhere else in the world, and our lifestyle is irresistible, particularly to the still-active-but-retired market and those casualties of the recession who’ve received handsome retrenchment payouts. All good news for those of us selling top-end properties, which are invariably not bond dependent. In short, I’m optimistic.’ +27 (0)21 671 5417, www.benguelacove.co.za
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WIN!
