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Neighbourhood Watch Pearl of the North Coast - Ballito

It was towards the end of a long, hot summer in 1953, that our party of four climbed into the green Ford V8 en route to Compensation Beach on the Natal North Coast. We were on our way to visit Basil Townsend, the Squire of Compensation, and persuade him to sell off a portion of his vast sugar-cane estate for the development of a coastal township.' The 'we' was Jack Nash, author of the book, 'The Birth of Ballito, Pearl of Natal North Coast', Doctor Eddie Rubenstein, renowned township developer from Johannesburg, his surveyor Ray Paul and Ashley Clive-Smith, property agent.

As it turned out, Basil Townsend needed little persuasion, and early in 1954, granted an option to Rubenstein's development company, Glen Anil Investments, for 200 acres of his farmland. A new township was about to be born... and it needed a name. According to Jack Nash, Rubenstein asked each of his staff – including Jack – to come up with possible names, called them together, and was unimpressed with their suggestions. Jack remembers, 'I saw him reach into the pocket of his jacket and bring out a page torn from a glossy magazine. 

(Left: Salmon Bay is a favourite spot for surfers Marc Sibbald and Dylan McKenzie.)

It was folded once across the middle. He allowed us to view the bottom half only. I remember being rather amused to view a pair of shapely female limbs encased in the sheerest silk hosiery from the tips of the toes to well up the thighs. The picture was in colour and we all stared at it blankly. The doctor cleared his throat, 'Any comments?' Someone asked what was on the other half of the page. Deftly he displayed the title – BALLITO HOSIERY. 'That, gentlemen,' he said, 'is the name of the new township.' Thankfully, he fully intended to drop the hosiery, and leave it at Ballito.

Legend has it that one of the party boasted a smattering of Italian, and confirmed Ballito to be 'little ball' in Italian, hence the ball held aloft by the pretty model in the development's launch advert. Of course, ask an Italian, and the word doesn't exist...

The first advert for Ballitoville – marketed as Ballito Bay – offered sites 'priced from 395 pounds (R790) on very easy terms.' The 28 prime beachfront plots sold for 700 pounds (R1 400) each. The launch and development was a roaring success.

(Left: Jet ski fishermen Mark Hardorth and Herman Labuschagne.)

Today, the one question guaranteed to evoke furrowed brows is where Ballito actually begins and ends. Driving along that magnificent stretch of coastline known as the Dolphin Coast for its regular bottlenose dolphin sightings, it's easy to understand why boundaries are blurred. These little towns melt into one another, each just around the corner, with a little cove, tidal pool, magnificent beach, and a handful of surnames which formed the bedrock of the community way back when. There's talk of Ballito and Greater Ballito...

Clearly, the unprecedented development over the past five years has played a major role in this melding of little seaside spots. Twelve years ago, the map of Ballito was a hand-drawn one, 'and,' says long-time resident and draughtsman Louis Nel, 'not to scale either'. Louis began the arduous task of producing an accurate map of the entire Dolphin Coast, from Zimbali to Tinley Manor, and inland across the new toll road to Shaka's Head and Shaka's Kraal. Given the rate of development, Louis keeps busy with updates. He says 'Greater Ballito' stretches for about 14km from the southern point of Zimbali along to Sheffield Beach... but another opinion suggested Zimbali to Thompsons Bay, and yet another...

(Left: And scuba divers Richard Gibbon and Quentin Power.)

But for those who live in the 'old' Ballito, boundaries are of little concern. Their Ballito is pretty much a distant memory, but still, this old residential area of Ballito contains much of the prime real estate and most of the permanent residents. Amusingly, the response by permanent residents t 'So, you obviously love the beach,' was generally, 'No, the sea.' Most leave the beach to the holidaymakers, and given that residency numbers rise 300 per cent in peak season and 150 per cent in June/July, who could blame them? Ballito currently has 10 000 ratepayers, so do the arithmetic.

For holidaymakers – and a sector of permanent residents – the wet side of Ballito is the drawcard. The fishing, any which way you like it – rock, surf, trawling, kayak, crayfish, mussels, jet ski – is superb and well-controlled by the authorities; so too is the scuba diving. Those for whom Ballito has been home for many years or many generations are concerned about conservation of the waters, and not only abide by the rules themselves, but work actively towards educating the young and the lawless.

(Left: The beachfront promenade snakes along the seafront.)

The numerous beaches are truly designed for holidaymakers, with a range of different sized tidal pools ideal for children, the elderly and the feint-hearted. The main beach, Willard, is a surfer's and swimmer's paradise and was awarded international Blue Flag status; like a second beach, Clark Bay, it also has lifeguards and shark nets. Salmon Bay is a favourite surfing spot as well as the site of the Boat Clubhouse and launch ramp.

A few twists and turns north, and there lies Thompsons Bay with the white Santorini apartment complex studding the rocks. The Olympic-size tidal pool, Charlie's Pool, was built by one of the area's early settlers, Charles de Charmoy, relatives of whom still live a stone's throw away. A marine trail begins at the Hole In The Wall natural rock formation, and leads north to the High Rock of King Shaka.

From a charming little quiet seaside resort, Ballito has become a major property player. Gerald Venter of Pam Golding Properties says growth appreciation is in the region of 35 per cent, and property values have increased by 100 per cent in the last 18 months. The Dolphin Coast is hot property, and Ballito is sizzling. When asked how it compares to its nearest southern neighbours, Nash Cohen, MD of Hunters, describes Ballito as 'quieter and more family orientated than Umhlanga, but more of a commercial node than Umhloti. In a nutshell, it has the best of what Umhlanga and Umhloti have to offer.'

There's no doubt the shift of commercial and professional enterprises out of town to office parks on La Lucia and Umhlanga Ridges has contributed to the residential component of Ballito. Commuting has been speeded up by the N3 toll road, and permanent residents have an easy ride south to Umhlanga/La Lucia – 20 minutes in peak hour traffic – or all the way into Durban; others head north to Stanger, Empangeni and Richards Bay. In addition, Ballito is only a five-hour drive from Johannesburg, so that holiday home is now potentially a weekender home! Increasing numbers are commuting on a weekly basis, and Brendan Falkson of Brettenwood Coastal Estate inland at Sheffield Beach is convinced this figure will increase with the development of the new airport in 2007.

(Left: The Boathouse in Ballito is a luxury guest house and fine dining establishment on the Salmon Bay sea front.)

'The new King Shaka Airport and Dube Tradeport will be 20km south of Ballito. This is a massive project as it's not only an international airport with double the capacity of Durban's, but it's also a tradeport providing a distribution hub into South and southern Africa. There'll also be large industrial and commercial development within the 2 000ha site. A comprehensive socio-
economic study has shown that the development will generate 25 000 sustainable jobs with over 100 000 permanent residents in the surrounding area.

'Being at least 20km away, Ballito and Umhlanga are the closest residential areas that will not be affected by the increased air traffic. A large portion of the 100 000 new residents will be looking for accommodation in Ballito. Even with all the recent development in Ballito, only about 7 000 new homes have been supplied over the past five years. This means a huge uptick in demand from 2009 when the first phase of the airport is scheduled for completion. The development of gated estates has provided a supply to this growing demand.'

(Left: With 'old' Ballito below him, draughtsman Louis Nel sits on a steep 1 800m² plot – 95 per cent of it on a 90 degree incline – for sale at R1.8m.)

Ballito has spawned a number of secure gated estates catering for different levels of the market, from Zimbali to Simbithi to Brettenwood. Eco estates like Simbithi are offering the country advantages in the safety of a community-style environment.

Investors and those looking ahead for retirement options have all been staking their claim. 'Beachfront properties are at a premium, and can't meet demand,' says Neville Melville, Regional Sales Manager for Chas Everitt KZN. 'And if a developer gets hold of one, a small complex of a few units will go up immediately. One good thing though – large monstrosities of several stories are not allowed. This is strictly enforced.'

Entry level at Ballito appears to be just under a million, minus sea views. Nash Cohen of Hunters says a three-bedroomed unit without sea views at the secure, gated residential complex of San Bush Willows is around R960 000 – 'They're popular with people looking to get into Ballito, and they're flying off the shelf.'

Zimbali is marketed as the ultimate resort destination, and is considered to be up there with a handful of South Africa's premier property developments. With an emphasis on resort-style living, Zimbali is a world within a world. There are restaurants, swimming pools, spas, gyms, extensive country club facilities and two world-class golf courses (the second 18-hole Gary Player championship golf course is currently under construction), so residents hardly need leave home. And if you're eco-friendly, there are gloriously green pursuits like bird-watching and forest walks.

(Left: Zimbali offers the best of all worlds: sea, forest, lakes... and golf.)

Land values at Zimbali have escalated tenfold in the last decade. An average stand sold for R400 000 in 1996, while a similar site would now change hands at R4m. First beachfront sites released in 1996 were sold for R550 000, while in December 2005, three similar sites commanded R7m each. The highest price yet achieved for a Zimbali home has been R19m, a record for the estate, but, say the developers, it's still a far cry from properties along the Atlantic seaboard in Cape Town which have peaked at R54 000 per square metre as opposed to Zimbali's R13 000 to R16 000 per square metre.

More than half the buyers at Zimbali are purchasing second homes for holiday and retirement use; currently, foreign investors own about 10 per cent of the properties, with the bulk of the market still coming from Gauteng.

Holiday rentals at Zimbali range from R1 500 to R5 000 per day, with the lower-end of the market achieving a 50 per cent occupancy level. The estate has, however, one seven-bedroomed house, with 180-degree sea views that charges R22 000 a day rental, irrespective of the season! The fifth and final phase – Zimbali Lakes Estate – is due to be launched shortly.

Holiday letting in Ballito and environs is big business. Twenty to 25 years ago, there were three letting agencies. Now we're told there are between 15 and 20. Out of season, visitors pay R200 to R750 per unit per day; in season, from R500 to R1 800. However, all estate agents agree the infrastructure hasn't kept pace with the development, and it's clear that catch-up is the name of the game. Peak season incurs major congestion.

'The north coast has about 9 000 more units planned over the next five years in different developments,' says Gerald Venter of Pam Golding Properties, so clearly, there's going to be a need for a shopping centre of the magnitude of Umhlanga's Gateway Theatre of Shopping. Modern shopping has, however, come to Ballito in the shape of The Lifestyle Centre and Ballito Junction Shopping Centre, so commercial development hasn't kept pace with residential... but it's working at it. Ballito Business Park is the largest commercial enterprise along the Dolphin Coast, and the massive Ballito Office Park is under construction.

There's a strong belief Ballito is the fastest growing municipality in the country, and let's face it, the iconic waving fields of the north coast's 'green gold' are fast being replaced by gold of a different sort. Sweet property.

For yesterday's sugar barons and settler families who enjoyed wonderful old homes on large stands nudging the beach, the sprawling, towering apartment blocks are understandably undesirable neighbours. But that's change and/or progress for you.

Think on this: Professor Mike Watkeys of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, says, 'If you had stood on that rocky point (of Ballito) 140 million years ago, and looked out to sea, you would have seen the Falkland Plateau of South America less than five kilometres offshore.' Now that's real change for you.

Brettenwood Estate www.brettenwood.co.za

Chas Everitt +27 32 946 0412

éLan Group +27 31 576 9600, www.elan.co.za

Engel & Volkers +27 32 946 7777

Hunters 0861 616 616, www.thehunt.co.za

Pam Golding Properties +27 32 946 3430

Zimbali Coastal Resort www.zimbali.co.za

With thanks also to Jack Nash, author and publisher of The Birth of Ballito, Pearl of Natal North Coast.