Leloko Lifestyle Estate

Hartbeespoort, in the heart of the Cradle of Humankind north of Pretoria, has been steadily shifting its profile over the last few years – from primarily a holiday/weekend destination to a primary residence village in the countryside.

Driving the change is the fact that it is only a 40-minute drive from Johannesburg and Pretoria, and only 30 minutes from Lanseria. Harties, as it’s affectionately called, is also home to some good schools, including Pecanwood College (which offers schooling from pre-primary to Grade 12, plus boarding) and Mountain Cambridge School, as well as upmarket shopping malls and medical centres.

Lifestyle estates in the area have responded to this trend, with many of the higher-priced sales of Hartbeespoort houses in estates like Pecanwood Golf Estate, Westlake Estate and Caribbean Beach Club Estate now serving as primary residences for their owners.

Joining this trend more recently is Leloko Lifestyle Estate, ideally situated on the slopes of the Magaliesberg mountains and the banks of the Hartbeespoort Dam, but with easy access to the N4 Platinum highway to Rustenburg, Pretoria and Johannesburg.

‘Our market is mostly from Pretoria and Johannesburg, and many are seeking to make this their primary residence, commuting to work in town but still enjoying the country lifestyle that Leloko offers. At this stage we have a good mix of primary residence buyers and investors,’ confirms Mmule Lebeloane, director of Projectprop, the developer company of Leloko.

Although stands close to the dam’s edge are lovelier, they are bigger and more expensive, selling in the R649,500 to R663,000 range, so price-sensitive buyers are taking a keener interest in phases 3 and 4 that feature greenbelts and artificial dams, where stands are in the R364,000 to R472,500 range, says Lebeloane. ‘This indicates that the estate is sought-after for other reasons than just the dam views, and also that there is a strong market for us in these lower price brackets,’ she says.

The estate caters for a variety of homes, from two-bedroom sectional title apartments to full title homes on stands as large as 1,200 square metres. With just over 300 stands available at Leloko Estate, most of them sold, phase 3 of the development is in full swing with stands to which buyers can add building packages priced at R364,000.

Prices are competitive in Hartbeespoort, which makes it particularly appealing to younger first-time buyers. ‘Young professionals are taking a keen interest in the building packages offered at Leloko, and are applying for bonds for these. There are three options, called Blazing Sky (140 square metres), Burnt Stone (187 square metres) and Ancient Earth (312 square metres).

‘The plan is to eventually have 700 homes on Leloko Estate and the adjacent land, a mix of freestanding and sectional title properties. At the moment our aim is to get 350 houses built so that we can then build a clubhouse,’ says Lebeloane.

She adds that Leloko has an excellent road network and is well managed through the HOA, which finds strong favour with all its buyers.

Facilities at Leloko Estate currently include an Olympic-sized swimming pool overlooking the dam, braai areas, children’s play areas and fishing spots. There are also jetties and boat-launching facilities, and existing boathouses are being increased in number to accommodate all home owners.

A third of the estate is reserved as greenbelt and this area supports abundant game and birdlife. Game farms in the vicinity offer bird safaris and close encounters with various animals. ‘Nature lovers have a lot to do here. There are plenty of water activities on the dam, and sunset cruises are offered by many of the resorts. So it’s a holiday-style lifestyle, yet close enough to the cities to commute to work,’ says Lebeloane.

Shopping malls in Harties include Sediba Plaza, Village Mall, Chameleon Village and The Mountain Lake Centre. The Magaliesberg area is also ideal for dining out at the many local restaurants and pubs, including two at the top of the longest mono-cable in Africa, which offers spectacular views as far as Pretoria, Rustenburg and Randburg.

The Magaliesberg mountains are the oldest in the country and one of the oldest ranges in the world, enjoying global acknowledgement by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve.