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The KwaZulu-Natal province is set to see the development of a number of new retirement villages, designed as vibrant communities to accommodate active, healthy and happy retirees.
Development plans are in place for 5 000 Evergreen Lifestyle units to be built over the next three to five years nationally. In KZN alone Evergreen will build 750 units in Zimbali, 640 in Umhlanga and 458 in Hilton. The first residents of these villages are expected to take occupation in late 2020.
With a decade’s experience building retirement villages, Evergreen Lifestyle is backed by industry giants the Amdec Group (a property developer with over 30 years experience) and financial services company PSG.
“This move into KwaZulu-Natal forms part of an ongoing programme to expand national footprint,” says Arthur Case, CEO of Evergreen Lifestyle. “There is strong and growing demand for retirement estates in the province, especially along the North Coast and in the Midlands.”
The designated areas have proven to be popular destinations for retirees due to the scenery, quality lifestyle, amenities and affordability in comparison to other parts of the country.
The Umhlanga Ridge development is in a prime location ‒ a beautiful site that will ultimately include a large Lifestyle Centre, a Care Centre, and 640 homes and apartments. Residents will have access to a conservation area on the land, which will remain protected. The village is also in close proximity to the ocean, King Shaka International Airport and Gateway Theatre of Shopping as well as other amenities. This popular region has seen a huge spike in residential developments, with more on the way.
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All Evergreen Lifestyle developments, including these latest planned villages, are built in response to demand for a new style of retirement offering ‒ a movement a far cry away from the model of traditional retirement homes.
Currently, Evergreen residents across the country are aged between 58 and 101. This broad reach can be attributed to a larger number of people looking to scale down for a more manageable, affordable lifestyle to live out their older years.
South Africans are living longer than ever before, and typically retiring much later, but at some point past the age of 65 there inevitably comes a transition point when seniors either choose full-blown retirement or decide to downsize. For many, this means continuing to work in some capacity from an estate which offers features like 24-hour security, medical facilities and frail-care, and maintenance teams in a community environment.
Most retirees choose to stay close to what they know, near familiar scenery and faces. This is evident in the KwaZulu-Natal region as Evergreen Lifestyle has found that the vast majority of people looking to retire in these areas come from surrounding areas in the province as well as Gauteng.
Evergreen Lifestyle estates operate on the Life Rights model, which grants the buyer and their partner the security of guaranteed lifetime occupation. The key benefit of this model is that the owner of the Life Right is not accountable for all the responsibilities that come with full ownership of a property, such as maintenance, insurance and security. Furthermore, levies are kept at bay and medical costs and frail-care within the estates are provided at a lower cost to residents, compared with similar quality facilities at a hospital or private frail-care unit.
Evergreen Lifestyle’s core goal, with all of these features in place, is to provide havens across the country that offer safety, peace of mind, and a comfortable lifestyle throughout residents’ retirement years.
