Advertisement
Welgevonden Estate is a residential estate located in Stellenbosch, South Africa. It is a well-known and sought-after secure community situated in the picturesque Cape Winelands region, which is renowned for its vineyards, scenic beauty, and historic architecture.
Being located in the Cape Winelands, the estate benefits from the stunning natural beauty of the area, with views of vineyards, mountains, and lush landscapes, while still being strategically located near Stellenbosch, with the university, schools, shopping centres, restaurants, and other essential amenities all within reach of the estate.
Welgevonden, like many of the estates built 20+ years ago, has gone through several evolutions. When the estate was originally planned, the neighbouring suburb elected to be included within its borders. However, as these homes were already built, they were different from the aesthetic guideline being followed by the developer. Today, when you’re driving around the community, these hidden back streets of the older suburb give the estate a quaint beauty that we don’t often find in newly built communities.
When the estate first launched, due to its close proximity to Stellenbosch University, early investors identified the opportunity to purchase units to service the rental market created by the university. Welgevonden found itself hosting a large contingency of student residents, which came with challenges the estate was not designed for.
Fortunately, by 2014 the property market in the Western Cape was booming. Not only were prices on the rise, but developers had identified the need for more life-stage focused developments, such as student accommodation, and this opened up more accommodation around university campuses.
At the same time, Welgevonden was also going through its next evolution.
Chairperson of the newly elected board in 2015, Ancia van der Mescht says “The first order of business was restructuring the professional team and estate management as well as proper maintenance of existing common property. The board also introduced an exit levy in the estate constitution.” This exit levy would prove invaluable in years to come.
Advertisement
The estate started to invest in its underlying infrastructure, and over the next three years the team’s efforts propelled Welgevonden into the limelight and the estate experienced an influx of new homeowners, including all the property renovations that come with new investment.
By 2017, with the maintenance under control, the board started looking at the next 10 years. After an extensive survey of the homeowners, the message was clear – the next 10 years needed to focus on establishing new facilities such as a clubhouse, swimming pool, and tennis courts.
There was also a strong demand for the upgrading of the “farm dam” that is situated at the entrance to the estate. The Welgevonden homeowners were also becoming increasingly aware of the new developments in the area, many with various recreational facilities, and what effect this could have on their property prices.
An important part of their 10-year strategy was also to acknowledge that Welgevonden was always positioned as a middle-income estate located in an exclusive area, providing a safe environment and a good quality of life for its residents. It was therefore a high priority for the board to keep the levies competitive, which they achieved by maximising the opportunity that came with the scale of the estate – 950 units. This has also been achieved through the years.
In June 2020, Gawie Marx joined the community as Estate Manager, and the estate evolved again. With an impressive CV, having headed up Pearl Valley as well as a number of five-star hotels, he took over the 10-year plan and developed the ‘homeowner experience’, identifying additional valuable improvements such as advancement in the security systems, improving lifestyle aspects such as parks and children’s play areas, as well as refreshing the corporate identity of the estate. The estate also opened a coffee shop in one of the parks, which has become the heart of the community.
And this is where the magic really started to happen for Welgevonden, placing them as a clear front-runner today ahead of their surrounding communities.
The exit levy introduced in 2014 had been building up reserves, and now the estate was equipped with the financial security that would enable them to roll out the major upgrades the residents had requested in that 2017 survey. With Gawie leading the charge, the estate was no longer evolving but was transforming.
In 2022, the estate rebranded: the colours of the mountain ranges that surround Welgevonden – purples and greys – were added to a new logo, which has been echoed throughout the estate’s landscaping, signage, and the picturesque setting created for residents to enjoy.
The first big project was the dam, which is currently being re-engineered to include jetties, decks, and lawned areas. Residents will be able to use the dam as a recreational area, have picnics with family or just enjoy the sunset. The construction around the dam area should be completed in 2023.
The second big project – establishing the facilities – is underway. Having identified an area on the estate that was being underutilised, the estate will be rolling out the new amenities, which include a clubhouse, tennis courts, petanque courts, a swimming pool, a dog park and a leisure area. This construction should be completed by 2024.
Current chairperson, Etienne Gunter, says ‘Welgevonden Estate has always been intended as a family estate.’ Today the board of trustees, in collaboration with residents and management, has built an estate that values communication and good neighbourly relations. The vision and strategy that the community agreed upon in 2017 is proving to be a success, and by summer 2023, as the residents watch the sun setting from the jetties around the dam to the soundtrack of children playing happily, they will raise a glass to celebrate their achievements.
