High Street Auction company puts a price on lifestyle and location in KZN

Green shoots are sprouting in the KwaZulu-Natal property sector, a region that the High Street Auction Co is targeting for growth during the second half of 2025, says director, Greg Dart.

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“We've got a huge pool of Gauteng investors looking to redeploy capital out of this region. While many local competitors in the auction space are reticulating existing money in the province, High Street has an investment pool that will inject new capital into the region. Investors with which we have built strong relationships over the past 15 years trust our platform and ability to find the right investment opportunities. People are looking to diversify and trade into new regions. KZN is certainly attracting a lot of interest,” Dart explains.

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Dart says High Street is already negotiating the sales of a number of iconic properties in the province starting with three in the upcoming auction at the Bryanston Country Club in Johannesburg on September 25.

Spreading South

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These include High Rocks in Umkomaas, which has been repeatedly voted as a Top Ten Getaway Beach House by Getaway Magazine and Widdy’s Beach Club, the neighbouring property, that benefits from the resilient tourism sector along what is known as the Mid-South Coast.

Offering direct beach access, High Rocks nestles on the top of the Widenham Point overlooking the magnificent coastline. The covered deck provides an exceptional vantage point to spot dolphins, whales, rays and the famous sardine run. Widdy’s Beach Club, also just a 40-minute drive from Durban, has not only operated as a self-catering destination for over 15 years but hosted corporate events, weddings and conferences.

Dart says that the upswing in the Mid-South Coast, led by developments such as JSE-listed Crookes Brothers’ Renishaw Hills, Serentiy Hills and Umdoni Point estates, together with plans to build small craft harbours at both Scottburgh and Hibberdene, is just the beginning of a far larger property awakening along the South Coast which is home to the majority of the country’s blue flag beaches.  

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KwaZulu-Natal’s North Star

Dart says that the North Coast, which has driven rapid economic development in the region for over two decades on the back of the opening of the King Shaka Airport and surrounding Dube TradePort and aerotropolis as well as key logistics and warehousing nodes such as Riverhorse Valley and Cornubia is a priority for High Street.  

Proximity to the airport and South Africa’s busiest and largest container port, make this a strategic investment hub. The large Stanger property that is suited to warehousing, light manufacturing or logistics that is due to come under the High Street hammer on September 25 is likely to be the first of many.

The KZN North Coast has also seen residential and tourism-based development with the soon-to-open Club Med development by Umhlanga-based Collins Residential together with the evolution of the Sibaya Coastal Precinct and Zimbali Lakes Development creating a great deal of anticipation.

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Chris du Toit, project lead for the Club Med South Africa development commented: “The Club Med development and other residential and mixed-use developments in the area will change the North Coast forever. We are really excited about where the tourism market is heading and anticipate significant secondary market developments in all the nearby precincts. The influx of international guests will create very strong market dynamics for the region.”

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This KZN Coast is known for attracting high net worth individuals, many of whom have settled their families in premier estates that are close to upmarket schools while they commute to and from Gauteng weekly.

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This work-to-travel market also presents a potentially lucrative pool of investors says Dart: “Durban is an hour away. You do your business in Joburg, but your family and lifestyle are in KZN. We are finding that because the family has established itself there, those with capital are looking to invest in the region too.”

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Channelling investment inland

The Upper Highway area, which includes key logistics hubs such as Westmead and Hammarsdale along the main N3 route to Gauteng which is in the throes of a multi-billion-rand upgrade, is another noteworthy investment node.

The most obvious development taking shape in Durban’s Outer West is the R15-billion Westown Development which promises not only residential but also retail and logistics space.

Carlos Correia, CEO of Fundamentum Property Group, which is driving this development, notes that the greater Westown Precinct is moving ahead rapidly:

“Westown focuses on the value of open space and is designed to integrate with existing outdoor and lifestyle activities that define the Shongweni/Hillcrest sub-region such as horse riding, trail running, mountain biking, walking, birding and much more. With a primary catchment area stretching from Westville to Cato Ridge, just off the N3 highway, Westown is attractive due to its location and ease of access.”

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Neighbouring developments include the Classic Balwin Collection (with earthworks having commenced for the first 200 units of Shongweni Eco-Park), the 100-bed West Private Hospital, Parc Ferme, a motor focused new commercial scheme and the Farrier Business Park which will focus on logistics and warehousing.

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“We've sold a lot of properties in KZN in the past. In light of this, we certainly want to formalise our presence more aggressively here. Already, we are doing a lot of work to get more exposure. We believe that this is a region that should not be neglected in anybody's investment planning,” Dart concludes.

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