Designed by John van Wyk from Craft of Architecture (COA), OceanDune is designed to pay homage to its unique coastal location while creating a resort-like atmosphere within a community-centric estate.
As the first residential estate developed within the Sibaya Coastal Precinct, OceanDune is a dream made real. Developed on wild land, this estate set the benchmark for future development within Sibaya and played a part in creating market confidence in the precinct.
One of the challenges faced by the architect was to develop an estate with over 200 apartments while retaining an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity which emanates from the surrounding natural beauty. Aside from the scale of the estate, one of the challenges was to orientate the building so that every unit would benefit from the coastal vistas.
John van Wyk says it was a case of balancing the hard building elements while honouring the ocean and coastal forest. He adds further, “The views from your unit are unbelievable; forest in the immediate foreground and as the eye moves further ahead, the ocean and virtually every apartment has a sea view. You don’t find this in too many other places in the world. It is truly unique, and the design of the estate had to pay homage to this. The inherent natural beauty was the jumping off point for the layout and design of OceanDune.”
The tranquil atmosphere of the estate is further enhanced by the corridors and solar screens on the west side which provide a sound buffer against any noise from the M4. Using the natural elements to its advantage, each unit at OceanDune has expansive openings on both sides to allow air to flow through and cool your apartment. Security has also been considered in the design, and the opening on the corridor-side of each apartment is fitted with a screen. You can sleep with your sliding doors open in perfect safety.
The overarching goal with the communal facilities is to bring people out of their apartments and create a sense of community. The facilities themselves are very much centred around KZN’s warm climate and the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors at almost any time of the year. At OceanDune, families can enjoy life within the safety of the estate with 2 dedicated splash pools for kids, each with a slide which are located close to the 2 ‘adult ’pools. Kids have their very own play area set up with climbing apparatus and other equipment while adults can keep active in the estate gym. The piece de resistance is undoubtably the elevated sun deck, which offers the perfect vantage point to enjoy the Indian Ocean in all its splendour. The ocean is the hero of OceanDune, and the design of the estate endeavours to give every apartment the best ocean views possible. Many of the roofs of the buildings are planted to create ‘living roofs’. The philosophy behind this is to give anyone at OceanDune the opportunity to enjoy the best views whether from the sun deck, on top of a roof or from their private balcony.
The sun deck offers simple pleasures – spend time on the sun deck gazing at the green forest or crystalline ocean while lounging comfortably in one of the suspended cocoon chairs. The sun deck has a pool and sun loungers, perfect for long warm summer days. Get-togethers are had around the braai pods or fire which are set under a pergola, or around the fire pit.
The beautiful ocean vistas and serene coastal forest are what truly make OceanDune unique, while communal facilities only add its desirability. Positioned along KZN’s best stretch of coastline, OceanDune pays homage to KZN’s warm climate and the breath-taking ocean views.
The demand for convenient living grows ever stronger, and people are looking to invest in primary-use property which will enhance their lifestyle. The market’s desire for what is termed ‘blended living’ is driving much of the buyer activity along KZN’s North Coast, especially within key growth areas like the Sibaya Coastal Precinct.
Sibaya’s positioning and lifestyle elements, along with the secure estate living on offer and the clear value growth trajectory of properties in the precinct is the ideal trifecta when it comes to where to invest.
One of the things that makes Sibaya so successful is that it is designed to connect the community, and the estates within it, like Gold Coast Estate echo this ethos on a smaller scale. Gold Coast Estate is undeniably one of KZN’s most forward-thinking and luxurious residential estate. With a design that moves beyond mere aesthetics, each facet is designed to create ultimate ease and to connect you to your community.
Within your home, super-fast and seamless fibre keeps you connected to family and friends while also enabling you to conduct business from home with ease. The added benefit of being with Gold Coast Estate is that you’re connected wherever you are in the estate through estate Wi-Fi provided in common areas. Slink by the poolside while you order in for the evening or get home and snuggle up with the family to stream your favourites on Netflix. The variety of facilities within the estate provide ample opportunity for family time or solo adventures whether that be fun in the sun at the clubhouse, a quick session in the gym, a bite at the estate restaurant or a breakaway into the green areas with your furry friend by your side.
From your home within Gold Coast Estate, you are literally steps way from the amazing Sibaya Coastal forest. Get connected to nature as you meander through a safe, managed environment. You can explore the beauty of the forest at canopy height along the elevated boardwalk, or meander slowly down to the beach. Get to know the local birds better as you spy them from one of the many bird hides found throughout the forest. The benefit is that you can access the forest quickly and easily at virtually any time of the day.
Along with several pockets of boutique retail, Sibaya’s grand design includes a retail piazza. This piazza can be reached safely through the precinct and is close enough to be accessed on foot from Gold Coast Estate. The piazza lends a European flavour to SA’s best performing residential node, through its design which encourages interaction and is a place where people can come together in a casual and inclusive setting.
The precinct has its very own dedicated thoroughfare, the Hezela Boulevard. This roadway provides safe passage within Sibaya for pedestrians and cars and is a vital link between the various nodes within the precinct. The M4 highway is only minutes way from most of the estates within Sibaya, lending a high degree of accessibility and providing a connection to the business nodes of Umhlanga Ridge and Ballito. Just beyond the M4 you’ll reach the N2 which provides a direct route to King Shaka International Airport in minutes- perfect for those who regularly commute in and out of KZN for business.
As a thoughtfully designed precinct for the future, every facet of the Sibaya Coastal Precinct is designed to connect you to your community and bring you closer to nature. Similarly, Gold Coast Estate’s world-class family facilities, high-tech security and seamless connectivity are also designed for community connection and ultimate convenient living.
Thank you to those of you who joined our live Q&A session.
The last live session delved deeper into Sibaya to look at how its catalytic nature accelerates job creation and the economy, what investment opportunities already exist within the precinct, what is happening with upcoming developments and a future value forecast.
Sibaya Snapshot
• R4-5 billion worth of development already exists on the coastal side of the Sibaya Coastal Precinct.
• 60% of Sibaya will remain green and undeveloped, this includes the 350 hectares of coastal forest which is actively being made clean, safe and secure to allow forest and beach access and opportunity for other recreational activities. The forest area will also be actively patrolled by security personnel.
Sibaya Tomorrow
Ultimately Sibaya will be a mix of different types of residential, commercial and retail developments:
20 000m² retail including kid-focused outlets, eateries and coffee shops
5000m² modern medical facility
A Curro school that caters for Grade R – Matric and can accommodate 2000 learners
A private university valued at R1.5 billion
A 500-bed international hotel
A frail care facility
Sibaya Node 6
• Will introduce and develop 350 – 400 freestanding retirement opportunities which are competitively priced and pet-friendly.
• In the next 2 -3 years, 500 + freestanding homes in the R2 – 4 million range will come onstream.
Job creation and the impact on the economy
• Sibaya has created 30 000 – 40 000 jobs over the last 5 years, and another estimated 70 000 – 80 000 jobs will be created over the next 10 years, with 10 000 of those jobs being permanent.
• On average Sibaya generates R150 million in rates for the city and about R1.2 billion is effectively given back to the city through VAT (Value Added Tax).
• The upcoming Node 6 will unlock approximately R20 billion worth of work over the next 10 years and Node 5 will unlock another R10 -15 billion worth of work over the same period.
Devmco Group Developments and Value Projections
• Gold Coast Estate and Parc are 3 months from completion. Gold Coast Estate has 50 houses currently under construction and another 50 upcoming this year.
• Covid-19 will not impact the speed of delivery of Gold Coast Estate and Parc, and we will be implementing stricter Health and Safety measures on site and administering PPE and hygiene protocols in line with Government regulations. Essential services such as cleaning, repairs and maintenance are happening at Gold Coast Estate to ensure we are ready to get going once we enter Level 3 of the lockdown.
• Our existing developments have seen capital appreciation of 40% over the last few years which is set to increase by an average of 10 -20% per annum as demand for the Sibaya lifestyle grows. Investors who get in early will naturally get a higher yield; the unmatchable location, convenience factor and natural assets will drive up values as demand for park-like lifestyles and secure estate living grows. Beach access, managed green areas and proximity to the airport will attract regional semigration (JHB) and also domestic migration from other Durban suburbs which will also drive up values.
Please watch our video to get the full picture as we unpack the topics in more detail.