A look at the R33 million private school-turned-wedding venue for sale in South Africa

A R33 million wedding venue in Ballito Central is on the market for R33 million.

According to Tyson Properties, the Kearsney Manor is an old English mansion built in the late 1800s by Sir James Leige Hulett, who founded what would become Tongaat Hulett Sugar, and is situated on the original sugar estate near KwaDukuza in the iLembe District.

This recently renovated colonial estate is recognised as a Heritage Site and once housed the original Kearsney College.

Kearsney College is a private boarding school for boys and is now found between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. The school moved to its current site in 1939.

The estate is situated 80km from Durban on the KwaZulu Natal North Coast.

A 400-seated wedding venue is found in landscaped gardens with two chapels.

The original manor home has been turned into a guest house offering 20 bedrooms. Built by Sir James Leige Hulett in the 1800s.

Tyson Properties director, Murray Haywood, who is establishing the Salt Rock-based office, said that the KZN North Coast is rapidly emerging as one of South Africa’s prime locations for lifestyle and investment.

“The North Coast will become the ‘Atlantic Seaboard’ of KZN in the next five to ten years as  European investors discover it,” said Haywood.

“Already, more international flights are arriving and property prices will continue to increase. We have exciting times ahead. The Club Med resort is being developed at Tinley Manor which offers an invitation to the rest of the world to discover the province’s best-kept secret.”

The KZN North Coast real estate market has seen steady sales since 2020, reflecting the ongoing demand for secure estate living close to the coast.

Families are also relocating to take advantage of good schools and professionals have put down roots in the province’s economic hub.

“I chose to move here to achieve a balance of lifestyle and weather as well as to seize an incredible opportunity to buy and sell some of the most exclusive future value properties,” said Murray.

“There is no limit as the estates also make provision for sectional title free-standing homes and retirement units, assisting entire families to live together.”

The KZN midlands is also a property stalwart with more and more investors choosing to relocate from the city and work remotely.

The Midlands are close to major cities such as Durban and Johannesburg with good road infrastructure that is in the process of a major upgrade.

On top of some of South Africa’s best scenery, it is also home to many of the country’s top schools.

Tyson Properties CEO Chris Tyson said the province has long been South Africa’s most stable market and, while it did take a battering during tough times, such as the July 2021 unrest, it has always bounced back.

“If the national market drops 20%, KwaZulu-Natal only drops 12% reflecting its buoyancy. It has always been a sound province in which to invest despite the infrastructure challenges following the 2021 riots and 2022 floods,” said Tyson.

The group is thus actively business models to underpin growth over the next few years. It has already tripled its headcount in the Pietermaritzburg and Natal Midlands franchises.

Tyson is optimistic about the property market in KZN following the most recent interest rate cuts in South Africa, with the South African Reserve Bank cutting interest rates by a cumulative 50 basis points in 2024.

75 basis points worth of cuts are expected in 2025.

“The indicators are in place for a solid property run over the next 18 months and we are gearing up for an upbeat market, focusing on building stock in anticipation,” said Tyson.

Images of the R33 million Kearsney Manor can be found below:

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