{"id":839960,"date":"2025-10-15T17:18:44","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T15:18:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=839960"},"modified":"2025-10-15T17:30:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T15:30:10","slug":"world-famous-south-african-bar-selling-for-r18-million","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/business\/839960\/world-famous-south-african-bar-selling-for-r18-million\/","title":{"rendered":"World-famous South African bar selling for R18 million"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The world-famous Ronnie\u2019s Sex Shop, a landmark along South Africa\u2019s Route 62, is up for sale after more than three decades in business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bar, known for its odd name and cluttered interior filled with traveller memorabilia, has long been a popular stop for road trippers, bikers, and locals passing through the Klein Karoo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is now on the market for R17.9 million, which would mark the end of an era for one of the Karoo\u2019s most recognisable roadside establishments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story behind Ronnie\u2019s Sex Shop began in the 1970s when local farmer Ronnie Price decided to open a small farm stall on Route 62 near Barrydale to sell fruit and vegetables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To attract passing motorists, he painted \u201cRonnie\u2019s Shop\u201d on the wall of a whitewashed cottage. Not long after, some friends decided to play a prank\u2014adding the word \u201cSex\u201d to the sign in red paint. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The altered name drew attention from drivers, and rather than repaint it, Price decided to keep it. Instead of opening another ordinary roadside stall, he turned the place into a pub. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What began as a joke slowly developed into a social hub in the middle of the semi-arid Karoo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bar became known for its laid-back atmosphere and for the hundreds of items left behind by visitors\u2014from bras hanging from the ceiling to notes and stickers covering every inch of wall space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three years after the pub opened, Route 62 was formally established as a scenic alternative to the N2 highway. Its popularity as a wine and tourist route helped cement Ronnie\u2019s Sex Shop as one of the best-known stops between Cape Town and Oudtshoorn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After nearly three decades of running the bar, Price has now decided to sell. The 230-hectare farm on which the business operates has been in the family for 36 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sale includes the pub, a coffee shop, a gift shop, and a wooden deck that seats around 60 guests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s also a three-bedroom, two-bathroom main house and a smaller flat on the property, however, Ronnie will retain a life right to the main farmhouse, with all associated costs covered by him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karoo quitely becoming a semigration hotspot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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According to the estate agency Rawson Properties, the farm has good water security, with a borehole producing 40,000 litres an hour and a natural freshwater fountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the listing notes that Price will retain a life right to remain in the main farmhouse, with associated costs covered by him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the bar remains a local landmark, its sale also reflects a broader trend in the Karoo, where demand for property has been quietly rising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Estate agents have noted that smaller towns in the region are attracting buyers looking for quieter and more affordable living compared to South Africa\u2019s crowded and expensive cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pam Golding Properties has reported that the Karoo has seen growing interest from people seeking a slower pace of life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wayne Rubidge, the company\u2019s area principal for the Karoo, said that the region\u2019s open spaces, old architecture, and sense of community appeal to those leaving urban areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven the Karoo\u2019s culinary revival, boerewors and biltong culture, and improving internet connectivity have drawn a new wave of remote workers and entrepreneurs,\u201d Rubidge said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that many people now see owning property in the Karoo as a practical alternative to coastal holiday homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prices in the area remain lower than in major metros. In larger Karoo towns, buyers typically pay between R1.2 million and R2.5 million for a home, while smaller villages often have properties selling for under R900,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cIn many of the surrounding areas, a good-quality house can still be found for around R1 million to R1.2 million,\u201d said Rubidge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ronnie\u2019s Sex Shop \u2013 R17.9 million<\/a> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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A landmark bar along South Africa\u2019s Route 62, is up for sale after more than three decades in business.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":839981,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9872],"tags":[23815,23816,853],"class_list":["post-839960","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-ronnies-sex-shop","tag-route-62","tag-south-africa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/839960","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/92"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=839960"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/839960\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":840083,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/839960\/revisions\/840083"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/839981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=839960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=839960"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=839960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}