{"id":841515,"date":"2025-11-06T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=841515"},"modified":"2025-11-06T14:47:01","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T12:47:01","slug":"the-luxury-estate-next-to-a-maximum-security-prison-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/property\/841515\/the-luxury-estate-next-to-a-maximum-security-prison-in-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"The luxury estate next to a maximum security prison in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Steenberg Golf Estate in Cape Town is one of the most sought-after in South Africa, even if it is a stone\u2019s throw away from Pollsmoor prison. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steenberg\u2019s history dates back to 1662, when a 22-year-old German widow, Catherina Ustings, arrived in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After acquiring land for the Governor, Ustings became the first female land-owner in the new South Africa, establishing the first grape farm in the Constantia valley. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Steenberg Farm boasts the 5-star Steenberg Hotel and Spa, a farm and winery specialising in Sauvignon Blanc, several restaurants, and the popular Golf Estate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steenberg, which is found in the south of Cape Town, is a highly popular destination for buyers looking for a secure and nature-conscious area to live. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, just opposite the M42 is Pollsmoor Prison, a maximum security prison that holds thousands of prisoners, including some of the nation\u2019s most violent offenders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prison\u2019s history dates back to 1834, when Hendrick van der Poll purchased the land bordering Steenberg to establish a vegetable farm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The land was sold to the Cape Command in 1940 for use as a military base during World War II. During the war, the land was used as a military prison. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the war, the land began to house more prisoners as surrounding farms required prison labour. In 1959, the land was officially designated as a prison. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The estate is booming\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Despite the proximity to the prison, the Steenberg Golf Estate still ranks highly among the nation\u2019s elite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The estate is not only a prominent place for luxury living, but it is also demonstrating a compelling investment proposition, according to Lew Geffen Sotheby\u2019s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data from Lightstone also shows a shift in the people who are buying property within the estate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the year ending September 2024, the largest cohort of buyers (42.86%) was aged 50 to 64. This was closely followed by the 36-49 age group (28.57%). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The influx of younger buyers is contrasted by the majority of sellers (72%) being over the age of 65, signalling a rejuvenation as established homeowners make way for a community of younger buyers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat we are witnessing at Steenberg is a perfect storm of desirability,\u201d said Steve Thomas from Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe median property valuation of R15.35 million over 12 months ending September 2025 reflects its premium status, but the changing buyer demographic tells a deeper story.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas said that successful professionals and families are investing in a secure, amenity-rich lifestyle that is incredibly rare to find so close to the city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The media price for the estate in 2025 alone is R17.75 million, far higher than the R15 million seen in the year ended September. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part of the estate\u2019s appeal is its \u201cinvisible shield\u201d of security, which features  24-hour guarded access, roaming patrols, and an advanced camera system. Poolsmoor\u2019s security is clearer to see. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sense of safety is also complemented by convenience, with top-tier schools like Reddam House Constantia adjacent to the estate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The CBD and airport are also within a 25-minute drive, and the warm beaches of False Bay, like those at Muizenburg, are just over the hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSteenberg uniquely blends a countryside resort feel with urban accessibility,\u201d said Dave Burger from Lew Geffen Sotheby’s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut for the astute investor, the real magic lies in the rental potential. With holiday rentals commanding between R5,000 and R30,000 per day, the wealth creation opportunity is significant.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to the demand for the gold course and world-class leisure facilities, the rental season isn\u2019t confined to peak holiday periods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Home ownership on the estate comes with an automatic golf membership, with easy access to the hotel, spa and restaurants, which create a resort-style lifestyle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Steenberg Golf Estate<\/h2>\n\n\n
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R30 million house in Steenberg (Source: Lew Geffen<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
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R30 million house in Steenberg (Source: Lew Geffen<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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Steenberg remains a highly sought-after location due to its safety despite an infamous prison across the street. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":841528,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12755],"tags":[10711,23961,23962],"class_list":["post-841515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-property","tag-lew-geffen-sothebys","tag-poolsmoor","tag-steenberg"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/841515","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\/95"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=841515"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/841515\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":841728,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/841515\/revisions\/841728"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/841528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=841515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=841515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=841515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}