IN CXPRESS OF JANUARY 29 - page 4 Something fishy about stats on Knysna’s super rich set John Harvey THE Garden Route towns of Knysna and Plettenberg Bay continue to lure some of South Africas wealthiest people. That is according to research conducted by New World Wealth, an organisation which releases information on the financial affairs of countries around the globe. Knysna was only second to Camps Bay in Cape Town in terms of R20-million plus properties. Camps Bay was home to 155 such properties, while Knysna had 133. Plettenberg Bay boasted 66 such properties, claimed the report. The overall picture reveals Johannesburg, due to its status as South Africas economic hub, as home to most of the country’s millionaires at 48%. Cape Town came in second with 18%. People who have a net worth of more than R300-million fall into the ‘super rich’ category. However, Garden Route estate agents say while the area boasts properties worth in excess of R20-million, figures contained in the report “do not sound right”. “I wish there were that many properties in Knysna,” said Pam Golding Properties principal Ling Dobson. “I can understand that in Johannesburg and on the Atlantic Seaboard, but it does sound odd.” She conceded that Knysna and Plettenberg Bay were renowned for attracting the super-wealthy, who spared no expense on holiday or residential homes here. “I think we are in a unique situation on the Garden Route. We have beautiful oceans surrounded by a lot of lush forests. The scenery is magnificent. “The area from Wilderness to Tsitsikamma has a great watersports culture, and of course our golf courses are rated among the best in the world.” Plett-based estate agent Patrick Barnard was also sceptical of the findings of the report. “That doesnt sound quite right, given how small Knysna and Plett are.” Like Dobson, he acknowledged that there were numerous R20-million plus properties in the region. “I think aside from the scenery, people are drawn here because of the good security and infrastructure. I think those that buy these homes are also influenced by the fact that we have stable politics in the Garden Route.” According to the report, SAs individual wealth had increased to R120’000 at the end of December from R46’600 in 2000. Garden Route Media
Posted on: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 13:33:01 +0000
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