Durban - If you like the finer things in life, were unaffected by the biting economic climate and had R30 million to spare, what would you splash it on?
An uMhlanga penthouse just went on the market for R30m and the Sunday Tribune decided to see what else you could get for the money.
Given that horse-racing in KZN is booming, you might want to offload on a thoroughbred.
The highest recorded sale for a local yearling, according to Gill Mostert, Gold Circle Horse racing and Betting’s media manager, was R6m.
So that investment would only make a slight dent on the wads of spare cash on hand.
Or you could have a custom-made, diamond-encrusted ring or a neck piece, from renowned jeweller, John Diakoyannis, if you preferred.
Diakoyannis, who has been a jeweller for 38 years, said he could even craft work for a budget beyond R30m.
If horsepower on a four-wheeled machine is what gets your engine revving, then consider the German engineering on a 2017 Bugatti Chiron.
This beast, at full tilt, can propel you from point A to B at 463km/h, courtesy of its 8.0 litre, 16-cylinder engine, complete with turbos.
To secure this nifty car, you would have to fork out R36m.
However, if you prefer to cruise at a more sedate pace, then perhaps an 80-foot power catamaran could be for you.
Sailing expert and magazine editor Richard Crockett said such an exquisite sailing vessel could be manufactured in Durban by Royal Cape Catamarans, an operation known to be able to churn out crafts costing R10m and above.
“You could have a modern penthouse, with all the luxury fittings, moulded into these high-end catamarans,’” said Crockett.
On how to spend R30m, Charmaine Powell, sales and training manager at estate agent Chas Everitt-uMhlanga, suggested a sea-facing luxury penthouse with 180 degree views.
Powell said they presently have sole mandate for a 477m² penthouse, costing R30m, perched atop of the Oysters in uMhlanga.
To appreciate this costly pad, Powell said one had to be cognisant of the “unsurpassed lifestyle on offer in South Africa, especially in uMhlanga’”.
“There is a high demand locally and internationally for frontline apartments in uMhlanga offering superb sea views, as well as the convenience of the village, which is in walking proximity and boasts wonderful restaurants and shopping.’”
The realtor said their stable recorded sales of this magnitude at least every three months, and the buyers were local more than 60 percent of the time.
And the deals were usually done for cash.
For more details on the penthouse Powell referred to, check out Sunday Tribune’s “Home” magazine.
Sunday Tribune