Hartbeespoort has long been a favourite weekend escape for Johannesburg and Pretoria residents, and now the popular North West resort town has received national recognition after being named Town of the Year by kykNET’s Afrikaans magazine programme Kwêla.
This accolade celebrates the area’s natural beauty and tourism appeal as well as the strong sense of community that has developed among those lucky enough to live on the shores of the Hartbeespoort Dam.
The annual competition is open to towns in South Africa and Namibia with populations of less than 500 000 and celebrates small-town charm, resilience, hospitality and civic pride. Hartbeespoort emerged victorious from nine finalists, earning R1m from Lottoland to invest in infrastructure as well as R1m worth of airtime from kykNET.
For residents and homeowners, however, Hartbeespoort’s greatest attraction is arguably the lifestyle it offers every day.
Set against the dramatic Magaliesberg mountains and surrounding the waters of the Hartbeespoort Dam, the area combines spectacular scenery with an enviable range of leisure, sporting, dining and recreational facilities.
The dam itself has been at the heart of the community for more than a century and remains a magnet for boating, fishing and other water sports, while the Hartbeespoort Aerial Cableway offers breathtaking views across the water and surrounding valley. Other local attractions include the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre and Elephant Sanctuary to golf on the Jack Nicklaus-designed Pecanwood golf course.
The combination of lifestyle and accessibility has also transformed Hartbeespoort into much more than a weekend destination. Over the past two decades, increasing numbers of people from Johannesburg and Pretoria have made the area their permanent home, attracted by its small-town atmosphere, beautiful surroundings and slower pace of life while remaining within commuting distance of the major business centres.
That appeal is particularly evident in the area's upmarket residential estates. Pecanwood Golf & Country Estate, Islands Estate, Caribbean Beach Club, Xanadu Nature Estate and the Westlake Country & Safari Estate have all helped establish Hartbeespoort as a sought-after destination for buyers looking for secure estate living with a distinctly relaxed character.
Few people know this market better than Chas Everitt master agent Iris Venter, who has lived and worked at Westlake Estate for 25 years. During that time, she has seen first-hand how Hartbeespoort has evolved from a popular holiday destination into a thriving residential community and she believes the Kwêla award is recognition of something that residents have understood for years.
“From our stunning views and vibrant community to the warm hospitality that makes Harties unique, it’s the people that make it special, and we can all be proud to call this extraordinary town home,” she says.
For prospective buyers, the appeal extends beyond the scenery. Hartbeespoort offers a good selection of schools, including Pecanwood College and Doxa Deo College, as well as established public schools. The Village Mall provides convenient everyday shopping, while medical facilities, pharmacies, banking services and private security companies ensure that residents have access to many of the essentials needed for comfortable family living.
And when city amenities are required, Johannesburg is still within easy reach – making it possible to enjoy the best of both worlds: a peaceful home surrounded by mountains and water, without becoming disconnected from the economic and commercial heart of Gauteng.
For luxury property buyers in particular, the estates around Hartbeespoort offer an increasingly compelling proposition. At Westlake, where Venter currently has some spectacular homes on the market at prices from around R3 million, buyers can secure an exceptional lifestyle that would be very hard to replicate in a city environment.
Indeed, says Venter, Hartbeespoort may have won the title of Town of the Year, but for the people who live here, the real prize is the opportunity to call this remarkable corner of the country home.
