This modern four-bedroom thatched home on a 10 000 m2 plot on the banks of the Breede River is for sale through Pam Golding Properties at R5.95 million.
The Western Cape’s Overberg region recently held one of its biggest sporting events – the Breede River Canoe Marathon, now in its 43rd year - on September 4 and 5.
The 70km race from Robertson to Swellendam is the largest river race in the Western Cape, and attracts top competitors from all over the country. It’s also an excellent showcase for the pristine natural beauty of the Breede River, says Pam Golding Properties’ local area manager, Le Roux van der Merwe.
“The river winds its way from its prime catchment area in the Skurweberg Mountains near Ceres, through the scenic Breede River Valley, joining with the Sonderend River near Swellendam,” says van der Merwe.
“It then makes its way past the historic hamlet of Malgas to the river mouth at Cape Infanta. Along the way it passes some of the most picturesque real estate in the whole province, offering tranquil river views with an abundance of birdlife, a laid-back holiday lifestyle, and ample opportunities for active families to enjoy water-sports and other outdoor activities. It is also one of the best fishing estuaries in the country, with a pleasantly mild climate all year round. The river’s holiday hamlets like Infanta and Malgas are within two and a half hour’s drive of Cape Town, so most buyers here are weekenders or regular holidaymakers. However the lifestyle is so appealing that the number of permanent residents has grown steadily in recent years.”
Situated some 40km downriver from Swellendam, Malgas is home to the only working river ferry in South Africa, a pontoon linking the east and west banks of the river. It’s a nostalgic reminder of a time when the now-sleepy village was once a busy trading post with its own small harbour, in the 1860s. Trader Joseph Barry used to sail up the river in his 156 tonne ship the Kadie, bringing fresh produce from Cape Town. He would then dock at Malgas and offload the goods onto ox-wagons, for transport into the barely-accessible Overberg interior. The Kadie was shipwrecked in 1865, but the pontoon remained active, and is still the only river crossing between Swellendam and the sea. The version in use today was built in 1914, and still relies on manpower and chain straps to pull it across the river.
The town now boasts a variety of properties on the river bank with their own jetties. Properties range from log cabins to holiday lodges, lifestyle small holdings and larger farms. There also several newer and more luxurious modern river retreats that have been built in recent years. The nearby De Hoop Nature Reserve offers hiking, cycling, whale- and bird-watching, and fishing remains a prime attraction.
Twenty-eight kilometres downstream from Malgas, on the western shore of the Breede River mouth in St Sebastian Bay, lies the small holiday resort of Infanta. Framed by a rocky headland, the fishing hamlet is accessed via a winding gravel road, and is surrounded by hills cloaked in pristine fynbos. The village has a slipway for launching power-boats, and its rocky shoreline offers good diving and angling. It is also a superb site for whale-watching in from May to November, when Southern Right whales frequently visit the bay. In fact, St Sebastian Bay is regarded as one of the most important “whale nurseries” on the African coastline.
PGP’s MD for the Boland and Overberg regions, Annien Borg, says Infanta boasts several beachfront homes.
Prices in the two hamlets start from around R2.2 million for a weekend cottage with three bedrooms, going up to around R4 million for larger homes in prime riverfront locations, and over R5 million for cliffside homes in elevated positions, with spectacular river views and luxury finishes. You can buy plots of 4 000 m2 of vacant land for around R1.2 million, going up to R1.85 million for 6 500 m2. An 1150 ha game farm with a homestead will cost over R10 million.
Call Le Roux van der Merwe on 082 569 2002, 028 514 2747 or email lvandermerwe@pamgolding.co.za.