Property

The South African estate where properties sell for over R70 million

Kirsten Minnaar • 24 September 2025

Val de Vie estate in Paarl has cemented its status as one of South Africa’s most exclusive property markets, with lifestyle farms and residences now selling for over R70 million.

Prime Cape Wineland locations such as Franschhoek and Paarl are experiencing an increasing demand for lifestyle farms.

According to Surina du Toit, Pam Golding Properties area manager for Paarl, Franschhoek, Wellington and Worcester, this demand has been especially pronounced in recent years.

“Ever since Covid, there has been a marked increase in interest in lifestyle farms, with buyers wanting space, security, and the ability to live and work from home,” Du Toit said.

“Families love Val de Vie and Pearl Valley estates mainly due to the reputable schools on site or close by, as well as the lifestyle, but it’s the combination of natural beauty and all-round security that really draws them in.”

Du Toit explained that the Franschhoek residential property market, in particular, has been driven by buyers from Europe. However, there has recently been a surge of interest from Americans wanting to buy property in the area.

“We are also seeing numerous South Africans returning from overseas because they have missed their home country and the lifestyle it offers,” she said.

“To be able to enjoy anything comparable to the exceptional Paarl and Franschhoek lifestyle in other countries, one would need to be extremely affluent.”

A 27-hectare farm within the Val de Vie estate in Paarl has recently been put on the market for R70 million. In addition to its current vineyards and open land, the zoning offers the potential to build a main home and two cottages, subject to approval.

“It is extremely rare for a working farm of this scale to become available inside sought-after Val de Vie,” Du Toit said.

“Having vineyards and open land within a secure estate is almost unheard of. It is essentially a smallholding with all the benefits of Val de Vie. This really is an exceptional opportunity as it is within one of Africa’s most prestigious estates.”

Pam Golding Properties agent Ian Gardiner said the right buyer would be someone who wants space and privacy, along with the estate security.

They would also likely be drawn by the estate’s lifestyle amenities, which include golf, polo, gyms, restaurants, and schools.

“The right buyer would be someone who wants space and privacy along with the estate security and lifestyle, with golf, polo, gyms, restaurants, schools and other amenities on the doorstep,” Gardiner said.

Val de Vie’s premium property boom

Lightstone statistics show that sales activity at Val de Vie peaked directly after Covid-19, stabilising back to pre-pandemic levels in 2024.

While the median sales price has drifted higher for much of the past decade, there has been a marked acceleration in prices paid in 2024 and 2025.

From 2016 through 2021, the most active segment in Val de Vie’s property market consistently lay within the R3 million to R6 million price band.

This reflected a strong appetite for mid-level luxury homes that balanced lifestyle and affordability within South Africa’s most awarded estate. By 2022, however, a clear shift had taken place.

Most transactions moved into the R6 million to R12 million range, signalling growing demand for larger, more premium homes and the estate’s continued evolution as a high-end destination.

This upward trajectory culminated in a landmark moment in 2025, when, for the first time, a residence in Val de Vie changed hands for more than R35 million.

The sale underscored the estate’s prestige and positioned it firmly within South Africa’s ultra-luxury residential segment.

Agricultural properties within the estate have followed a similar trajectory. Recent sales include a smallholding, which achieved R84 million and comprised a main residence with several cottages.

Two additional agricultural transactions fetched R35 million and R49 million, respectively, showing the scarcity and growing desirability of larger lifestyle holdings within the estate.