The same IFA Hotels & Resorts team who developed the iconic Zimbali Coastal Resort on KZN’s north coast, revealed their latest offering to potential buyers and co-investors in December 2022, which stands to shatter property records as being the most expensive private residence in South Africa. This development will be launched to the public in the first quarter of 2023.
The development, named Tatali (meaning Cascades in Arabic), is nestled within the greater Zimbali Lakes development along the KZN North Coast, and comprises a limited selection of properties ranging from R12.5 million to R350 million. There are only 22 Tatali Sky Apartments and 20 Tatali Mansions on offer, of which the purchase opportunities are by invitation only.
“The brief to award-winning international architecture firms – Stefan Antoni Olmesdahl Truen Architects (SAOTA) and Craft of Architecture (COA) was simple. Create aesthetically pleasing and unique designs with the objective of delivering the most bespoke, private and secure residential offerings for discerning buyers who demand a world-class standard of sophistication and superior service”, explains Werner Burger, CEO of IFA Hotels & Resorts. SAOTA’s Director, Greg Truen, who has been intricately involved in the Tatali project, elaborated on the inspiration behind the futuristic design of the development’s unique oculus feature that is the “eye to the sky” and serves as a high level security and invisible service corridor. “The design is all about enhancing your experience. We took a mundane, functional route through a basement and turned it into an exciting journey that winds down a feature tunnel formed with opulent curves, into a vast, tall oculus, full of space, light and greenery, then onto the lower ground driveway with angled feature columns and a central crevice above that streams in an abundance of natural light; while the gardens provide shade and shelter for vehicles. All of these elements combine in this experiential design to set a high tone for the rest of the development”.
According to Burger, Tatali will undoubtedly meet the demand from high net worth individuals who currently trade above the R30 million mark. “Recent news about the Dubai penthouse going for $82 million that SAOTA was involved in, has given us increased confidence about our offering being a success. On par with international trends, buyers will be able to purchase white box penthouses, bespoke mansions and lock-up-and-go apartment suites from us. This white box concept will include all services, swimming pools and private lifts. Thereafter, buyers will have the opportunity to consult with our internationally acclaimed architects to curate their own bespoke home according to their exacting individual standards and personal style. The 3000m2 Oculus Mansion, which enjoys prime position at the highest point of the Oculus is on the market for R350 million. The 2000m2 Aurora Mansion, situated on the Lakes edge, will be available at R250 million. Other mansion sites range from R15 million to R30 million and buyers can design and build their own bespoke homes,” Burger said.
Apart from Zimbali Lakes being one of very few estates to boast the trifector of uninterrupted Indian Ocean outlooks, a magnificent golf course and lake views – COA Director, John van Wyk, described the Tatali project as “exceptional”. The experienced architect goes on to say that the extraordinary opportunity of being positioned on the highest sea facing site within the Zimbali Lakes Estate combined with a bold brief, precipitated a unique design solution from the COA team. “By prioritising vertical circulation over horizontal, the scheme has generated an exclusive offering with multi-level penthouses capitalising on the unique opportunity of enjoying unhindered views and light through 270 degrees while enjoying exclusive individual access”, van Wyk explains.
Rainmaker Marketing’s Founder, Stefan Botha, whose award-winning agency specialises in marketing property and developments believes that the introduction of a product like Tatali is nothing short of game-changing for the KwaZulu-Natal and South African property landscape. “Tatali has the ability to set the benchmark of high value square meterage in KwaZulu-Natal’s property market that will rival what is seen within areas like the Atlantic seaboard. KwaZulu-Natal deserves recognition in the property market and value that links up to this standard that other areas around the country have already benefitted from for some time. Not only the price tag but the features designed as part of the Tatali development are unlike anything seen before in South Africa,” says Botha.