Once seen as a holiday retreat for Durbanites, Kloof has blossomed into an upmarket residential suburb with excellent amenities.
About the area
What was once seen as a weekend or holiday retreat for wealthy Durbanites wishing to escape Durban’s heat and humidity has been transformed into the gorgeous upmarket suburb of Kloof which boasts excellent shopping and a host of other amenities, all set in one of the most beautiful parts of the city.
Still regarded by many who live there as a village, the area has grown significantly over the years and although residents may once have had to wind their way down Field’s Hill in order to sample the so-called finer things in life, these days everything is close at hand, including a number of excellent schools.
Kloof Junior and Senior Primary schools as well as Kloof High School are all highly regarded government schools. St Mary’s Diocesan School for Girls, which has been educating young women from all over the country for over a century, and Thomas More College offer private education.
Lightstone statistics indicate that 164 freehold and 79 sectional title properties have changed hands over the past 12 months. The price of these sales averaged R2,252m and R1,738m respectively.
The area has always been popular with middle-income earners, and freehold property dominates market stock with 73,21% of property falling into this sector. Although the market in Kloof has traditionally appealed to the older generation this appears to be changing, and at this stage 40% of recent buyers fall within the 36-to-49 age bracket.
Buyers are drawn to the area for a variety of reasons. However, those who enjoy the great outdoors are really spoilt for choice. Golf, running clubs, mountain biking and hiking are just some of the activities available. The area also boasts a number of nature reserves including the Krantzkloof Nature Reserve, where the Kloof Gorge is situated, and the Everton Conservancy.
My family thought I was mad when I first moved here because, in their words, ‘It was miles from everything.’ One year in and a lot of visits later, they are all seriously considering moving up the hill.
Richard Moreton, resident.
Top schools:
- Kloof High School
- Kloof Junior Primary School
- Kloof Senior Primary School
Best in food:
- La Pizza Pazza
- Su Thai
- Stokers Arms
- Sprigs
Things to do:
- Visit Makaranga Botanical Garden
- Take on the Monteseel rock climbing routes
- Check out the Umgeni Steam Railway
This article originally appeared in Neighbourhood, Sunday Times.
Take a beautiful journey through the Upper Highway area here:
