LOOK | Stillness Manor sets a new benchmark with R59.8 million sale in Zwaanswyk
Charnwood on the market for R25.95m shows Zwaanswyk market trajectory.
Image: Supplied
Zwaanswyk has reached a new property high with the sale of historic Stillness Manor for R59.8 million, blowing past the suburb’s previous price record. The 14-bedroom estate spans four acres and offers sweeping views, with the deal handled by Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty.
Dawn Bloch, Zwaanswyk specialist for Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty, said that the “price achieved for Stillness Manor resets the benchmark and underscores the unparalleled value placed on absolute privacy, immense scale, and irreplaceable heritage in this sought-after suburb”
Properties in Zwaanswyk are highly sought-after.
“Combine the dearth of available overall stock with the fact that more than 40% of current owners have been resident for more than 11 years, according to Lightstone, and it makes for a highly competitive market,” Bloch said.
Stillness Manor breaks Zwaanswyk sale record at R59.8m.
Image: Supplied
Another property, listed at R25.95 million, is already drawing intense buyer interest. Housed at the end of a quiet lane with mountain views.
The home combines classic finishes with modern entertaining spaces, including a formal dining room, sunlit conservatory with stackable glass doors, gas braai, bar fridge, jacuzzi, and climate-controlled blinds.
Stillness Manor itself dates back to one of the first farms in the Western Cape, 1688, and covers 1 650m² across 10 North-East facing dwellings.
The estate boasts an indoor pool, two outdoor pools, a tennis court, a formal dining room seating 20, a wine cellar, and parking for 22 vehicles.
Stillness Manor's indoor swimming pool.
Image: Supplied
It also offers an original manor house, featuring a classic Cape Dutch gable and offering breathtaking, uninterrupted views of the False Bay coastline and the Steenberg Golf Estate below.
Lightstone data shows that the 15 properties sold in Zwaanswyk over the past year totalled R259 million, with an average price of R17.27 million. Stillness Manor alone is nearly three-and-a-half times that.
“The figures from Lightstone confirm what we experience on the ground: Zwaanswyk is a rarified market where the average household income exceeds R200 000 per month,” Bloch said.
“Buyers at this level are not just purchasing a house; they are acquiring a legacy estate with a profound sense of place and history.”
From its elevated position, Stillness Manor combines grand historic architecture with four acres of prime land and close access to Tokai forest trails.
“It offers a rare combination of grand, historic architecture set on 4 acres of prime land with close access to the Tokai forest trails. This sale proves that there is no ceiling for trophy assets that tick every box,” Bloch concluded.
The sale reflects a booming luxury market.
Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard saw over 120 homes above R20 million change hands in 2024, totalling R3.6 billion.
Properties above R2 million now account for 22% of home loans, with loans over R3 million representing 10%.
Foreign buyers are paying an average of R2.7 million for prime coastal and Winelands properties, well above the national average of R1.6 million.
South Africa remains Africa’s wealthiest nation, with Cape Town and Johannesburg ranking as the continent’s richest cities.
The Western Cape dominated 40% of transactions above R10 million in 2024, while Gauteng suburbs like Sandton, Hyde Park, and Bryanston continue to attract high-end buyers, with some homes listed at R89 million.
IOL Business