WORDS: BETSIE LOOCK-VAN DER MERWE | IMAGES: RENE WALKER & GOOGLE MAPS
Nestling in the shade of large thorn trees in a rather quiet north-easterly corner of the Tshwane metropolis, the suburb of Doornpoort has since its establishment in the mid-80s grown from strength to strength.
Established as an entry-level suburb catering to young, first-time buyers, the neighbourhood has without much ado outgrown its baby shoes and is currently home to approximately 9,000 households ranging from middle-income to affluent residents. “In July we’ll have lived here for 32 years. We chose our own stand and built a small two-bedroom house. There were no fences, no phones, no busses. It was like living on a farm. We had small antelope visiting regularly, and jackals howling at night,” says resident Suzette Brink.
“The area started to develop around us, more extensions followed. We still live in the same house, which now is much bigger – it has four bedrooms plus a spacious garden flat, but we still live peacefully and happily and we can still hear an owl in our beautiful large trees.”
This now well-developed suburb still borders on privately owned open land to its north. In the south, the Magaliesberg mountain range is visible and residents are frequently blessed with magnificent sunsets in the west. The climate this side of the mountain is moderate, the area boasts a prolific birdlife, and some bush babies even inhabit the trees in the neighbourhood.
Doornpoort’s location is another key drawcard for prospective residents. The N1-highway passes the suburb in the east. Its Zambezi and Doornpoort off ramps give quick access to the neighbourhood, as well as to the N4 highway passing Doornpoort in the north. Wonderboom Airport is a stone’s throw away.
Residents have all the necessary facilities and amenities like schools, municipal busses, several churches, many shopping centres, medical facilities – including Netcare Montana Hospital – and emergency services like Sinoville Police Station and fire brigade on their doorsteps.
The community is also proud of their effective community policing forum as well as the Doornpoort Resident’s Association.
Property
Doornpoort’s real-estate market currently comprises approximately 6,000 houses plus 3,000 townhouses. A huge proportion of these are established freestanding homes on large erven – some of which have been subdivided. However, new developments mostly take place in several lifestyle estates catering to a variety of income groups and preferences.
The prestigious Zambesi Country Estate offers modern upmarket dwellings on 1,000m² stands with a price tag of about R3m. This is followed by Bougainvillea and Rose Acres estates where the selling price starts on average at around R1,7m.
Compact lock-up-and-go estates and stacked townhouses cater to first-time buyers and young couples while traditional townhouse complexes are usually inhabited by small families or senior residents. Property in this sector can be acquired from about R600,000 to around R1,3m+. Freestanding properties in Doornpoort are popular and offer good value for money with an average asking price of under R1,5m, while property prices at the top end of this market can escalate to between R2m to R3m.
The average age of buyers in the suburb’s baby years was around 25 years. Today, established residents with an average age of 40 dominate this segment. There are also several retirement complexes and estates in the vicinity.
It may not be widely known that Doornpoort has for many years, and still is, outshining its northerly neighbours in terms of property value growth. The average house selling price has, for instance, doubled since 2010 and still shows a steady and excellent growth. However, it’s still very much an affordable area, according to statistics confirmed by a property specialist in the area.
Schools
There are many good schools in the vicinity and neighbouring suburbs. These include established schools like Laerskool Stefanus Roos, Northridge Primary School, Laerskool Magalieskruin and Laerskool Wonderboom. Doornpoort Primary School was established in the neighbourhood a few years ago.
Secondary schools include Hoërskool Montana High, Hoërskool Overkruin and Wonderboom Hoërskool. There are several private schools dotted around the area as well.
Explore
The area offers recreational activities for every member of the family. Kids can enjoy, among others, an indoor play park, a games arcade and movies, or bumper cars at the Kolonnade Shopping Centre.
The suburb boasts many restaurants, pubs, spas and lots of opportunity for some good retail therapy, while nature enthusiasts will love the Wonderboom Nature Reserve and nearby Dinokeng Game Reserve.
Adventure enthusiasts also have many options like skydiving at Wonderboom Airport, ziplining at the nearby town of Cullinan, and angling at the Roodeplaat Dam.
We are very happy here. We have all we need and the people are friendly and always ready to lend a hand. With the antelope, ostriches and horses in the area, we still experience a lovely countryside feeling.
JEANNE BLIGNAUT, RESIDENT
SHOPPING
- Doornpark Centre: local convenience with OK Grocer as anchor tenant
- Spar Centre Amandelboom Street: local quick stop with Spar, a pharmacy, liquor store and a few more
- Wingtip Crossing: medium-sized centre with Checkers, Clicks, ATMs, a couple of other shops, eateries and takeaway outlets
- Kolonnade Centre: well-known comprehensive shopping centre with movies and lots of restaurants
- Kolonnade Retail Park: the lifestyle centre of choice in the area
EAT
- Villa San Giovanni Restaurant: eat Italian at Wonderboom Airport
- Toureiro House of Prawns: seafood and grills, the Portuguese way
- Cupocafe: breakfasts, light meals and all things coffee
- Dros Montana Crossing: great vibe and diverse menu
- Ocean Basket Doornpoort: good value-for-money seafood restaurant
- Spur Doornpoort: family-oriented
STAY
- Batter Boys
- Bush Thorn Lodge
- Villa San Giovanni Accommodation
- Morgenzon Estate
- Delectus Manor Guesthouse & Spa
