Renishaw Hills
Renishaw Hills is a 25-hectare residential lifestyle estate for people over 50, located within the Mpambanyoni Conservation Development on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast. The first six phases of the estate have already been constructed. Once fully developed, Renishaw Hills will have more than 500 units.
Renishaw Hills is near Scottburgh, KwaZulu-Natal, midway along the province's South Coast, 40 minutes from Durban. This is a conservation and community-focused development that has earned national economic significance for its contribution to investment in the country.
Renishaw Coastal Precinct
Renishaw Hills forms part of the Renishaw Coastal Precinct, a mixed-use development. Construction on the first phase began in 2016, under the direction of Renishaw Property Developments, a subsidiary of Crookes Brothers Limited.A significant portion of Renishaw Coastal Precinct falls under Umdoni Municipality which, alongside the KZN Department of Environmental Affairs and the National Department of Agriculture, has given the go-ahead for this mixed-use development that includes residential, retail, educational, healthcare and light industrial/commercial zones.
Future developments
Planning is currently underway for the construction of a shopping centre, with mixed-use zoning allowing for potential apartment blocks; a petrol filling station and convenience store, with a fast-food drive-through located at the main Renishaw entrance circle; a school extending from primary school through to high school; a church; and a hotel.Community partnerships
In 2016, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between developers and the local KwaCele community, establishing a partnership. This supports the participation of the local community in further development projects, with job opportunities for local emerging businesses when appointing subcontractors.142 hectares of land adjacent to Renishaw Hills has been donated to the local community through the KwaCele Tribal Council. Renishaw Hills also runs skills development programmes to benefit local residents.
Environmental initiatives
The development incorporates conservation measures in partnership with the Department of Environmental Affairs. Approximately 80% of the site is designated as conservation land, with ongoing rehabilitation of natural wetlands and indigenous wildlife and vegetation.The rehabilitation of the Mandawe Wetland has included alien invasive eradication and the replacement of cane fields with indigenous forests and grasslands. This has resulted in the planned reintroduction of indigenous wildlife, including the endangered Pickersgill's reed frog, endemic to very few wetlands along the KZN coastline.
Renishaw Hills has also committed to a joint partnership which undertakes monthly clean-ups, including litter collections and verge cuttings in Scottburgh.
Renishaw Hills offers off-grid living through independent sanitation and borehole water, treated to SANS 241 standards for guaranteed quality and purity. Each home has a solar geyser and is equipped with an inverter and battery system.
Residents at Renishaw Hills contribute towards the citizen scientist group, iNaturalist, identifying and listing wildlife and plant species on the estate. The list includes more than 17,000 observations with more than 2,000 species identified, including the Sable Cruiser, a rare, localised and vulnerable dragonfly species. More than 100 butterfly species have been documented at Renishaw Hills since 2017.