KwaZulu-Natal is one of South Africa’s best-known safari destinations, and Villa Thandawena sits right in the middle of it. The 11,700-square-foot house is part of Thanda Safari, a roughly 40,000-acre private game reserve where elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos, and buffalo roam and giraffes and zebras can sometimes be spotted right from the home.
The five-bedroom house is the flagship of the Thanda Royal Residences, a small collection of private homes within the reserve, and it comes with an unexpected feature: an Airbus H130 B4 helicopter.
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A floor-to-ceiling bookmatched stone fireplace anchors the living room.
Courtesy of South Africa | Forbes Global Properties
The villa has plenty going on without the helicopter. The house is made up of a series of low-slung pavilions beneath a floating butterfly roof, with stone, glass, and steel used throughout. The main living and dining room has floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the reserve, with the five en-suite bedrooms branching off from the central living spaces.
The interiors take their cues from the setting without going full safari lodge: oak floors, marble counters, and brass and textured leather accents. There are artworks by South African and international artists, while circular shapes throughout the house nod to Zulu design motifs.
Large windows provide cinematic vistas over the rolling landscape.
Courtesy of South Africa | Forbes Global Properties
After years of development, the house was completed in 2024. Developer Pierre Delvaux incorporated local materials into the house, taking nine months to cut the volcanic rock from the Great Rift Valley used to clad the property. Other notable features include a cigar lounge and bar, plus a separate kitchen for staff, while exterior spaces include a roughly 1,000-square-foot deck and an infinity pool overlooking the reserve, along with a fire pit, spa, outdoor gym, yoga platform, and sauna.
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The mosaic-tiled pool terrace stretches along the back of the villa with open views over the reserve.
Courtesy of South Africa | Forbes Global Properties
Swedish businessman and philanthropist Dan Olofsson and his wife, Christin, established Thanda as a safari and conservation project in the early 2000s, with the private residences being added later and occupying about 950 acres within the reserve. Homeowners have access to game drives and guided bush walks, along with the spa and dining at Thanda’s lodges. Though residences are held under full title, HOA rules require an owner who wants to sell to offer the residence to existing members before taking it to the open market.
The helicopter begins to make a little more sense considering how remote the property is. King Shaka International Airport near Durban is roughly 45 minutes to an hour away by air, compared with several hours by road.
Villa Thandawena is listed for $15 million with Keegan Steyn of Forbes Global Properties.
Click here to see more photos of the villa at the Thanda Royal Residences.
Courtesy of South Africa | Forbes Global Properties
Authors
Abby Montanez
