Increase in ARC Membership in Western Cape

The Association of Residential Communities (ARC), a professional body dedicated to achieving global best practice in gated residential estate management in South Africa, has widened its footprint in the Western Cape says its President, Jeff Gilmour. 

This follows the buy-in to ARC membership of three more prestige golf and lifestyle estates in the Peninsula. They are:

• The award-winning LakeMichelle eco estate, located in the wetlands of the NoordhoekValley
• Atlantic Beach Golf Estate, near Melkbosstrand, and
• Stonehaven Mountain Estate, which lies adjacent to the TableMountainNational Park.

“This takes ARC’s membership in the Western Cape to 27 estates which, together, account for homeowner assets under management of around R100-billion,” says Jeff.

The three new ARC members join a blue chip membership portfolio in the Western Cape that includes Fancourt; Bergendal; de Wijnlanden; Pinnacle Point; HelderbergVillage; Pezula; KelderhofCountryVillage; Tierboskloof; ThesenIslands; Silverstand; and Oubaai.

“Unlike Gauteng, where virtually all estate homes are primary residences, management of gated estates in the Western Cape (and other coastal and inland holiday hubs) demands a different approach – because up to 30% of homeowners are normally not permanently resident,” says Jeff.

“This pattern of lock-up-and-go, holiday-season-only occupancy can create security issues as well as noise and other behavioural problems that require specialist management skills,” says Jeff.

ARC recently introduced a joint SA/US management training initiative that has opened the way for South Africa’s estate managers to achieve the highest global levels of professional best practice.

“This follows close collaboration between ARC and its American counterpart, the Community Association Institute (CAI), which has 32 000 members,” says Jeff.

(ARC is the only CAI chapter outside of the United States.)

“Until now, there has been no facility in South Africa – or elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere – for formal best practice training specifically geared to the professional management of gated community estates,” he concludes.