Named after the English birthplace of one of the region's founding sugar barons, Sir Liege Hulett, unlike other popular seaside areas, Sheffield Beach has retained much of its original beauty. With spectacular views of the coastline, sheltered coves, abundant rock pools and magnificent beaches, the area continues to attract up-market investors who are looking for the finer things in life.
A mere 15 minute drive from King Shaka Airport and a stone's throw from Ballito and Salt Rock, the area is renowned as one of the better fishing and diving spots on the Dolphin Coast. The protected reef formations that abound just beneath the waves attract scuba divers and the nooks and crannies that spawn some of the finest crayfish, oysters and mussels around prove attractive to fishermen.
The Zulu Kingdom has been a holiday haven for those living up-country for decades and offers everything a holidaymaker requires when kicking back and relaxing during that much needed break. The North Coast has developed at a rapid pace in recent years, with improvement to infrastructure, and shopping centres and business parks mushrooming, seemingly overnight.
Property on the North Coast has always been regarded as a sought after commodity and with prices being deemed more affordable in the hamlets surrounding larger centres such as Umhlanga, reports reveal that these areas have seen a substantial increase in demand for residential property.
With easy access to the N2 and only 30 minutes away from Durban, Sheffield Beach has seen a total of 46 transactions in the last 12 months. According to statistics recently released by Lightstone, price averages reflect that freehold property in the area sold at an average price of R1.972m and sectional title sales came in at R1.233m.
Due to the increasing demand for quality housing in the area a number of new developments now dot the landscape. It appears that secure estates are popular with both the primary and secondary home markets. The highest price paid for a property within an estate was R2m and the highest price paid for a property overall in Sheffield Beach was R4.275m.
The beauty of the area has always been a drawcard and in July, the news that a bulk cargo carrier, the Phoenix had run aground on the beach caused great concern among local property owners. The ship, which was en-route to India to be decommissioned, got into trouble off the coast and was marooned on the rocks. Although there were initial fears of pollution, a joint effort by the NSRI and salvage companies ensured that all the fuel and oil was safely removed, thus averting an environmental disaster. Months and several failed attempts later, the ship was eventually dislodged from her unplanned mooring and towed out to sea, where it was sent down to Davey Jones' locker.