The Southern Africa and Indian Ocean Islands’ region has become accustomed to foreigners buying property, and the South Africa property market, especially in the Western Cape, has seen more than its fair share of investment, writes John Cockayne.
However, the overwhelming majority of this activity has been for single stand-alone properties, not entire golf courses (especially one of the region’s best), so the purchase of Pearl Valley golf club with its Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, which sits within the Pearl Valley Golf & Country Estate, breaks this mould by some margin.
The new owner (Philippine billionaire Enrique Razon) already has an established interest in golf through ownership of the Country Club in Calabung in the Philippines, and his ongoing support of golf development in his country, through activities such as the Philippine Golf Tour.
Razon also has extensive hospitality interests, so one can only imagine what plans are in the pipe-line to further enhance one of South Africa’ top golf courses.
The club already has top-class supporting infrastructure in the form of a hotel (managed by Mantis Collection), a country club, with an array of superb leisure facilities including a spa, gym and swimming pools. In addition, other facilities include; tennis courts, pétanque courts, cricket nets, a soccer field, SwingFIT Academy, and an equestrian centre.
The buyout of the original owners, was approved by the South African Government’s anti-trust authority in November 2024, and announcement of the purchase in December 2024 was made through a social media post (by the golf club) under the heading – “A New Era for Pearl Valley Golf”, and reads as follows:
“We’re excited to announce that Pearl Valley Golf has officially entered a new era of growth and opportunity under the ownership of Mr. Enrique Razon Jr.
Mr. Razon, a highly respected global entrepreneur, brings a wealth of experience and a passion for creating world-class destinations. His commitment to enhancing Pearl Valley’s legacy ensures a bright future for our Club and its members.
“We look forward to an exciting chapter for our Club.”
Razon’s interests in this region look to be long-term, and are not limited to golf, as his company ITSCI (International Container Terminal Services Inc), successfully tendered, in 2023, to operate Durban Container Terminal’s Pier 2.
