South Africa luxury lodges African Homesteads has been voted a finalist in both the property and interiors categories of the residential section of the prestigious International Property Awards. African Homesteads are located on &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

The South Africa luxury lodges is a collaboration between &Beyond, one of the acknowledged leaders in responsible luxury safari travel, and Tara Getty.

The International Property Awards are the largest celebration of the residential and commercial property industry worldwide. The residential sector, comprising 22 categories, has attracted more than one thousand entries.

The Homestead design is by &Beyond lodge architect, Nick Plewman, and the interiors and exteriors are the work of &Beyond ’s internationally-recognised creative director, Chris Browne.

To capture the spirit of &Beyond Phinda and the province of KwaZulu-Natal the design team committed to a design in a vernacular thatched medium – but with some notable twists.

Browne deliberately left the role of sensory stimulation to the beauty of the bush and opted for a neutral palette drawing on the colours of the surrounding grassland. His real passion on this project was curating a collection of Zulu craft and designed furniture pieces by iconic South African designers such as Haldane Martin, Marina Walsh and Georgie Crowe.

The result is an abundance of texture and contemporary, quirky and classic elements. It includes the best of classic South African riempie (strip leather) dining chairs, the chandeliers made from traditional Zulu infibinga beads, the playful yellow hippos and the offbeat photography-inspired fabric on the boma chairs. All work to provide the discerning owner with a luxurious safari Homestead – but without a clichéd style.

The African Homestead show home extends over 800 square metres (8 600 square feet) and consists of four large bedroom suites with beautifully appointed bathrooms built around the spacious indoor and outdoor areas. There is a fifth ensuite bedroom for the owner’s personal staff. A retreat-like exercise pavilion looking out over the water features, a sensual outdoor shower and a romantic boma add the unexpected.

African Homesteads are priced from US$6 million (approximately Rand 46 million) each and are offered on a 70 year leasehold. The purchase price includes traversing rights over the full 23 000 hectare (56 800 acres) of the Big Five reserve.

Each luxury lodge is equipped with its own 4 x 4 safari vehicle and is managed by an &Beyond -trained team including a ranger, tracker, chef and host who provide the unbeatable safari experience characteristic of the company’s award-winning lodges.

Further info about South Africa luxury lodges African Homesteads at Signature Residences Worldwide