Luxurious Majeka House in Stellenbosch, featuring 21 designer rooms, pools, a restaurant, a bar, lush gardens, and a spa, is beautifully set against the magnificent Helderberg Mountains. It is just one of the iconic landmark properties that will come under the High Street Auction Co’s hammer this month.

For High Street director Greg Dart, this couldn’t come at a better time as the hotel sector—a major driver of tourism growth—remains on a strong upward trajectory. According to Stats SA, income from accommodation increased in February 2025 compared to the same period last year, with travellers showing a 15.6% rise in spending per night. This signals a steady return to value-driven travel and renewed confidence in premium offerings.

In 2025, the Western Cape experienced a 6.8% increase in international tourist arrivals compared to 2024. Domestic tourism is also flourishing, contributing R18.6 billion to the provincial economy. 

According to forecasts by Statista, the African travel and tourism market is projected to be worth $33.54 billion by 2029, benefiting from a post-pandemic recovery in travel, improved international connectivity, and strong demand for high-quality accommodations. Hotels represent the largest portion of this market, with an estimated volume of $15 billion by 2029.

Dart views Majeka House, located in the sought-after Paradyskloof, as an opportunity to revitalise what has been regarded as an iconic tourism destination. Alternatively, he suggests there may be a chance to repurpose an iconic trophy asset, which is not only neighbouring some of the Western Cape’s premier wine estates but is also surrounded by rich history and many of the best tertiary institutions.

“This may be an opportunity to turn around a beautiful boutique hotel. We’ve also had people interested in creating a step-down facility for high-end post-cosmetic surgery. Potentially, there are several applications, and we’ve positioned this as a landmark property to revive or repurpose,” he points out.

Listing Majeka House also positions High Street Auctions at the heart of one of South Africa’s most vibrant property markets. Stellenbosch not only attracts significant interest from those wishing to put down roots in the heart of the winelands but also draws investors looking to benefit from the growing market for estate living, a quality lifestyle, luxury retirement accommodation, and tourism.

“This is a prime real estate opportunity. Right now, we are steering away from any positioning around bread-and-butter residential. If we take residential properties, they are exceptional, of high value, in good locations, and have iconic architecture,” he explains.

Another special property –one that not only perfectly exhibits the calibre of the properties at auction but also highlights High Street’s renewed focus on luxury and exclusivity- is a three-bedroom penthouse on Wale Street in Cape Town’s central business district.

Features include luxury Italian tiles, top end audio and video systems and the magnificent views that accompany this prime Mother City location.

“You have a big wrap-around veranda and a pool. It is a beautiful place in a city that is shining now. All in all, these properties are high profile and define the Western Cape,” Dart says.

An auction of two cities
High Street will sell a total of 43 properties, including large retail and commercial investments from across the country. Fifteen of these are located in the Western Cape, while the remaining properties come from inland Gauteng and a few from KwaZulu-Natal.

The differentiator is that this will be a two-venue auction with active bidding in both Johannesburg at the Bryanston Country Club and Cape Town at the DHL Stadium.

“We’ve been looking for a platform to start building a narrative around dedicated auctions in the Cape Town area. We’ve generally run multi-property auctions from Gauteng. If Cape Town properties appeared on our platform, our auctioneer was typically still at our Johannesburg venue. We stream live. We have online bidders, telephone bidders, and we do carry Cape Town stock,” Dart explains.

Usually, when High Street sells properties that are part of the City of Cape Town municipality portfolio, it has a dedicated auctioneer on the floor in Cape Town.

In May, High Street will integrate the latest portfolio of the City of Cape Town stock into its general podium stock and run two auctions simultaneously.

“The Cape Town venue at DHL Stadium is where our auctioneer will stand, and we will stream back to the Johannesburg venue. Similarly, we have a streaming facility from Joburg to Cape Town. We want to show that we are on the ground in Cape Town, running stock from the region. We will also have other High Street Auction events later the same and next day at the same venue, auctioning curated luxury and collectors’ items,” he adds.

“We have buyers that want to be in the room, and we are creating a forum where they can come and bid and be part of that whole experience. Having a dual venue lets people watch what’s happening in Cape Town. Those bidding in Cape Town can be part of what is happening in Gauteng,” Dart continues.

A blueprint for releasing municipal properties.
He believes that High Street is introducing differentiation into the auction marketplace through multiple venues and a diverse portfolio of properties.

One of the outstanding properties in the City of Cape Town portfolio is a prime commercial development on Sandringham Road, Kraaifontein. Situated within the Wynland Industrial Park, next to Value Logistics, Dart states that the property has already attracted significant attention.

High Street has had to be very patient in bringing this property to auction because its electricity supply has only recently become available.

“There was a lot of interest during the last round, and we anticipate this will sell at the end of May. This is one of those more iconic properties in the list of 13 that we have from the City of Cape Town,” he says.

Dart acknowledges that High Street, through its relationship with the Cape Town municipality, has established a significant precedent regarding not only releasing properties to generate funds for the local government but also releasing prime parcels of land for private sector development.  

He points out that municipalities across South Africa are spending large sums on maintenance and on preventing empty or undeveloped properties from being vandalised. He says High Street is not only speaking to more municipalities regarding the disposal of prime land for development but is also helping create an exit strategy for local governments that have cumbersome property portfolios.

“At every auction for the City of Cape Town, there is significant interest because the Properties are priced correctly and are in excellent locations. We have a four-year track record with the City of Cape Town with exceptional results. This is an important reference for what other municipal authorities could do, and we are in discussions with at least one other municipality that may follow the same route, Dart says.

For more information, visit https://www.property.highstreetauctions.com/auctions-high-street-auctions.php?kw=5fa3f0eca92cfea794ce00ff0e45e81b