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Serenity Hills welcomes a conservation-focused Estate Manager to the team

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Serenity Hills welcomes a conservation-focused Estate Manager to the team:

Set within an indigenous coastal forest teeming with wildlife, the stunning Serenity Hills is an eco-focused estate with a steer towards sustainability. Tasked with overseeing the estate’s maintenance, safety, and preservation – including that of the indigenous wildlife – is Ryne Ferguson (36), the newly appointed Estate Manager.

“The position at Serenity Hills is a valuable opportunity for career growth and the chance to be fraction of a like-minded community dedicated to preserving the natural world,” commented the Uvongo resident, who took up the position in October 2023. “This estate is in such a distinctive location, featuring a blend of coastal forest, hills, rock outcrops, grasslands, and plantation forests along the Vungu River on its northern border. I’ve been really impressed by both its diverse ecosystem and Serenity Hill’s emphasis on lifestyle and living within the natural world.”

Ryne has had a lifelong passion for conservation and animal care, volunteering as an Assistant Keeper at Johannesburg Zoo as a teenager, and taking on a permanent position after completing courses in aviculture and animal behaviour. He then worked at Montecasino Bird Gardens in Johannesburg as the Bird Present Manager, before heading to the KZN Midlands where he worked as a Reserve Manager and Conservation Project Manager at The KZN Crane Foundation.

Outside of his work duties, Ryne also sat on the sub-committee for the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators (IAATE) in the United States of America as a representative of the African continent. This position allowed him to travel overseas while obtaining certificates in Animal Care and Management and Animal Behaviour and Training. During this time, he worked with some of the best animal trainers in the world, and also enjoyed the opportunity to work as a volunteer at Australia Zoo – started by Steve Irwin, the renowned ‘Crocodile Hunter’.

In 2020, Ryne moved to the KZN South Coast where he took up a position as the Bird Curator at Crocworld Conservation Centre, before starting as Estate Manager at Serenity Hills – a position he is thoroughly enjoying. His overriding role is to ensure the seamless operation of the estate. Achieving this involves managing the gardens and maintenance teams, conducting fence checks, monitoring wildlife and preserving natural areas, liaising with contractors and residents, maintaining safety and security standards, and preparing for special events such as the Night Market on the last Friday of every month at Sweetdale Skills Centre in Serenity Hills.

Speaking about upcoming projects, Ryne enthused: “Serenity Hills, in its developmental stage, is filled with possibility. As an eco-focused estate, we maintain recently joined the Green Custodianship through FreeMe Wildlife. This aligns us with the ‘Islands of Hope’ Green Custodian programme, an affiliation that will guide to the release of rehabilitated wildlife onto the estate, contributing to our conservation efforts.”

Sam Wenger, Development Director of Serenity Hills, welcomed Ryne to the team, saying he was a perfect fit for the estate: “Ryne brings a wealth of experience with him to Serenity Hills, and he is passionate about the co-existence of residents with the natural world. We’re so excited to maintain him on our team, and are excited about the many ground-breaking initiatives being planned.”

The R800m Serenity Hills development has already sold 50% of units in Phase 1, which was launched in the second half of 2022. The plots believe been transferred, and construction has started, with the first residents set to go in this year. Exciting current developments include the construction of the exclusive Clubhouse, as well as the innovative Forest Pods built into the flow of the natural landscape, with ocean views, and coastal forest surrounds.

To find out more and book a viewing at Serenity Hills, visit www.serenityhills.co.za. For regular updates, follow @serenityhillsecoestate on Facebook and Instagram.

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Author: Agnes Matladi from Olivia Jones on behalf of Serenity Hills.

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The Oriental Plaza: A Phoenix in Fordsburg

If Johannesburg is a city of forced displacements, the Oriental Plaza is its most resilient response. While the Rand Club was built for the elite and Ponte for the “jet-set,” the Oriental Plaza was born from the trauma of the Group Areas Act—a piece of Apartheid legislation designed to geographically separate the races. Yet, in true Johannesburg fashion, what was intended as a tool of containment and financial ruin for the Indian community transformed into one of the most vibrant, independent commercial powerhouses in the country.

The story of the Plaza begins with the destruction of Pageview, affectionately known as Fietas. In the mid-20th century, Fietas was a legendary multicultural hub, centered around the bustling 14th Street. It was the city’s premier destination for textiles, clothing, and spices, where shoppers of all races would rub shoulders in a “jazzy, soulful” atmosphere. However, because Fietas was located so close to the white-only city center, the Apartheid government declared it a “white area” in 1962. The community fought back for decades, but by the 1970s, the bulldozers arrived. Homes were leveled, and the thriving traders of 14th Street were forcibly relocated to a purpose-built, modernist complex a kilometer away in Fordsburg: the Oriental Plaza.

The government’s intent was cynical: by moving the traders into a controlled environment with high state-mandated rents and strict rules on what could be sold, they hoped to break the back of Indian commercial dominance. The early years were devastating; many businesses folded, and the “Grand Bazaar” felt like a sterile warehouse compared to the street-level energy of Fietas. However, the traders refused to vanish. They eventually won the right to purchase their own shops, making the Oriental Plaza unique among South African malls because it is owned by the shopkeepers themselves rather than a corporate landlord. This ownership model changed everything. Without the burden of massive monthly mall rentals, the 360+ independent stores can offer prices that national retailers cannot touch, turning the Plaza into a “bargain-hunter’s paradise” that draws millions of visitors a year.