The Friendly City’s under-the-radar appeal stole the hearts of a couple from the United Kingdom when they first arrived on these shores a quarter-century ago.
Although Gqeberha is a bit of a “fixer-upper”, Andy Dealtry is convinced they could never have lived the same life in the UK.
The republic, and more specifically the Bay, is now very much home to the Dealtrys, who are in the final throes of building their dream house on Sardinia Bay Golf & Wildlife Estate.
Their property, characterised by its rugged surroundings and privacy, is one of 10 released in phase four of the 100-hectare development.
They currently live in the suburb of Walmer, where their children Beth and Tom attended Theodor Herzl.
They chose a school that could accommodate their children’s age groups, in line with UK schools, because they expected to return to England one day.
That did not pan out for any family member; even the children are happily ensconced in the Rainbow Nation.
Rising costs in larger centres have triggered a trend where even relatively well-off South Africans are looking elsewhere for a comfortable lifestyle.
Many of them are opting for coastal towns such as GQ in the Eastern Cape.
The city’s coastline, schools and lifestyle are attributes unmatched by the major metros, making it attractive to families like the Dealtrys looking for more bang for their buck.
Andy says many cities around the world face rapidly changing industrial environments, ageing infrastructure and growing urban populations.
“Nelson Mandela Bay is no different. It, too, faces challenges that will require visionary leadership and strong skills to address.”
That said, he reckons the positives outweigh the negatives.
“Living in the Bay is like watching TV with the colour turned right up. If you’re bored, you have a problem.”
Andy, an event director of the Sardinia Bay parkrun, already spends most of his Saturday mornings near the estate, which was key to the couple’s decision.
Their circle of friends also helped.
“It seemed like every time we chatted to somebody, there was a connection to someone at the estate,” Andy says.
“It turned out we knew more people who lived here than we realised. As a location to move to, it made a lot of sense.”
Gill’s familiarity with the roads and trails of Sardinia Bay, from when she used to ride horses in the area, only added to the appeal.
She compared the distances from their current and soon-to-be abode, due for completion by year-end, to their regular haunts and found them very similar.
This proves just how well positioned the estate really is.
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The Dealtrys love being active, with running and cycling two of their favourite pastimes.
Several DIY projects may, however, affect their preferred activities for a while.
Gill says they considered installing a dumbwaiter “until we found out the cost”, so they decided to make their own.
“We’ve got a hole in the ceiling of the garage that goes up to the scullery. Andy is going to have a little hoist with a basket on it so we can take things up.
“It has full safety features and is a fraction of the price!”
Her spouse also looks forward to working in his new garage-cum-workshop, which is arguably the roomiest on the estate.
“You need somewhere to play, don’t you?” he chuckles.