Graziella Guida is from Milan, one of the world’s great cities.
Together with Paris, New York and London, the Italian metropolis sets the standard for fashion globally while also boasting a rich history of arts and culture. And, of course, it is home to famous football clubs AC Milan and Inter Milan.
Why then would someone want to spend months away from such an urban masterpiece? More to the point, why would South Africa’s fourth-largest city be their destination of choice?
For 54-year-old businesswoman Guida, the answer is simple: for those who grew up in Europe where apartment living is the norm, Gqeberha’s Sardinia Bay Golf & Wildlife Estate is “like a paradise”.
In December last year, she spent her first nights in the home she has built on the estate and instantly felt fulfilled.
“I enjoy the life in South Africa for its nature and people. It’s a bit more relaxed than Europe,” she said.
As a high-powered executive for an international tyre company, she traverses the globe regularly.
She first set foot in Gqeberha in 2018 to touch base with the company’s South African headquarters. She stayed in Newton Park before moving to Kragga Kamma, where she lived for over a year.
The problem with the latter was that it was a fair distance from work and a bit remote for her taste, so when a colleague invited her to Sards for dinner, her interest was piqued.
Contact me please
A call to Remax estate agent Alan Moore followed and he duly chaperoned her around the 100ha property to show what it had to offer. Unfortunately, no properties were available at the time.
Guida was called back to Europe by her firm but the fact that she had worked remotely from Nelson Mandela Bay during the pandemic had planted a seed.
“I thought, ‘I can work a bit in SA and a bit in Europe’. So that was the plan, even if it was not yet doable.”
Ideally, she wanted to buy a ready-built home as construction could be “a headache” and she would not be in the country to monitor progress in person, she said.
Moore, with whom she had remained in contact, suggested she start by securing a plot.
After asking friends to look at the piece of land in question, holding further discussions with Moore and meeting the builder, her mind was made up – her dream house “on the other side of the world” would be built at Sards.
“I bought the plot in 2022. I flew from Europe a few times to sign documents and see the architect,” she said.
“I must say the process was quite smooth. I made some changes to the project from Italy and I would say I got 95 per cent of what I wanted, but the rest was still acceptable to me.”
Her “test run” over the holidays not only delighted Guida, but also her sister and niece who had travelled with her. They loved the house, estate and nearby Sardinia Bay beach.
“I know South Africans are pessimistic about their country and, yes, it is true in terms of social differences and security, but people are complaining everywhere.
“Maybe Europe’s economy is better but lifestyle-wise there is no comparison.”
Since her current workload won’t allow her to stay at Sards as much as she would like, she is leasing the home out for a year.
Going forward, however, she plans to keep it available a few months per year so she can enjoy everything the estate has to offer.