About

Ezulwini, Clifton

The Atlantic Seaboard neighborhood of Clifton, swanky and exclusive, once had the less catchy name of Schoenmaker’s Gat. It may have derived from a slave shoemaker who lived in a remote cottage built high above the deserted beach. His modest home was incorporated into the much larger Clifton House, which is still standing today in the altered form above Kloof Road (once a rough wagon track). The rambling garden terraces that led down to the sea from Clifton House were later built on, becoming highly sought-after real estate.

Travelling from the City to Clifton proved a treacherous journey over the ‘Nek’ between Lion’s Head and Table Mountain. Giant boulders, ravines and sheer slopes were obstacles encountered along the way. In the 1880’s Victoria Road was built to provide a more accessible route.

Nowadays, perched on a high shelf above Victoria Road, Ezulwini (meaning ‘heaven’) looks down onto the white sands of the well-known Clifton 2nd Beach. The original 20th-century house has been converted into three luxury sea-facing apartments, each occupying an enviable vantage point. The apartments boast uninterrupted vistas of the Atlantic Ocean, spectacular sunsets, Africa’s most prestigious real estate and little coves that are hugely popular in summer.

The meticulously designed rooms catch the natural light with oversized skylights and floor to ceiling glass doors to maximize the extraordinary scenery.

Viewing platforms are part of the design, whether from the glass balustraded balconies, the pools, or the beautiful terraced indigenous garden.