I live in a middle-to-lower-class neighbourhood in Cape Town called Charlesville. And honestly, while from time to time I’ve considered moving to a “better” neighbourhood, every time I’ve thought about the financial implications vs the benefits, I’ve decided that I’m perfectly fine with staying in Asmara Road, Charlesville.

My cost of living is manageable, I don’t have huge debt, and I live only about 15 minutes away from work. I know my neighbours, they know me, and my parents live just around the corner. So even though South Africa isn’t the safest country (especially in areas like ours), I still feel a sense of safety and rootedness.

Admittedly the neighbourhoods (Netreg and Valhalla Park) right next to ours are very impoverished. Not quite an informal settlement, but close. That certainly adds to the feeling of risk, but overall, my life works.

Still, in March, my minions and I started thinking about moving out of Charlesville. And we explored the idea very seriously! But after comparing prices, we realised that a 3-bedroom house in different middle-class area — still close enough to our usual routes — would cost at least double what we’re paying now.

So we changed the plan. We explored a different idea. We decided to explore the prospect of getting a holiday flat? Like really, would that be possible?

Now please allow me to share a bit of a backstory: For many years (since 2018), the kids and I have gone to Hermanus Beach Club (HBC) for our “Minion Weekends”. In the early years we used to fly to Durban and Sun City, but eventually the economy forced us to scale down, and HBC became our tradition. And we loved it.

Cosy “horror” movie nights. The artist culture in Hermanus. Bookshops. Thrift shops. Markets. It was perfect. Affordable, but still high quality family fun. The facilities at the Beach Club are excellent. A clubhouse, three swimming pools, a bar, putt-putt, basketball court, tennis court, arcade, braai area, everything you can think of for a perfect weekend break. And despite having an informal settlement right next door, the complex itself is extremely well-managed, has 24-hour security, and the rules are enforced. As a single mom in South Africa, that made me feel safe.

So instead of trying to move to a more expensive suburb in Cape Town, we thought: Why not buy a holiday flat at Hermanus Beach Club? So off we pickled, checking out flats. When we viewed the very first flat, the ocean view took my breath away.

Ironically, the same thing that some people frown upon (the proximity to the township) is likely the reason we could actually afford a beachfront property. And so we bought it.

It’s been about four months since we moved in, and it still feels magical. I’m still discovering hidden gems, like Fick’s Pool a mere 2,5 km away and the Hermanus Cliff Path and the New Harbour, both only 1 km away. The beach is only 100 metres from the flat. Sunset is incredible. I haven’t watched sunrise yet, but I suspect it will be emotional too. Our new home is my happy place.

We’ve spent the past months making it feel like a home. Micaiah is the Chief Decoration Approver. She kept me on my toes and she insisted I keep it minimalist. The colour palette is white, grey and brown …calm, cosy, warm.

So yes, we now have our home-away-from-home: Asmara by the Sea 🌊 . Informal settlement next door and all!