Farm 237, Komga District
Description of the property:
Farm 237 is roughly shaped rectangular with two boundaries formed by the Quko river. The farm is
undulating and slope down to the southern boundary which is the Quko river. There is a fairly level
area adjacent to the Quko river that used to be dry lands. Elevations are from 144 meters to ±200
meters.
Size:
Farm 237 is 180,4527 ha
Position:
The property lies in a predominantly cattle farming area. It is ±8km from Haga Haga, a small
coastal village with a hotel and shop. The farm is 6km along a gravel road from the tar road to Kei
Mouth. It is about 8km from the R349, 19km from the N2 and a further 35km from East London.
Zoning:
The farm is currently zoned as agricultural. The farm can be re-zoned to Resort Zone I to permit
development of the retreat centre providing short term accommodation and development of a total
18 permanent dwellings on the farm.
Business undertaken:
The farm has a retreat centre that runs a variety of courses and workshops. The retreat centre can
accommodate ±20 participants. The 2 directors and 3 managers live at the retreat centre. There is a
flow of volunteers who participate in the volunteer program. The farm can take 7 volunteers
maximum at a time. They support both the retreat centre and the eco-farmers and are
accommodated in the farmhouse.
Ecovillage design:
Members of the farm participated in a 10day, on-site, eco-village design course. The outcome is a
design that guides us to make best use of the land.
Avaliable services:
Electricity is generated by solar panels and a small wind turbine.
Rainfall, Climate and Topography:
The property is situated in a moderate subtropical climate area with warm to hot summers and
moderate winters. There is no frost in the area. The annual rainfall, which is predominantly in
summer is ±900mm
1
PO Box 1
Haga Haga
5272 Eastern Cape South Africa
tel 073 534 9018 fax 086 269619
email [email protected] www.khuladhamma.org
Water resources
There is a dam and a borehole on the farm. A windmill pumps dam water to a ±127000 ltr reservoir
at the retreat centre. The borehole is solar powered and pumps drinking water to a 5000ltr header
tank at the retreat centre. There are 7x5000ltr tanks collecting water off the corrugated iron roofs.
The Quko river has pools of water in even the most severe drought.
Trees:
There are pockets of indigenous forests close to the river. There is wattle, gum, acacia, bamboo and
lantana, most of which can be used for building and carpentry purposes.
There are various fruit, nut and medicinal trees (mango, orange, lichee, cumquat, olive, avocado,
macadamia, pecan, tea-tree, to mention a few) and many banana trees.
Bees:
There are 2 apiary sites with 10 beehives in total. The farm can have ±30 hives.
Roads:
The gravel road to Haga Haga can be poor at times depending on tourist season. It is maintained
several times a year. The farm road is fair. Both roads are always accessible with a normal car or
scooter.
Soils:
The majority of the old dry lands are shallow gray sandy loam and overlie shale. A small area is red
clay with high potential. These soils overlie dolerite outcrops. Some of the soils have successfully
been used for natural building purposes.
Fencing:
Boundary fences are good. There are no internal fences.
Buildings at the retreat centre:
a) Spacious hall, single storey plastered painted brick under a pitched corrugated roof, timber
ceiling and floors, windows and doors. Glass sliding doors onto a deck, which is covered with a
stretch tent.
Area ±117m2
Deck ±50m2
b) Farm House: Single storey old house plastered brick under a pitched corrugated iron roof, timber
and plasterboard ceilings, cement/timber floors, steel windows and timber doors. The house
comprises a living area, 3 bedroom, kitchen, study, bathroom with shower/bath, toilet with a septic
tank.
Outside there are two rondavels with thatched roofs, plastered painted brick with cement floors used
as bedrooms.
Area of house ± 140m2
Area of rondavels ±10m2 each
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PO Box 1
Haga Haga
5272 Eastern Cape South Africa
tel 073 534 9018 fax 086 269619
email [email protected] www.khuladhamma.org
c) Workshop adjacent to farm house. This comprises a three sided brick building with corrugated
iron roof and cement floor. The workshop is equipped with a generator, petrol operated water pump,
chainsaw, brush cutter, various power and other tools.
All buildings in the next section are made of mud and/or wattle mixed with lime, with earthen or
wooden floors and timber windows and doors. Roofs are either thatched or living roofs.
a) Cob house – area ±47m2 with loft area ±22m2 with bath basin.
b) Owner's strawbale house – area ±40m2 with loft used as bedroom, area ±16m2. There is a
separate bathroom with bath, shower, toilet and store room. Area ±26m2 with roofed veranda area
±8m2
c) Small rectangular cob house with living roof. Area ±50m2 with roofed entrance. There is an
adjacent room made of bamboo.
d) Three separate rondavels
i) Area ±28m2 with loft
ii) Area ±20m2 with separate kitchen ±7m2
iii) Area ±50m2 with loft
e) There are 3 completed units divided into two rooms each. Area ±24m2 each. A forth uncompleted
unit has a thatched roof but only partial walls.
f) Lapa, thatched open space. Area ±63m2
g) Building with living roof, earthen/wooden walls and wooden floor. Area ±24m2
h) Ablution building. 4 showers, 5 toilets and 2 urinals, connected to a biogas digester. 2 Wood-fired
water geysers
3
PO Box 1
Haga Haga
5272 Eastern Cape South Africa
tel 073 534 9018 fax 086 269619
email [email protected] www.khuladhamma.org
Structure for the sale of Khula Dhamma
The farm's title deed is currently held by Khula Dhamma Farm CC of which Ole Bosch is the sole
member. 80% of the shares will be sold for a total of R 2 240 000
A group of buyers wishing to use and build onto the current platform of Khula Dhamma, using the
existing infrastructure and blueprint (e.g. ecovillage design, maps, website, etc), can buy into the
CC in the following way:
•
1 share of 50% or R1 400 000 for buying exclusive rights to the use of all the retreat centre's
facilities (see page no 5)
•
6 shares of 5% or R 140 000 each for the right to live and build on a site on the land (see
page no 6)
NB:
- The above is one example out of the many variations of how the shares can be divided. The CC
can have a maximum of 10 members. Therefore the 50% retreat centre share could also be bought
by 2 people. We are open to other proposals.
- 1 share of 5% will go to the current residents Tim&Anne Wigley
- 1 share of 15% will remain with Ole Bosch
4
PO Box 1
Haga Haga
5272 Eastern Cape South Africa
tel 073 534 9018 fax 086 269619
email [email protected] www.khuladhamma.org
RETREAT CENTRE SITE MAP
5
PO Box 1
Haga Haga
5272 Eastern Cape South Africa
tel 073 534 9018 fax 086 269619
email [email protected] www.khuladhamma.org
SITE MAP
6
PO Box 1
Haga Haga
5272 Eastern Cape South Africa
tel 073 534 9018 fax 086 269619
email [email protected] www.khuladhamma.org
7
PO Box 1
Haga Haga
5272 Eastern Cape South Africa
tel 073 534 9018 fax 086 269619
email [email protected] www.khuladhamma.org