Pretoria’s Best Kept Secret: the luxury estate for international diplomats and the ultra-wealthy
The luxury Silver Lakes Golf and Wildlife Estate, featuring a golf course and game reserve, was voted as Pretoria’s best-kept secret in 2024.
Nestled in the East of Pretoria, just a 20-minute drive away from the Union Buildings, the estate has been running for over 25 years, and claims to be the “first of its kind” in Pretoria.
Just over 1,530 homes are spread across the 300-hectare piece of land. The estate promises proximity to nature as well as secure family living. Properties range from R2.5 million to upwards of R18 million.
It has its own tennis courts, beach volleyball area, squash courts, and a communal swimming pool. The lakes of the estate are a popular spot for fishing enthusiasts, with a catch-and-release policy to maintain a stable fish population.
The residences of Silver Lakes Estate have been developed around a world-class Peter Matkovovich-designed golf course and colonial-style country clubhouse. The estate is known to be one of the first golf estates in Tshwane.
The 18-hole golf course zig-zags through the natural settings and water features. A golf academy, putting green, and driving range are also available to both residents and guests.
The clubhouse features restaurants and regularly hosts events for the community. There are plans in place to add a convenience store to the clubhouse, ensuring residents have no reason to leave the secure estate.
The game reserve has a collection of sable, kudu, nyala, springbok, rietbuck, blesbuck, steenbuck, and duiker. They use the estate’s lakes as their main watering hole. Residents and visitors also have access to walkways, mountain bike trails, and communal parks.
About 180 different species of birds have also been spotted within the estate to date.
The estate promises to be one of the most secure in the country. According to the Silver Lakes Homeowners’ Association CEO Dean Pretorius, the estate has “all but eradicated vandalism.”
Improving service delivery for residents
Security is positioned at every entrance and exit point, and regular patrols and biometric access controls add to the security of the 300-hectare property.
The estate security has made 162 arrests between the beginning of 2025 and October. It is currently exploring the feasibility of facial recognition access control.
Positioned within walking distance of several international embassies, the estate has become home to diplomats and embassy staff. The estate is also popular with families, being near to schools such as Hoërskool Menlopark and Tyger Valley College.
This makes for a diverse, international group of homeowners, but the estate promises that a community ambiance prevails.
This includes frequent activities that bring the community together, such as a yearly Christmas-lights contest, in which each house in the estate dresses the front of their homes in lights in the hopes of winning first prize.
The estate works together with the Tshwane Municipality to improve the service delivery for its residents.
The municipality is responsible for all estate infrastructure, such as roads, electricity, and sanitation, which often ties the hands of the proactive Homeowners Association.
Despite these restrictions, the Association announced it is making progress on a plan to improve its 36 km road network itself, with the financial support of residents.
An internal road rejuvenation team is making progress repaving side roads, and the association reports proudly that its method has resulted in roads that have not had a single pothole appear this year.
The estate is collaborating with the municipality to prepare stormwater drains for the upcoming rainy season, most of which were found to be blocked, according to Pretorius.
Silver Lakes frequently takes home awards from the Best of Pretoria awards, including Best Golf Course, Best Country Club, and Best Estate.
The Best of Pretoria Awards, which have been running for over 10 years, are won through resident votes.
After winning Best-Kept Secret in Pretoria in 2024, along with three other prizes, the estate is again nominated for many other prizes for 2025.
This includes Best Country Club, Best Estate, Best Golf Course, Best Place in Pretoria, Best Place to Get Back to Nature, Best Retirement Village, and Best Spot to take Out of Towners.
More photos from Silver Lakes Golf and Wildlife estate
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This estate is around the corner from my property at The Blyde, I didn’t know they had so many amazing facilities – I wonder if they allow anyone or residents only to enroll at their golf academy.