The high-security presidential estate in Pretoria built for the first prime ministers

The Bryntirion Estate in Pretoria is South Africa’s most exclusive gated community, home to South Africa’s most significant politicians, with the official residence for the President and Vice President. 

The estate is conveniently located around the corner from the Union Buildings, the official seat of the South African Government. 

Measuring 107 hectares, the residences are surrounded by an 8.1 km electrified detection fence. The Democratic Alliance (DA) has accused the government of spending R20 million to reinforce this fence in 2014.

The anti-climb, secure fences, as well as 200 CCTV cameras, make sure that government officials are protected from South Africa’s high crime rate. 

The luxury estate includes 15 tennis courts, a nine-hole presidential golf course and a fully functional helipad. A total of 28 mansions populate the large piece of well-groomed land. 

In 2022, a member of the DA and now Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, threatened to organise a march to the gates of the estate. 

“It is behind the walls of this estate that ANC ministers and deputy ministers raise their glasses to the fact that they enjoy free electricity and water while the rest of the country is crippled by power blackouts and thirst,” he said. 

The complex is not only home to South African politicians, but also serves as accommodation to foreign dignitaries and world leaders during state visits. 

Former DA leader Mmusi Maimane once said that, if the DA were to come into power, they would “immediately sell off the luxurious estate.” 

The City of Tshwane confirmed in 2022, when tensions rose in the height of loadshedding, that the estate, along with the Union Buildings, is exempt from power cuts. 

The estate is meticulously maintained, with pothole-free roads and regular landscaping. 

In 2023, the government allocated R458 million in taxpayer money to repairing the estate’s roads, water and sewerage systems.

15 tennis courts, a presidential golf course

This included a new bulk water supply connection and a booster pump station. This was done to fix the fact that the estate had “low water pressure.”

As the second largest partner in the Government of National Unity (GNU), there does not seem to be any progress on the DA’s behalf in selling off the estate. 

The official residence of the president, the Mahlamba Ndlopfu House, was originally designed by architect Gerard Moerdijk, who also designed the Voortrekker Monument. 

It was completed in 1940 as the official residence for South Africa’s prime ministers. The name of the residence was originally “Libertas” but this was changed in 1995. 

According to the Presidency, the house has changed over the years from its original Cape Dutch look, adapting to the needs of each administration. 

Upon entering Ramaphosa’s official residence, high-profile guests would be greeted with an impressive entrance foyer and grand staircase. 

Two large reception rooms are available, as well as a grand dining room, large enough to comfortably seat 60 people. 

In recent years, the east wing of the house has been adapted to accommodate the president’s “home offices” as well as a “spousal office.”

The house is found on the highest point of the estate, surrounded by gardens. The garden itself was declared a National Heritage Site in 1994. 

Additionally, the Oliver Tambo house is located nearby, the official residence of the Deputy President. 

Originally, the residence was called Overvaal, built in 1937. It was originally the residence for the Administrator of the former Transvaal province. 

The house is surrounded by manicured gardens, formal rose gardens and water features. 

The Oliver Tambo House is much smaller than Mahlamba Ndlopfu, but “does not lack in any grandeur or impressiveness,” said the Presidency. 

No uninvited guests are admitted into the estate. Security remains so tight, the estate’s interior is not even available on Google Maps.

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More photos from Bryntirion Estate: