Crystal Lagoons Drives the Development of Urban Beach Life in South Africa
Multinational innovation company Crystal Lagoons has recently announced its involvement in real estate projects worldwide that will represent $10 billion in investment over the next 10 years. The company is in discussion with property developers for a number of projects across South Africa and the wider continent, two of which have a total value of R3 billion and will be situated in prime real estate in Johannesburg.
These developments will bring the unlimited size bodies of crystal clear water to urban areas, adding an idyllic beach lifestyle to the world’s major cities and enabling a wide variety of water sports, including swimming, kayaking and paddle boarding.
“Crystal Lagoons’ award winning technology, which is patented in 160 countries, has revolutionized the real estate market in every country it has entered. When it comes to building a Crystal Lagoon, location need not dictate what is possible.” says Alastair Sinclair, Crystal Lagoons’ Regional Director for Africa.
“We have the opportunity to bring this game-changing concept to South Africa’s inland metropolitan areas, as a Crystal Lagoon can be constructed in the middle of cities miles away from the coast, at very low construction and maintenance costs. The addition of “The World’s Top Amenity” has resulted in unprecedented increases in sales rates and prices of properties,” he added.
Crystal Lagoons boasts 400 projects in 60 countries, and it’s the patented sustainable technology used that makes it particularly appealing for developers needing a water and energy efficient amenity to enhance their projects.
Pricewaterhouse Coopers’ (PwC) “Real Estate 2020: Building the Future” identifies that global megatrends such as rapid urbanization, technology and sustainability will drive growth in the real estate industry across Africa over the next four years. In South Africa specifically, it is estimated that 71% of South Africans will live in urban areas by 2030, with more people moving to major cities such as Cape Town and Johannesburg each year.
“Sustainability is a key factor driving all new developments in Africa, and as a company, Crystal Lagoons places enormous emphasis on solving some of the world’s greatest challenges such as water and energy scarcity. Crystal Lagoons can use any type of water – fresh, salt, or brackish (which has no alternative use), providing a sustainable solution for the efficient use of water resources,“ adds Sinclair.
The technology requires 100 times less additives and half the energy of conventional swimming pools. When a Crystal Lagoon is filled with fresh water, it uses 30 times less fresh water than a golf course of the same size and half the fresh water of a park of the same size. Property developers in urban areas are now able to offer a lifestyle comparable to that of a beach resort, paired with an energy and water efficient technology which makes it a more sustainable amenity than a golf course or park.
Additionally, Crystal Lagoons technology is effective in lowering the carbon footprint of real estate developments, as the lagoons can be incorporated into the heating and air-conditioning systems of surrounding buildings and can generate a reduction in electricity consumption by up to 50%.
“We look forward to bringing Crystal Lagoons to the people of Johannesburg, and to other big cities needing a recreational amenity that improves the urban lifestyle of South Africans, and increases the value of the properties around it,” says Sinclair.
