There is a private residential estate in South Africa that fines motorists up to R10,000 for going over the speed limit on its roads.
The Val de Vie Lifestyle Estate in the Western Cape is among the most exclusive places to live in the country, but it comes with a lot of strict regulations for its residents, as well as massive fines for those who don’t comply.
Play by the rules, or pay up
Val de Vie is located in the Cape Winelands between Paarl and Franschhoek and is one of the most aspirational places to live in South Africa.
The lifestyle estate comprises several neighbourhoods, including Pearl Valley, the Polo Village, the Gentleman’s Estate, the River Club, the Reserve, the Vines, the Acres, and living here demands a considerable salary.
Research conducted by BusinessTech found that Val de Vie is one of the most expensive estates in South Africa, with the cheapest option for a one-bedroom apartment currently sitting at R4.85 million.
Houses, meanwhile, often go for over R20 million, though in the past a few properties have managed to attract a buyer for over R100 million.
Needless to say, if anyone living here is caught infringing on the rules, they can expect a huge fine that would seem disproportional anywhere else in South Africa.
The various districts of the estate are all connected by a private road network, and there are electronic boom gates and spikes at all the entrances, though this is becoming a common security practice across residential areas in provinces like the Western Cape, Gauteng, and KwaZulu-Natal.
What is less common, however, are the various rules governing the vehicles that come in and out of the estate, starting with its speeding fine system.
The Home Owner’s Association (HOA) of Val de Via imposes a maximum speed limit of 40km/h within its grounds, and exceeding this limit will net a fine that is determined based on the speed you were going, and the number of times you’ve been caught.
A first-timer caught doing 45km/h will receive a R500 slip, but anyone who has been flagged four times or more will be slapped with a R10,000 fine.
The speed limit is enforced by estate staff who are stationed throughout the area with calibrated equipment.
Residents who fail to comply with the traffic staff, or who challenge or verbally harass them, will be issued with an additional penalty, according to the Val de Vie rules guidebook.
Heavy vehicles are not permitted in the estate on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, and trucks with loose loads such as sand, leaves, and rubble must be equipped with a tarp so as to not make a mess when driving away.
There are also rules in place that forbid cars that emit excessive noise, smoke, or oil, and traffic violations like illegal parking, cutting in traffic circles, and children joyriding in the back of a vehicle will all result in a fine of up to R5,000.
Other regulations simply reflect the normal rules of the road, as motorbike users must wear helmets and no one can be on their phones while driving.
Minors caught driving without a valid learner or driver’s licence or an accompanying adult will also incur a penalty to their household.
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