The Real Foundation

Schane Anderson 
OLALA INTERIORS

I am a true creative people lover with a zest for all things design, who happens to own a business with the most amazing team players, specialising in making people happy. I started OLALA INTERIORS 34 years ago, and we have grown from a decorating business into a fully fledged professional interior architectural design studio with our own manufacturing, logistics and installation divisions, employing just shy of 60 people, ranging from professionally qualified designers to master craftsmen and artisans.

A project you’re most proud of
We have probably installed over 400 projects in and around Ballito (we work across Southern Africa and abroad, including the USA, Australia, UK and more) and we are proud of all our work, and our product is world-class. We are enormously honoured to support local and aspiring artists, we buy art and sculpture for our clients, start their libraries and watch their collections grow. We have been the recipient of numerous international awards and accolades, but experiencing our clients’ joy is what makes us do what we do.

A learning curve
I started the business 34 years ago when I was really young, and ran into concrete walls and obstacles more than I’d like to remember. Today I am super blessed with an awesome and fabulous team. We all face different challenges and rely on different strengths, but one thing is certain: juggling interior design, manufacturing and installing in a vertically integrated business is as tough as it is rewarding. We’re constantly balancing opposites. We need to be creative and level-headed, empathetic and decisive, detail-driven while thinking strategically. We are expected to deliver exceptional service and product while confidently standing our ground, and to be bold enough to take risks, challenge the status quo, and lead the way forward.

Design style & philosophy
We are not slaves to trends or fads, but we travel extensively, attend international trade shows, renew our thinking, stay at the forefront and continue to learn every day. We bring fresh, personalised, signature design, magnificence and joy to every client who trusts us in the process and beyond.

Gerhard Breedt
Gerhard Architect

I’m a born-and-bred Zululand boy, passionate about people, places, and, above all, KwaZulu-Natal. I often tell people that this province is my favourite ‘country’ in the world. We have warm beaches, incredible game reserves, beautiful mountains, some of the best diving sites, and an outdoor lifestyle that naturally encourages you to be active and connected to your surroundings. It’s a place where architecture can respond to the landscape rather than compete with it.

My journey into architecture started somewhat unexpectedly. I took a gap year after school to play rugby and tour the world. Somewhere along that journey, I realised that architecture could make you stop, look, and feel something. I remember standing in front of the Sydney Opera House and thinking, “One day, I also want to design something that inspires someone to enter the creative field because of just this exact moment.” Then I travelled to Barcelona, where the work of Gaudí and Calatrava completely captivated me.

A project you’re most proud of
I think it would be every project and home that we have been entrusted with, because ultimately, architecture is not about the building itself; it is about the lives that happen within it.

A special memory
I was battling with a project at varsity, and I went to see my mentor, the late and great Prof Danie Theron. Nine hours later, and after numerous bottles of red wine, we still hadn’t resolved my project! But what he gave me that evening was far more valuable than a solution to one project. He instilled in me the belief that architecture is the greatest form of art, with the biggest and most important canvas a client can ever entrust to you.

Design style & philosophy
They are centred around sustainable architecture without reference. For me, the ultimate goal is to create architecture that belongs to where it stands, serves the people who use it, and still has something to say years from now.

Andrea Santoriello
Arcis Property Development

I’m Andrea Santoriello, based in Ballito. Outside work, I'm usually on a padel court or watching Formula 1. Ballito is still growing into itself, real energy on this coast without losing the lifestyle that drew people here: the beaches, climate, pace of life. Shaping this town while living that reason is a special position to be in.

Arcis was born from two family businesses in Johannesburg joining forces to meet demand on the North Coast, bringing over 100 years of property experience. I worked in one of those businesses for nearly five years before joining Arcis’s startup team in 2020. Today Arcis is an established residential developer, and sister business DropInn manages short-term rentals across our developments.

What inspired you to enter property development?
It wasn’t a single lightbulb moment, more a natural extension of years in Johannesburg and a gap on the North Coast. In 2020, Marc Frew, Wian Pieterse and I moved to Ballito and launched Ballito Village that September. We've since grown from 3 employees to 35, added Ballito Life, Woodlands Estate and Ballito Edge, with Ballito Views next. DropInn launched two and a half years ago and now employs 12.

A special memory
Selling our first development from the car park at Ashton College is unforgettable: pitching the dream with a printed brochure and conviction. We then moved to a viewing deck overlooking the Ballito Village site, and within 18 months had our own on-site office, teaching me to back myself before infrastructure catches up. Our end-of-year functions stick with me too: three guys around a table have grown into today’s full team, a clear marker of how far we've come.

What makes Ballito the ideal location for your developments?
Ballito sits at the sweet spot of the North Coast story: strong semigration demand, a growing economic node, and a lifestyle that's hard to match, beaches, climate, schools and easy access to Durban and King Shaka. It's a market maturing but still has room for the right product. That mix of demand, lifestyle and runway is why we bet on this town in 2020, and why we still build here.

Marc Lategan 
DMB Landscapes

Most people know me as “Badda”. I’m a horticulturist-landscaper, photographer, husband and father. What I love most about Ballito is its lifestyle, the coastline, natural beauty and relaxed atmosphere. It’s a place where people genuinely enjoy outdoor living, which makes landscaping here incredibly rewarding.

I’ve been playing in gardens since I was about 12 years old, and I started in landscaping after I finished high school. I was a junior groundsman in the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup. I was involved in the landscape installations of Moses Mabhida, Sibaya Casino, Lifestyle Centre, and Simbithi Eco-Estate.

Six years ago, DMB Landscapes grew from my passion for working with plants, natural materials, and construction and design. Landscaping brought all those passions together. The business has developed through hands-on experience, challenging projects and, most importantly, building relationships with clients who trust us.

A project you’re most proud of
One project I’m particularly proud of involved creating an African Kraal landscape at Yutori House in Simbithi Eco-Estate. The execution required careful planning and attention to levels, finishes and detailing – proving that the small things often make the biggest difference, using raw materials to try and soften the surrounds, bringing out that African Kraal feeling. This home was featured in Top Billing this year.

A special memory or a learning curve
Every project teaches you something, but some of the biggest lessons come when things don’t go exactly according to plan. Working in landscaping has taught me to respect the site, understand the materials and never underestimate preparation. Some of my favourite memories are seeing a client’s reaction when they finally see the finished garden makes the hard work worthwhile. Experience can’t be bought. After 24 years in the trade, I still learn something new.

Creating a natural extension of the architecture
For me, the garden has to belong to the house. I look at the architecture, proportions, materials, colours and surrounding environment before deciding on the landscape. Hardscapes should complement the building rather than compete with it, while planting softens the structure and connects it back to nature. The goal is to create a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor living, so everything feels intentional and connected.

Barry Chapman
Chapman Plumbing

My family moved to Ballito in 1987, so I’ve had the privilege of watching the town grow into the community it is today. What I love most about Ballito is that, despite all that growth, there is still a strong sense of community.

I started my plumbing apprenticeship in 2004, and over the years, gained experience across virtually every aspect of the plumbing industry before starting Chapman Plumbing in 2022. Although Chapman Plumbing itself is relatively young, I’ve now been in the plumbing industry for more than 20 years.

A project you’re most proud of
What I am most proud of is the business’s progress into the more technical side of plumbing. We aren’t simply replacing taps and fixing leaking pipes anymore. We are called in to investigate water losses, drainage failures, and reticulation problems where the source of the problem isn’t immediately obvious. That can involve pressure testing, gas leak detection, CCTV drain cameras and specialist equipment to diagnose the cause before we start breaking walls or excavating. We can take a difficult problem that has been troubling a homeowner, estate or building for some time, establish the cause and then provide a permanent solution.

A learning curve
Watching Ballito grow and having to grow with it. Houses have become larger, and there is much more emphasis today on water pressure, water storage, filtration, alternative water supplies, energy efficiency and compliance.

I’ve also learned that your reputation in a town like Ballito is incredibly important. You work for people today whom you’ll see at the shops, on the beach or at a local event tomorrow. That keeps you accountable, and I think that’s a good thing.

How do you integrate pipework seamlessly?
For me, the best plumbing installation is one that you almost don’t notice. That starts with getting involved with the builder, architect and other trades as early as possible. We need to understand how the building will function once someone lives in it, and how our installation interacts with electrical, air-conditioning and other services. When all parties communicate well from the beginning, you end up with a better building and, most importantly, a better result for the client.

Olala Interiors: www.olalainteriors.com
Gerhard Architect: www.gerhardarchitect.co.za
Arcis Development: www.arcis.co.za

DMB Landscaping: www.dmblandscapes.co.za

Chapman Plumbing: www.chapmanplumbing.co.za