PAARL – Val de Vie Estate has become the only African development to be ranked among the world’s top 15 wellness estates after being recognised in the Global Wellness Institute’s 2026 Wellness Real Estate Atlas.

The luxury lifestyle estate in the Paarl-Franschhoek Valley was included in the publication’s top-tier category, which highlights leading wellness-focused real estate developments across the globe.

The United States-based Global Wellness Institute is regarded as a global authority on the wellness economy, a sector estimated to be worth $876 billion globally. Val de Vie Evergreen Lifestyle, the estate’s luxury retirement community, was also recognised in the atlas’ second tier alongside 31 international developments.

According to Val de Vie Estate, the recognition reflects the increasing global demand for developments centered on holistic physical, emotional and social well-being. Ryk Neethling, marketing and brand director at Val de Vie Estate, said the accolade also highlighted the broader economic role played by lifestyle estates in South Africa.

“The recognition is a great honour, yes, but it actually points to something often underestimated in South Africa: the role that estates play not only in shaping healthy and fulfilling living, but also in driving economic activity,” said Neethling.

“The popularity of wellness estates such as Val de Vie Estate makes them economic engines that contribute to regional growth, infrastructure investment and municipal sustainability.”

Independent economic research conducted by Dr Jonathan Bloom found that the construction of Val de Vie Estate and Pearl Valley Golf & Country Estate contributed R14 billion to the Western Cape economy, generated R36,6 billion in new business sales and created 51 000 sustainable jobs.

The research further found that large lifestyle estates such as Val de Vie Estate, Pearl Valley Golf & Country Estate and Boschenmeer collectively contribute nearly 30% of all property tax revenue collected by the Drakenstein Municipality.

Val de Vie Estate said its international recognition was linked to six wellness pillars that shape the estate’s development model.

These include physical wellness through sports and outdoor infrastructure, mental and emotional wellness through community experiences, social wellness through shared spaces and interaction, environmental wellness through conservation and sustainable design, civic wellness through community upliftment initiatives and economic wellness through sustainable investment and local economic contribution.

The estate added that the Val de Vie Foundation has invested more than R50 million in surrounding community upliftment projects over the past nine years.

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