Diep River, Heathfield and Retreat are three suburbs located next to each other, with Diep River the most northerly, Heathfield in the centre and Retreat to the south. This is a mixed use area with residential, commercial and industrial sectors all within close proximity.
Access and location
Plumstead lies north of Diep River, while Bergvliet, Dreyersdal and Kirstenhof are to the west of these suburbs. Cafda Village, Grassy Park and Lavender Hill lie to the east with Steenberg being south of Retreat. The M3 and M5 motorways flank this area to the west and east respectively, giving access to the N2 which provides convenient movement in or out of the city. Cape Town International Airport lies approximately 24 kilometres from Diep River while the CBD and harbour are about 20 kilometres away. The Cape Town to Simon’s Town railway line runs adjacent to the area with stations at Diep River, Heathfield, Retreat and Steenberg. City buses travelling from the south into Cape Town’s CBD. traverse the western perimeter of the area. A minibus taxi rank is located at Retreat Station.
Amenities
For medical needs, Retreat Day Hospital, Melomed Private Hospital and DP Marais Hospital are available to the local community, and business residents.
Shopping centres such as Tramways Village, Cristy Shopping Centre, Meadow Ridge Convenience Centre and Mainstream Centre provide retail outlets, while Blue Route Mall and Constantia Village Centre are about three kilometres away.
Schools in Retreat include Monterey Pre-Primary and Primary Schools, Wescott, Hillwood and Levana Primary Schools. In Diep River, Square Hill Primary, Crestway Secondary School and Blouvlei LSEN School for Special Needs are found. Heathfield offers St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Glendale Training Centre Combined School and Heathfield High School.
Sports facilities include hockey, soccer, rugby, cricket and basketball, with Royal Cape and Steenberg Golf Clubs just a few kilometres away. For the nature lover, Rondevlei Nature Reserve and Bird Sanctuary lies between Cafda Village and Grassy Park with Zeekoevlei close by. The City has also begun restoration of Princess Vlei, an iconic wetland east of Heathfield.
Commercial and industrial property
The area boasts several business parks which include Constantiaberg Business Park, South Cape Industrial Park, Steenberg Office Park, South Palms Centre and Prime Park. Retreat Industria, surrounded by residential properties, is convenient for the available workforce. Some companies in Diep River are Jack Black Brewing, Tectra Telematica, Eco Time Technology, Krost Shelving, Diamond Digital and Froggatt & Frost, among others. Builders Warehouse, Plastics for Africa, Johnson and Johnson and Lumber City along with factory shops like Elgin Free Range are located in Retreat Industria. Diep River boasts Bargain Books, Ina Paarman, The Book People and Kolnick’s Linen factory shops along with Compass Bakery and NeoTel.
Parcels of vacant land still remain available, making future expansion possible. PRASA is negotiating the rezoning of surplus land beside Diep River Station for prospective medium cost apartments with limited commercial premises. Within the residential areas are convenience shops, businesses and shopping centres. Overlooking Little Princess Vlei in Heathfield an up-market waterfront housing scheme has been developed.
The area does not appear in the SAPOA Office Vacancy Report but perusal of online property portals shows the average monthly rentals per square metre, at the lower end of the scale, to be R50/m² to R60/m², while mid-level rates range from R65/m² to R85m². Upper level premises cost from R90/m² to R105/m². per square metre.
Diep River is an area which should really take off in the near future, although prices currently remain fairly stable. Proximity to all amenities, residential opportunities, a nearby available workforce as well as affordable rentals makes this a great area to start a new business or to relocate an established one.
