Luxury Villas in South Africa & Beyond

From Vineyard Retreats to Beachfront Villas

Royal-Malewane-Africa-House-pool From beautiful villas in the Cape Winelands to secluded beach houses overlooking the Indian Ocean, our selection of luxury villas in Southern and East Africa offers something for a variety of tastes, group sizes and budgets. As in Cape Town, they range from the sublimely luxurious, to family friendly, to seaside retreats.

Our collection of luxury villas in Africa is equally varied. You could spend a few days exploring the Cape Winelands from your own private villa, gather the extended family for a holiday along the Garden Route, or escape to a secluded stretch of the Mozambican coastline. Check out our page on Private Safari Houses if you are interested in the utmost luxury whilst in the bush.

We've grouped our favourite villas into four categories, although some inevitably fit rather neatly into more than one.

Family Friendly

A successful family holiday often comes down to having the right set-up. Enough bedrooms, somewhere for the children to play and, ideally, a decent-sized swimming pool.

These villas, cottages or two-bedroom suites are spacious and comfortable rather than architectural icons. The key factor is that your family will feel relaxed here. These are not modest "self-catering apartments” either. They offer a home away from home – with the level of luxury that suits your family. Options range from 2 to 4 bedrooms, ideal for larger family groups. Or two families travelling together.

Examples include Hawksmoor House, Belvidere Manor, Hog Hollow Villa, Three Trees Lodge at Spionkop.

Sublime Luxury Villas

These are South Africa’s stand-out villas with exceptional locations, stunning architecture, stylish interiors and immaculate finishes.

Examples include La Residence Villas, Morukuru Ocean House, Bushmans Kloof Koro Lodge or Delaire Graaff.

Romantic Retreats

These are romantic villas designed for couples celebrating a special occasion. it’s the sense of romance and ambience which sets them apart – rather than the size. A secluded cottage in the Cape Winelands, a private hideaway overlooking a lagoon or an intimate beachfront villa can offer a lovely alternative to a conventional hotel stay.

Here, we place more importance on the setting and atmosphere than the number of bedrooms. A beautiful view, a little seclusion and perhaps a private plunge pool are often all that's needed. These are particularly good choices for honeymooners, anniversary celebrations or couples looking to combine a few days of exploring with some proper downtime.

Examples include Babylonstoren, Kaya Mawa in Malawi or the Cottages at Coot Club.

Seaside Living

These villas are right at the ocean for that carefree coastal vibe. They’re right on the ocean so that you don’t need to get into your car to enjoy the beach. Some are in South Africa. But we’ve also included some options in Mozambique and Malawi.

Examples include the Villas at the Plettenberg, Morukuru Beach Lodge, Santorini, Machangulo Beach Lodge and the Villa at Kaya Mawa in Malawi

Note: Some of these properties form part of a larger hotel or lodge, with private villas offered as a separate accommodation option. When clicking through to our recommendations, you may initially see the main hotel's description before finding the details of its private villas.