The Challenge & Opportunity of a Lifetime

Dear Patrons, Guests, Friends and Supporters,

It has certainly been a wild and wonderful few years since renovations were completed and the guest house became operational back in 2019. COVID and the mass influx of tourists after the dust settled from that has seen us first in dire straits, and then steadily thriving. With all the uncertainty in the world, one thing remained constant: our faith in God and the support from people all over the world who came to stay with us.

From families on holiday to corporate teams on conference to individuals from all walks of life, we've had guests from all over the world. Our 1 For All room has seen many a grateful paraplegic person that was able to stay comfortably in a world-class room designed specially to make life easier for them, and we've had wonderful conversations and testimonials out of their experiences.

Our Hyundai H-1 tour bus has ferried hundreds of people to and from the airport, and taken guests from China, the Netherlands, USA and more on tours all over Cape Town, while our Renault Duster and Nissan Magnite have given guests an ideal alternative to big rental companies and provided them with wheels to go as far as Knysna - stretching their legs for many hundreds of kms beyond our address.

We've made lifelong friends, ousted scammers and prostitutes, dealt with con artists and thieves, and been a shoulder to cry on for people going through trials and hardships they couldn't share with the world at large. Ask "Aunty Ivonne" from Ghana, our dear Dutch friends Wim & Joke, Krappie and Jacques from Limpopo and many, many other precious guest house friends and you'll quickly get an understanding that a little hospitality goes a long way!

Now, 6 years into our existence, we face our greatest challenge so far.

The Lay of the Land

Our business is mainly made up of a registered company, and two properties. 32 Abelia Street is our main hub and consists of our primary 6 rooms, our kitchen, laundry room, office and more. 30 Abelia was purchased after the main house, and is an adjoining property with a house that we have renovated to expand our capacity to 3 more guest rooms, as well as a small living quarters for managers Carl & Emsie. Both properties offer commanding views over the False Bay area and are very centrally located, giving easy access to Cape Town's wonders as well as to the Cape Winelands and the farmlands and coastal towns of the Overberg region.

The company is registered in our name, however both properties belong to an investor overseas. Through kindness and a vision, our investor gave us the means to operate from an excellent property in an excellent location here in Heldervue, Somerset West - a highly sought-after and valuable area. However, through the years life has altered the course of his vision in ways completely out of his control.

Due to these factors, our investor has made the decision to sell the properties. He has very graciously given us first option to purchase both of them at prices that can only be deemed as extremely generous, however despite our best efforts thus far and a perfectly healthy (and rapidly growing) business, the bank has declined to help us with enough money to purchase them. Furthermore, due to various reasons, the investor has set a deadline for our purchase to no later than end September 2025. As a result, we now need to tackle a short-fused crisis: without the properties, Somerset View Guest House will cease to exist.

Our Options Now

At time of the writing, we are exploring the only two viable options that we know of to save our guest house:

1. Crowd funding
2. Getting another investor

Enter Back a Buddy

We launched a campaign on this well-known South African platform soon after we heard back from the bank on their final decision (29 August 2025), and 4 days later we are standing on total donations of almost R50,000. We are asking this to be spread as far as and wide as possible, and will be happily offering thank-you vouchers to any donors that wish to receive one which will allow them equal-vaue accommodation in our guest house up to 5 years from now.

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A Golden Opportunity for Investment

Our situation presents a unique and excellent opportunity for any serious property investor. With the present housing market sky-high, these properties are available at a price that almost guarantees excellent returns and presents low comparative risk. We are actively searching for anyone who is interested in a sound property investment to reach out and contact us so we can discuss options in time to assist us with these property purchases before it's too late and this opportunity fades away forever.

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In conclusion, though we are in a time of earnest seeking and exploration, we do not see this is a detrimental event but rather an incredible, ripe opportunity to be realised and obtained.

We'll see you on the other side.

Carl & Emsie