A HOME IN 1979 THE FIRST CHALET
Our Story - sabie star chalets
Sabie Star Chalets started out as “home” for Daphne and Johnny Botha in 1979. There were no buildings on the farm and the first “chalet” was built for their personal use, with the second “chalet” serving as accommodation for visiting family or friends.
It did not take long for the city dwelling family and friends to appreciate the natural beauty, and peaceful environment that this valley offered, and their visits quickly became more and more frequent. This prompted Johnny to build a few more chalets to accommodate the ever-increasing number of family and friends coming to visit for weekends.
In 1984 after completing the 4th building (number 7 & 8) Johnny passed away leaving Daphne to manage the farm and what had become a “small business”. Her two sons, Keith (who lived close by) and Shawne (who was still at university) did what they could to help her, but it was clearly too much for her to manage alone.
It did not take long for the city dwelling family and friends to appreciate the natural beauty, and peaceful environment that this valley offered, and their visits quickly became more and more frequent. This prompted Johnny to build a few more chalets to accommodate the ever-increasing number of family and friends coming to visit for weekends.
In 1984 after completing the 4th building (number 7 & 8) Johnny passed away leaving Daphne to manage the farm and what had become a “small business”. Her two sons, Keith (who lived close by) and Shawne (who was still at university) did what they could to help her, but it was clearly too much for her to manage alone.
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In June 1987, after Shawne had completed his degree and two years national service, he came back to the farm on a permanent basis to help run Sabi Star. Shawne then proceeded to build the nine chalets in the north wing, the swimming pool and the Boma.
After 22 years on the farm, Shawne decided to pursue a personal goal in Mozambique. The resort was leased out as a going concern on a 5-year contract. Shawne and Sharon, returned to Sabie Star in March 2015, and supported by the hard working staff, have been working tirelessly since their return to renovate and update the chalets. |
