Eco-Friendly Luxury on the Coast of South Africa

$3.4 MILLION (48.5 MILLION RAND)

This five-bedroom, five-bath contemporary ranch is in Umhlanga Rocks, a development in the seaside resort town of Umhlanga, about 10 miles north of the port city of Durban, on South Africa’s eastern coast.

The 13,454-square-foot house, completed in 2015 on a half-acre lot inside the eco-friendly, 157-acre Hawaan Forest Estate community, faces the Hawaan Forest, a protected remnant of a coastal dune forest dating back more than 18,000 years. To protect the forest’s birds and wildlife, no pets are allowed in the community, said Anni Eisele, a licensed agent with Seeff Properties, which has the listing. Gardening is strictly indigenous; homeowners choose from 600 approved plants for landscaping.

A path from a brick-paved circular driveway leads to the U-shaped house, with the entry hall at one corner. Through sliding glass walls and Mediterranean stack-back shutters, the layout embraces a center lawn, wood decks, a swimming pool and a hot tub. An eight-car garage and a generator are on the lower level.

To one side of the entry hall, a dining room, family room and kitchen are artfully divided by partial walls resembling a series of oversized picture frames. The ceiling is vaulted with exposed wood beams and louvered transom windows. Flooring is an oyster-hued tile.