Nestled under Lion's Head, the world's most hiked mountain, President Cyril Ramaphosa is quietly building a massive private home on two plots of prime land that he bought for R30 million in 2010 — even though he now has an official residence in Cape Town.

It is nowhere near the size of former President Jacob Zuma's Nkandla homestead, but it has one of the best views in Cape Town: a 180-degree panorama of the Atlantic Ocean, including Robben Island. On a clear day, Ramaphosa may just be able to see the very cell where Nelson Mandela was jailed for 18 years.

Ramaphosa is one of South Africa’s richest men, with a fortune estimated at $450 million by Forbes in 2015. The building is owned by Ramaphosa’s family trust Tshivhase.

The two lots are a combined 1,423 square meters. Ramaphosa snapped up one of the last undeveloped tracts of land on Head Road, one the richest streets in the city.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is quietly building a massive private home on two plots of prime land that he bought for R30 million in 2010









It can be easily found on Head Road in Fresnaye.

It was one of the last undeveloped tracts of land left on the Atlantic Sea Board.

Google Street views show how the building has gone up.

A hiking trail running along the Lion's Head countour above shows what makes the house so special: This magnificent view of the Atlantic Ocean in Cape Town.





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