Mthobisi Nozulela|Published
South African billionaire and DStv founder Koos Bekker has reportedly rubbed some locals in the English countryside the wrong way as his luxury estate, The Newt, continues to expand.
According to UK-based publication The Guardian, Bekker and his wife, Karen Roos, have expanded their property empire in Somerset, England, since buying the original 2,000-acre working farm in 2013.
The couple transformed its historic manor into a luxury hotel, which opened in 2019, and have since acquired hundreds of additional acres, nearby properties and local businesses, including pubs and shops.
However, the expansion has not been welcomed by everyone in the surrounding villages, with some residents raising concerns about the estate’s growing influence on local life.
The Guardian reported that locals have questioned the use of pesticides on the estate’s farmland, alleged that new boreholes and water drilling have affected nearby streams, and raised concerns about flooding they believe was worsened by road construction and other development.
Residents have also reportedly raised concerns about the estate’s influence on local businesses and rising prices, particularly after Bekker and Roos acquired several pubs and other establishments in the area.
From DStv founder to luxury property investor
Bekker made his fortune through his investments in technology and media.
He became CEO of Naspers in 1997 and helped transform the company from a traditional media business into a global technology investor, most notably through its early investment in Chinese tech giant Tencent in 2001.
He also played a key role in establishing M-Net, South Africa’s first pay-TV service, which later expanded into MultiChoice, the group behind DStv.
Bekker remains chairman of Naspers and Prosus, which invests in consumer internet businesses across several markets.
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