Businesses are playing an essential role in preserving the heritage of Johannesburg by lovingly restoring many of its stately homes into working spaces. From the balcony of Beauvais, a magnificent white mansion built in Mountain View, Johannesburg, in 1907, there is an unimpeded view across the city’s suburbs to beyond the Kelvin power station more than 40km away. The original owner, Percival White Tracey, apparently built it there for easy access to the road to Cullinan, where he owned diamond mines. Louis Botha Avenue is a short distance from Parktown Ridge, where the other Randlords built their houses – so the house was nicknamed Tracey’s Folly. Today, Beauvais is the head office of logistics company Cargo Carriers, and has been lovingly restored and preserved by owners Garth and Murray Bolton. The reception area, which used to be the ballroom, has a small minstrels’ gallery. The high ceiling provides natural air conditioning. The staircases and doors are made with Burmese teak. ...
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