Koos Bekker, the South African who chairs Naspers and Prosus, and his wife Karen Roos have spent more than a decade building a country estate in Somerset, England, called The Newt. A Guardian analysis, as summarised by Billionaires.Africa on 13 October, says the couple now hold more than 2,700 acres around Bruton and Castle Cary through Emily Estate (UK) Ltd, which trades as The Newt, plus a pub and local shops.
From one house to an estate
The couple bought Hadspen House in 2013, Gardens Illustrated reported. The house dates from the 17th century and was home to the Hobhouse family for more than two centuries, according to The Newt. It opened as a hotel with gardens in 2019. The Newt’s website also offers Yarlington Lodge, an exclusive-use house for up to 32 guests, and Billionaires.Africa reports that Castle Cary’s station now carries the sign “Castle Cary for The Newt”. The Newt says it employs more than 650 people who come from or live in the area.
Where the money comes from
A family trust linked to Bekker has funded hotel building by selling shares, in three sales announced by the companies:
- March 2023: Prosus shares worth about R3.4 billion (€173 million), “to fund building operations at hotels”, Business Report and TechCentral reported. It was the trust’s first sale since 2013.
- December 2024: 3.9 million Prosus shares, about €156 million (nearly R3 billion), for hotels in South Africa, the UK and Italy, Bloomberg reported.
- December 2025: Prosus and Naspers shares worth about R2.5 billion, for hospitality venues in the same three countries, Business Report reported.
After the last sale the trust still kept about 90% of its previous holding in both companies, according to Business Report. The statements do not split the money by property, so the Somerset share is not public.
This is diversification in slow motion. Bekker’s wealth is tied to Naspers and Prosus. Naspers bought into China’s Tencent in 2001, and that stake is now held through Prosus. Slice by slice, part of it is turning into land, hotels and farms: assets that are hard to value and slow to sell, a point we raise in five mistakes in managing family wealth.
The neighbours
According to the Guardian analysis, as reported by Billionaires.Africa, some farmers suspect new boreholes have dried parts of the River Brue, and some locals blame estate road building for worse flash floods in 2023. The Newt said in a statement that “a love of gardens, respect for the land” is fundamental to its philosophy. We found no ruling by any authority on these concerns.
What to watch
- Further share sales by the trust, which the companies announce.
- More land and property purchases around Bruton and Castle Cary.
- Whether the water and flooding complaints lead to any formal review.
A fair caveat
The acreage, the property list and the neighbours’ complaints come from a Guardian analysis we could only read in summary. Share sale figures are company statements as reported in the press, converted at the rates of the time.
Questions to bring to your advisors
If we turned part of a concentrated holding into land or hotels, who would fund early losses, and could we sell later? These are questions to bring to your advisors, not advice.