the most extravagant and sought-after estates in the Vaal triangle. Dr. HJ van der Bijl and Aldridge had built their private estates in this area during the late 1800s, and these homes are now privately owned and still preserved on Grieg street in SW5. Some of the stands in the area range between 2–4 acres. The stands used to be much larger in the day of Dr van der Bijl, however, further development of the town increased the use of subdivided stands. Another significant part of the Vaal's wealth lies on the Marlbank of the Vaal River towards Loch Vaal, west of the CBD. Some of these homes are sized up to 7,000 square meters and more. The area is often also referred to as the "billionaires bend" as it houses some of the most expensive homes in Africa, ranging from R100 million upwards for a single property. Many of the inhabitants of the Marlbank river stretch do not necessarily have business interests in the town itself. Many of them live there because of the picturesque landscapes and extravagant estates. Helicopter sights are frequent as the wealthy property owners on Marlbank fly in and out from the city of Johannesburg 80km North of Vanderbijlpark. Vanderbijlpark has major influences on French, German, and Italian architecture, due to the settlement of foreigners during the late 1800s and early 1900s. From the early 1900s up until the late 1980s the local building industry was owned by a select group of wealthy developers represented by companies such as Visser Properties and the Visser family, Dias Family, and Storm Family to name a few. Construction and design companies thrived during these times, such as van der Merwe & Associates Engineering, DG Ladegard also Modern Homes Architects, founded by Gwendolyn Olive Firera and Leslie van Wyk (later named DOS). DOS was renamed Riscali in 2012 and is currently owned by Jean Marx and Charl Ubbink. Jean Marx and the Companies under the Marx & Legacies brand moved to the city of Johannesburg and were last known to operate from Parktown-North. The town center also consists of many old buildings also showcasing the beautiful homes built during the late 1800s and early 1900s, some have fallen into dramatic decay over the years. Continuous efforts are however undertaken by some individuals and companies to restore these classic homes to their former glory. SW5 Proper and Vaal riverfront properties