About the Owner

With a love for history, Jonas’ original guesthouse was the first house built in Sea Point and was originally a hunting lodge with a stable, which at the time, was situated a little outside of the busy city. Named ‘Bickley House,’ this was Jonas’ love and focus up until he set eyes on ‘Antrim Villa’ in Green Point. 
 
Both properties were featured in several international design publications and were successfully run for several years until it was time to move up the West Coast and establish the eco-conscious Gonana Collection. 

Originally from Stockholm, Jonas is a well-known personality with a long and exciting career behind him. Known as a creative and boundary-pushing entrepreneur in the gym, restaurant, and interior design industries, he managed Koloni Restaurant in the city for several years along with his husband, Martin, before opening a cafe with the same name in Saltsjö-Duvnäs.

In typical fashion, his restaurants, as well as his Collection, focus on quality over quantity and local over imported.

Meet Bolekwa Gatyeni (right) and Onezwa Msuthu (left) the dedicated duty managers at Gonana Collection who ensure that Jonas' vision of sustainable, warmth hospitality materialises. While both wonder women hail from the Eastern Cape, they have called Paternoster 'home' for a number of years and live within walking distance of the Collection. 

If you take a look at our reviews, it will become clear that these women and their teams are one of the main reasons why we've got such high ratings on various sites. 

Follow Jonas for updates on his travels and recommendations on places to visit, because not only is he our founder, he is also a qualified national guide for our sister company, Gonana Travel.