Over the past two years, the Mpumalanga Lowveld has become increasingly popular with home buyers from all over South Africa and is home to four of the top ten wildlife estates named by New World Wealth as South Africa's best.
"Over the past year especially, we have seen an increase in home purchases in most of the estates close to Nelspruit and White River,” says Ramona Grimbeek, principal at Chas Everitt Lowveld.
“And while most buyers are local executives and professionals, a significant percentage are people relocating from Gauteng and elsewhere in the country. They are being encouraged to move by the increasing trend toward remote work, which means that many people are able to now run their companies or do their work from home rather than going to an office each day."
Luxury estates such as Leopard Creek, Mjejane, Likweti and Elephant Point, which are all on New World Wealth’s Top 10 list, are a big drawcard for high-end buyers keen to own homes in the world-famous wildlife zone close to the Kruger National Park, and to be able to fly in and out via the KMI airport if necessary, says Grimbeek.
“In addition, the area boasts some very sought-after schools, including Uplands College on the doorstep of the White River Country Estate, Penryn College, White River Primary, Rob Ferreira High, Flamboyant and Kings College.
“The subtropical Lowveld climate is also excellent, especially for retirees, and most homes are only 30 to 40 minutes’ drive from a Kruger National Park entrance. As the capital of Mpumalanga, Nelspruit also houses most of the provincial government offices and employees, and also offers a good mix of property types and excellent value for money across the board.”
The province of Mpumalanga has currently *1 610 new property listings, according to Property24 Trends Data, with the average asking price for the area being R1.28 million. The average sale price per erf for 2021 was about R900 000, while Section Scheme Units average sale price for the same period is R710 000.
The latest residential listings on Property24 show that three-bedroom homes are most widely available, at an average list price of R1.28 million, while five-plus bedroom home currently in demand are being sold at an average of R2.775 million. Sellers in the area fall within the 50-64 years (32%), while 38% of buyers within 36-49 years - followed by 30% within 18-35 year age group.
Click here to see all the latest trend data for Mpumalanga
Stands are available in lifestyle estates for less than R400 000, and even in the sought-after Matumi Golf Estate or Shandon Wildlife Estate for less than R800 000.
Prices for a brand new one and two-bedroom apartments in developments such as Olive Grove start at around R700 000, although there are older sectional title units available for less, while duplex townhouses in the new Matumi Valley development by Craft Homes are priced at R1.3 million to R2.4 million.
Grimbeek says the most active price bracket currently is R1.5 million to R2.5 million and that prices for large three-bedroom homes in older upmarket suburbs start at around R1.8 million, while two-bedroom retirement cottages are available for around R1.5 million.
“In the most popular estates, three to six-bedroom homes are currently priced between R3.5 million and around R6 million, and there are several guesthouses for sale at prices from R7 million to around R13 million.”
In White River, there are two-bedroom apartments inside a lifestyle estate available from around R650 000, and three and four-bedroom family homes in Parkville, close to the schools, from around R1.75 million to around R2 million, says Grimbeek.
“And upmarket estate homes in White River Country Estate and Likweti Bushveld Farm Estate start from around R3.3 million and range up to around R7.7 million.”
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*Property24 Listings Data Disclaimer: The trends detailed in this article are based on Property24 listings, current at the time of publishing, and property transfer data supplied by Deeds offices, which typically take 3-4 months to reflect. Suburbs are listed according to Property24's geographical database. In some areas this will include both commercial and residential properties. The age demographic data of buyers, sellers and stable owners is determined over a six-month period. These Property Values should not be used as a substitute for independent professional advice and is subject to Property24.com Terms and Conditions.
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