The towns of the Western Cape remain among the most popular with buyers looking for a rural lifestyle. Aside from local buyers, semigration and second home buyers are very keen on the small towns of the Cape, according to Ian Badenhorst, managing director for Seeff Country and Karoo.
Meanwhile, according to Alexa Horne, Managing Director of Dogon Group Properties, who says that both local and foreign buyers are setting themselves up with Camps Bay addresses.
"Recent sales figures show that there has been an increase in property purchases in this exclusive Atlantic Seaboard suburb that is certainly holding its own as a luxury property investment destination."
Swellendam (Overberg)
Badenhorst, says despite the interest rate hikes, there is still good demand in many of the towns and villages which dot the countryside.
At the top of the list of popular towns are those of the Overberg such as Swellendam and Napier, and towards the Garden Route, there is the town of Riversdale. Inland of the West Coast, you can find Piketberg and Clanwilliam.
Badenhorst says these towns and villages offer a unique combination of a slower pace and a more affordable lifestyle in relative security. Residents not only enjoy a better quality lifestyle compared to the cities, but they have access to good schools. There are also bigger towns within easy reach while Cape Town is only about one to three hour’s drive away.
According to Val Anderton and Marinda Roux from Seeff Swellendam, the town is so popular that there is now a shortage of properties in the most popular, R2 million to R3 million price range. Vacant land prices have also increased by 30 to 40 percent over the last 18 months and there is now a scarcity of land as well as houses.
Lower priced properties are sold within a few days if they are priced correctly, and the agents say they often sell the homes before we go to market due to the low stock levels.
Buyers are flocking here from the big cities in Gauteng, KZN as well as from Cape Town in search of a better quality of life. Properties in the R3 million to R4 million range are also attracting high earning young families looking to relocate to the countryside for a safe environment for their children and access to good infrastructure and schools.
An attraction is the beautiful Langeberg Mountain, hiking and mountain cycling in the Marloth Nature reserve, good restaurants and good municipal services.
Napier (Overberg)
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Riversdale (Garden Route)
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Riversdale, located on the N2 between Cape Town and George is regarded as the start of the Garden Route. It is largely an agricultural area with the town serving as a hub for shopping and other services for surrounding farming communities, smaller towns, and coastal resorts.
Erna Bosman from Seeff Riversdale says they are not yet feeling the pinch of the higher interest rate as they continue seeing a shortage of stock to meet the buyer demand. The average price of houses is around R2 million, but properties around this mark are scarce. Current listings are mostly in the R2.5 million to R3 million range.
Riversdale is just under four hours from Cape Town and heralds the start of the popular Garden Route. It is essentially a farming area and offers quick access to the coast. The good schools are a big drawcard for young families. Buyers are coming from all over including from places such as the Free State and we are also seeing buyers coming from George and Mossel Bay.
Attractions include our local dam for boating and skiing with chalets available, as well as Bali Trading, a popular wholesale supplier of décor and homewares.
Lifestyle farms around the R4 million price mark are also still attracting good interest according to Willie van Rensburg and Piet Muir, agents with Seeff Riversdale. Farm prices range from around R2,000/ha in the Karoo to R450,000/ha for good, irrigated land.
Piketberg (Swartland)
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After two busy years, the Piketberg property market has also slowed due to the interest rate hikes, but it remains popular. According to Jaco Kruger, and agent with Seeff Piketberg, their buyers are mostly from the northern provinces such as Gauteng.
The small farming town lies at the foot of the Piketberg Mountain, surrounded by wheat fields and is only about an hour’s drive from Cape Town. The average price is now around R1.868 million. Properties are predominantly freehold. Quality of life and affordability are two key reasons why people move to the area, says Mr Kruger.
After two busy years, the Piketberg property market has also slowed due to the interest rate hikes, but it remains popular. According to Jaco Kruger, and agent with Seeff Piketberg, their buyers are mostly from the northern provinces such as Gauteng.
The small farming town lies at the foot of the Piketberg Mountain, surrounded by wheat fields and is only about an hour’s drive from Cape Town. The average price is now around R1.868 million. Properties are predominantly freehold. Quality of life and affordability are two key reasons why people move to the area, says Kruger.
Clanwilliam (Cederberg)
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Jandre Schreuder, an intern agent with Seeff Clanwilliam, says they are seeing some interest mostly from buyers from the Cape area. The small farming town is known for its scenic beauty and is renowned as the only place on earth where Rooibos tea grows.
The average price for a house is now at around R2 million and vacant plots from around R400,000. Some good buys in the area include a lovely one-bedroomed thatched cottage in Crystal Waters on a big plot alongside the majestic Clanwilliam dam for R1.1 million and a beautiful 151ha farm for R5.5 million that can be developed as a guest or a commercial farm.
Clanwilliam, is renowned for its beautiful wild flowers in the Spring. Plenty of outdoor pursuits including hiking, camping, mountain, and plenty of tourist areas. Water sport and fishing in the area around the Clanwilliam and Bulshoek Dams.
Small Cape Town suburb drawing high foreign investment
Horne, says it’s a favourite haunt for visiting movie stars, a hotspot for holiday homes owned by the rich and famous, a much-loved summer destination for locals, and the winner of numerous travel awards – with award-winning beaches. Camps Bay is one of the most desirable suburbs in Cape Town and is attracting buyers from across the globe.
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“Astute investors are buying up properties in Camps Bay in anticipation of a rise in prices as the supply of homes for sale dwindles. Local buyers are largely from other provinces and part of the influx of semigrators moving to the Western Cape, whilst many foreign buyers are being drawn to Camps Bay for its prime location, luxury properties and value for money – with our property market offering luxurious properties at prices that are nominal when compared to the cost of similar properties in other countries."
In January 2023, four foreigners purchased properties in Camps Bay, with the foreign investment totalling R54 900 000. In February, foreign investment in Camps Bay rose to R90 850 000 and in March, an additional R62 350 000 was invested in the area by two buyers, one from Germany and one from the Netherlands.
“So far, 2023 sales figures indicate that the appetite for the Atlantic Seaboard, and suburbs like Camps Bay, is due to retain its buoyancy as the uptick in semigration, and ongoing foreign investment, fuels another highly successful year,” says Andi Ashton, area expert and sales agent for Dogon Camps Bay. “The property market in this scenic suburb continues to trend upward, with housing prices on the rise amid stock shortages. Observing the first part of 2023, sales are looking excellent, and stock is decreasing.”
Ashton goes on to advise that, according to the Africa Wealth Report 2023, just over 40% of South Africa’s million-dollar homes are located in the ‘Prime 7’ suburbs of Cape Town, of which Camps Bay is one, alongside other Atlantic Seaboard suburbs such as Bantry Bay, Clifton, and Llandudno.
And Dogon’s listings for Camps Bay certainly reflect this. Some current listings on the market in Camps Bay include a spectacular 5-bedroom,5.5-bathroom home for R100 million. This luxury architectural masterpiece has features and views to match its price tag and is set over two plots with a large landscaped garden flanked by a green belt. Just a few notable features of this home include private decks and balconies, a jacuzzi, swimming pool, wine cellar, gym with sauna, solar energy, a borehole, staff accommodation and more.
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R18,500 million will secure buyers a 4-bedroom double-storey townhouse in Camps Bay with generous-sized living rooms and lovely ocean views through large glass floor-to-ceiling sliding doors which open onto an outdoor patio and swimming pool. Other features include a second kitchen, an additional lounge, and a sizeable garden with a second patio.
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“Prices are high in Camps Bay but demand is equally high for correctly priced properties, and there is very little available in the area. Currently, it’s still a case of ‘snooze and lose’,” says Ashton, who advises that this boom is not isolated to Camps Bay – the rest of the Atlantic Seaboard continues to see robust demand from buyers and it looks to be on track for another bumper year.”
According to Horne, it is also a good time to sell if you are thinking of doing so as there are many buyers and dwindling stock so you can achieve a top price for your property. If you are thinking of buying, the sooner the better, as asking prices are rising, stock is declining and in the long-term Camps Bay and the Atlantic Seaboard will always retain its popularity.
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