Scenic views and upmarket living will continue to lure semigrants from the north of South Africa to the Western Cape in 2026.
A continuation of this trend is among the several established patterns in the country, while several new insights are shedding light on South Africa’s dynamic property market.
One gender is outstripping their counterparts, an international age-related trend in being replicated locally and less is more for some changing their surroundings.
Here are the major trends in property-related movement expected in 2026:
Pitfalls for those moving south
One of the major discrepancies experienced by those selling their Gauteng properties to move to Cape Town is the comparable value of the homes.
Three-bedroom houses currently on the market in Tokai range between R3 and R6 million.
Four or five-bedroom houses in Rondebosch hover around the R10 million mark, while similarly sized homes in Constantia may easily be double that mark.
By comparison, similar homes in Bryanston, Hyde Park, Saxonwold or Bedfordview seldom breach R8 million, with the discrepancy in apartments equally stark.
“They obviously have to prepare themselves for that little bit of a shock when they get here; that the value is seen differently here in the Cape,” Nick Pearson, Principal of Tyson Properties Southern Suburbs in Cape Town, told The Citizen.
Pearson also warned those considering Cape Town as their next address to do thorough research on the city’s areas.
“Everyone paints the Western Cape with the same brush, but there are starkly different neighbourhoods that are in close proximity to one another.
“There are all these different neighbourhoods where you can get very different lifestyles,” Pearson said.
Small town living
Pearson explained that while semigration was a major factor, an influx of Europeans was “propping up the market” and making offers on homes at inflated prices.
This was pricing residents selling up after several years, unable to rebuy in their own suburbs, forcing them to consider towns like Mossel Bay, George, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Langebaan and Hermanus.
“There is this interesting semigration pattern emerging because they get a record-breaking price for their property, but they cannot replace it in the same neighbourhood because there is such a shortage of stock.
“Then those Cape Town families are moving to the smaller towns along the West Coast and up the Garden Route,” Pearson explained.
The slower pace of these towns is becoming increasingly sought after by those wanting to leave city life behind.
“Small towns offer affordability, safety, space, and a strong sense of community. Consumers want more value from their homes and more balance in their daily lives,” stated RE/MAX Southern Africa CEO Adrian Goslett.
Young buyers rarer
Data from property valuation and insight tracker Lightstone shows that the average age of purchasers has been increasing steadily since 2011.
The number of over-60s buying homes has doubled since 2000, and buyers aged between 35 and 60 account for 70% of all buyers.
Buyers under 35 years old accounted for 45% of the market in 2000, but have dropped to 30% in 2025.
“Buyers are getting older as a result of a deterioration in affordability, as pressure on household finances squeezes the ability to save for a deposit, stated Pam Golding Properties CEO Andrew Golding.
“The current global environment, which is characterised by unusually elevated levels of uncertainty, which is resulting in a high degree of uncertainty in financial markets in general and interest rates in particular, is also weighing on sentiment,” he added.
Female independence
Females are expected to dominate the market as their purchasing power continues to grow.
In 2025, females accounted for 60% of independent and point purchases, according to Ooba Home Loans.
In 2015, females accounted for 46.3% of solo purchases, but as of 2025, that had risen to 53%. In the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, that figure was even greater at 57.7% and 56.2%, respectively.
“This shift reflects broader socio-economic trends [where] female average gross income has grown by 76.3% over the past 10 years, enabling more independent purchases.
“Many are entering the market younger, prioritising security, affordability, and lifestyle integration, from gated communities and energy-efficient homes, to proximity to schools and work,” Golding concluded.
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