What R5 million buys you in South Africa’s most popular beach towns

A surge in ‘semigration’ has seen individuals of all ages flock to South Africa’s attractive coastal towns.

“Large numbers of remote workers or telecommuters have been leaving the cities in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic,” notes Chas Everitt Southern Cape franchisee Charles de Kock, “and coastal towns are where they can enjoy a more restful, holistic lifestyle but still be close to a bigger urban centre with shops, medical facilities and good schools, are their main targets”.

De Kock said that the real estate group has seen a bigger percentage of homebuyers seeking to become full-time residents instead of holiday homeowners in coastal towns, and this has boosted property demand and underpinned prices in these areas.

Popular semigration destinations often have lower crime rates, more affordable property prices, and a higher quality of life due to outdoor activities and access to natural beauty, said Gus van der Spek, property developer and owner of retirement lifestyle estate Whytham Estate in Cape Town.

Gauteng is the province with the highest rate of people choosing to semigrate in 2021 (43% according to Lightstone data), followed by the Western Cape and Mpumalanga at 13% and the Eastern Cape at 7%, van der Spek said.

For first-time homebuyers, the Western Cape has remained the most preferred option since 2014, according to Lightstone.

“The Western Cape’s reputation for better-run municipalities also contributes to the region’s pull.”

Lightstone noted that these areas are the most popular for semigrants:

KwaZulu-Natal – Margate, Port Shepstone, and Ballito are the most popular destinations for those relocating from Gauteng.
Eastern Cape – Port Alfred, St Francis Bay, and Kenton-on-sea are the most sought-after areas in the Eastern Cape.
Western Cape – As the most popular province to semigrate to, holiday destinations across the Garden Route such as Plettenburg Bay, Geroge and Hermanus have seen an uptick in semigration.

Here is what R5 million can get you in South Africa’s most sought after beach towns:

KwaZulu-Natal

Ballito