Beyond the metros: Where South Africa’s property market is thriving

Beyond South Africa’s major metros, a handful of regional property markets are proving especially resilient. New data identifies the country’s six best-selling districts over the past 18 months, based on total sales value, average sales value and market churn.

23 Sep 2026

Source: Pexels.

The Cape Winelands leads the pack, standing out from five predominantly coastal markets spanning the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

The findings highlight where residential property is changing hands most actively – and where buyers and sellers are finding the strongest momentum beyond the major urban centres.

Source: Top six districts.

Key features of the top six include:

Cape Town sellers typically move to Overberg or West Coast for more space, coastal lifestyle and comparatively lower prices while keeping reasonable access to the city. Buyers from Cape Town are often motivated by lifestyle changes (retirement, remote work), weekend-home demand and the appeal of quieter towns such as Hermanus, Stanford and Langebaan, which offer scenic coastlines, slower pace and lifestyle amenities without completely severing links to Cape Town’s services and networks.

iLembe and Overberg have the biggest relative inflow (proportion of activity coming from buyers outside the area). Both districts have seen a high share of transactions initiated by non-locals, driven by affordability relative to metro prices and targeted lifestyle or investment demand. iLembe attracts buyers who want coastal properties and lower entry prices near Durban, and is close to King Shaka International Airport, while Overberg pulls in buyers from Cape Town and elsewhere for holiday homes, retirement and second-home investment. High inflow proportions indicate these markets rely substantially on external demand rather than predominantly local movers.

Eden is most attractive to buyers from Gauteng. Eden’s beaches, scenic routes, and more relaxed lifestyle make it a popular destination for Gauteng buyers seeking holiday homes, retirement moves or long-distance relocations. The region’s comparative affordability versus coastal metros, plus good road and air links, appeals to buyers from inland provinces who value coastal living and investment potential. This buyer profile often drives demand for freestanding homes and holiday properties in towns across Eden.

Source: Median time-on-market - days: 2025-2026 Residential property sales: top six districts v big five metros.

“Listed properties in the Cape Winelands, with Paarl, Worcester, Stellenbosch and Wellington as its anchor towns, spend the least time-on-market of the six districts, and significantly so at less than 50 days compared to Overberg and Sarah Baartman at 75 days. Of the big five metros, only Cape Town outperforms Cape Winelands,” says Esteani Marx, business development executive at Lightstone Property.

Overberg includes Hermanus, Caledon, Bredasdorp, Grabouw and Swellendam, as well as Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point in Africa. Sarah Baartman borders the Western Cape and stretches all the way to Ndlambe (Port Alfred) and Makhanda (Grahamstown) in the east. Other towns include St Francis Bay and Jeffreys Bay in the west, and inland towns such as Somerset East and Graaff-Reinet.

“Cape Winelands again leads the way in terms of median price achieved as a percentage of asking price at 95%, and is followed by West Coast (94%), home to Langebaan and Moorreesburg (the seat of the District Municipality), and the municipalities of Matzikama, Cederberg, Bergrivier, Saldanha Bay and Swartland.

“Overberg and Sarah Baartman were next, just short of 94%, followed by iLembe (home to Ballito and Salt Rock) and Eden (which includes George, Mossel Bay, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay), both just above 93%,” says Marx.

Cape Winelands is beaten only by Cape Town among the big five metros, while West Coast’s median performance as a percentage of asking price was better than that of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and eThekwini.

Source: Supplied. Median price achieved - %: 2025-2026 Residential property sales: top six districts v big five metros.

The age distribution of buyers is varied, with Cape Winelands (67% under-50) and iLembe (69% under-50) attracting the largest proportion of younger buyers, while just more than half of West Coast’s buyers were under-50. Buyers over-50 preferred Overberg (56% of sales) and Eden (55%)