The top holiday home hotspots in South Africa

The Western and Eastern Capes are home to some of South Africa’s most popular holiday home destinations.

With tourism rebounding after the Covid-19 pandemic, Seeff Property Group said that Western Cape coastal towns have grown substantially over the last two years.

“Aside from the semigration trend to the coast boosting demand for coastal homes, there is a strong desire to own a second home for those who want to remain in other economic centres such as Gauteng to at least invest here,” Seeff said.

“There has also been growing demand for Eastern Cape coastal hotspots, which often offer more accessible pricing compared to that of the Western Cape.

Seeff’s agents highlighted several holiday home hotspots and how much one can expect to pay:

Clifton and Camps Bay

Ross Levin from Seeff said that these two areas in Cape Town are holiday home hotspots for the wealthy, with Clifton having an average house price of over R50 million and over R22 million for apartments.

Camps Bay had the highest volume of sales over R20 million this year as well.

“The fabulous cosmopolitan lifestyle, scenic setting between the mountains and white, sandy, beautiful blue flag beaches, these areas are the top holiday home hotspots attracting wealthy buyers along with visitors, celebrities and Instagrammers,” Seeff said.

Levin noted that the areas have seen some of the best property growth over the last decade, with buyers from all over, mostly the UK and Germany.

Plettenberg Bay and Knysna

Plett has seen sales ranging from R17.3 million to R33 million for a Beachy Head home – some of the biggest prices outside of Cape Town’s Atlantic seaboard.

Apartments in Plett range from R1.4 million to R12.75 million, whilst house prices range from R2 million to R60 million for a luxury home.

“Knysna waterfront properties in Thesen Islands have enjoyed fabulous sales over the last few years as buyers look to get into the market here. Houses range from around R5 million to R15 million,” Seeff said.

“Other popular areas include the Brenton areas, Simola and Pezula Estates as well as nearby Sedgefield which still offers excellent coastal affordability.”

Langebaan and Yzerfontein

These West Coast Towns are close to Cape Town – making them perfect for weekend getaways.

Beachfront homes in Langebaan sold this year in the Calypso Beach Estate for R8.25m and R8.8m, with the latter at full asking price, highlighting how popular the area is becoming.

With no commercialisation, Yzerfontein is becoming popular with those who want a quieter lifestyle, with homes selling for around R6.5 million.

Pringle Bay and Rooi Els

Close to Cape Town, these quaint villages are located among the natural fynbos of the Kogelberg Biosphere, whilst also being popular whale spotting sites.

Both are safe, but Pringle Bay is far more commercialised than Rooi Els.

Pringle Bay homes range from around R2 million to R5 million, whilst Rooi Els is a bit more expensive, listing around the R3.6 million range.

Jeffreys Bay and St Francis Bay

Eastern Cape resort towns Jeffreys Bay and St Francis Bay are renowned surfing hotspots and only an hour from Gqeberha.

Jeffreys Bay is known for one of the best right pointbreaks whilst also offering accessible amenities and affordable properties.

St Francis Bay has a large number of holiday properties, with a choice of waterfront and gold estate homes ranging in price from R2 million to R8 million.

Big Bay and Bloubergstrand

Blouberg is a popular surfing area and has become a haven for home investors looking to capitalise on the lucrative Airbnb market.

The area has also seen increased interest from buyers in the UK, Germany and Europe.

Big Bay has apartments, townhouses and estates, priced from about R2 million to R8 million on average.

Bloubergstrand also offers apartments from roughly R2 million. Luxury houses can, however, range into the upper millions.

Read: South Africa’s property market on life support after a tough 2023