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Cape Town\u2019s water crisis is more than an inconvenience for home owners.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also affecting the value of their property, which includes some of Africa\u2019s most expensive real estate, according to data from Standard Bank.<\/p>\n
House price inflation in the city, while still outstripping the rest of the country, slowed to 9.7% in the fourth quarter, from as high as 15% two years ago, Standard Bank economist Siphamandla Mkhwanazi said in a note Friday. And it\u2019s just the beginning, he warned.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough it would be difficult to separate and quantify the reasons for this easing growth, the Cape Town water crisis will have exacerbated it,\u201d Mkhwanazi said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe drought, and government\u2019s slow response, will affect consumer sentiment negatively; demand for property is therefore expected to suffer and, ultimately, further dampen house-price inflation.\u201d<\/p>\n
The country\u2019s top tourist destination is in the throes of the worst drought on record, and water levels in its six main supply dams have plummeted to an average of 26.3%, from more than 90% four years ago.<\/p>\n
With the winter rainy season still about four months away, residents may find themselves lining up for a daily ration of 25 liters (6.6 gallons) each from April 16 unless water usage declines sharply.<\/p>\n
The drought has led to job losses in agriculture, depressing household income growth, Mkhwanazi said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe diminishing relocation of high net worth individuals to the Western Cape\u201d is also affecting demand, he said.<\/p>\n