{"id":858275,"date":"2026-04-25T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=858275"},"modified":"2026-04-24T16:21:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T14:21:36","slug":"goodbye-western-cape-big-shift-in-where-middle-class-south-africans-want-to-live","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/property\/858275\/goodbye-western-cape-big-shift-in-where-middle-class-south-africans-want-to-live\/","title":{"rendered":"Goodbye Western Cape \u2013 big shift in where middle-class South Africans want to live"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

More middle-class South Africans are turning away from the Western Cape and towards Gauteng for property. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This trend is due to affordability pressures and the search for better value for money, which is reshaping buying patterns in Gauteng.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Seeff Property Group, the shift is being driven by a combination of flat price growth in Gauteng over the past two years and the widening price gap between the two provinces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIndications are that the Gauteng residential market is moving again as buyers capitalise on the significant value advantage compared to the Western Cape,\u201d the group said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It added that popular middle-class suburbs are once again seeing price increases of between 5% and 9%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur northern region branches have seen a notable uptick in turnover during the first quarter of this year,\u201d said Samuel Seeff, chairman of the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that Gauteng remains the dominant force in the national housing market, accounting for around 40% of all property transactions, compared to just 27% in the Western Cape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A key driver of the market is first-time buyers, who make up roughly 37% of all transactions in Gauteng.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These buyers are typically purchasing homes priced between R500,000 and R1.5 million, with an average of about R1.15 million\u2014significantly lower than comparable properties in the Western Cape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This accessibility is a major drawcard for middle-class households seeking to enter the property market or upgrade their living conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rental affordability further strengthens Gauteng\u2019s appeal. With average monthly rents sitting at about R9,321\u2014around 22% lower than in the Western Cape\u2014the province is attracting both tenants and investors looking for stable returns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The overall average transaction price in Gauteng is approximately R1.35 million, nearly half the R2.45 million average in the Western Cape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seeff added that about 78% of transactions in Gauteng are concluded for under R2 million, while high-end deals above R4 million make up just 4.6% of sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The suburbs seeing an increase in demand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In Sandton, one of the province\u2019s most sought-after areas, prices have grown by around 6% over the past year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSandton is a highly aspirational area and despite the price growth over the last year, still offers excellent value with a wide range of price points,\u201d said Charles Vining, managing director for Seeff Sandton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entry-level homes in areas like Paulshof, Lonehill and Douglasdale still fall within the R1 million to R2 million range, while family homes in Fourways typically range between R1.5 million and R2.5 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other parts of Gauteng are also benefiting from strong demand. In Soweto, the market is being driven by a growing middle class looking for modern homes at affordable prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Khosi Sibiya, licensee for Seeff Soweto, highlighted the rise of \u201cback-room investing,\u201d where buyers purchase properties and build rental units to help cover bond repayments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said this trend is helping to sustain demand, with many families able to secure a three-bedroom home for under R1 million\u2014something that is almost completely out of reach in the Western Cape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the East Rand, areas such as Boksburg and Benoni are seeing more modest price growth of between 2% and 3%, but still offer accessible entry points for buyers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starter homes are available from R700,000 to R1.3 million, while family homes and estate properties remain competitively priced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regions like Johannesburg South and Centurion are also experiencing stronger demand, with price growth of up to 8% in suburbs such as Die Hoewes and The Reeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More outlying areas, such as Hartbeespoort and Brits, are also attracting buyers seeking affordability and a high quality of life, particularly those willing to commute.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

More middle-class South Africans are turning away from the Western Cape for property.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":858279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12755],"tags":[1652,11693,853,3024],"class_list":["post-858275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-property","tag-gauteng","tag-seeff-property-group","tag-south-africa","tag-western-cape"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/92"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=858275"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858275\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":858320,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858275\/revisions\/858320"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/858279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=858275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=858275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=858275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}