{"id":883075,"date":"2026-11-07T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-07T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=883075"},"modified":"2026-11-06T19:50:45","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T17:50:45","slug":"south-africans-flocking-to-retire-in-165-year-old-western-cape-town-known-for-its-world-class-olives-and-wines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/property\/883075\/south-africans-flocking-to-retire-in-165-year-old-western-cape-town-known-for-its-world-class-olives-and-wines\/","title":{"rendered":"South Africans flocking to retire in 165-year-old Western Cape town known for its world-class olives and wines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Riebeek Kasteel, situated in the Riebeek Valley about 80km from Cape Town, has become a popular destination for retirees and semigrants in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Niel Brand, a property professional with Seeff Riebeek Valley, the village experienced a standout year for property sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transaction activity has exceeded the previous two years and approached market highs recorded in 2021 and 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data from the Deeds Office show that the average property transaction price has climbed to approximately R3.143 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most properties sell for more than R1.5 million, while 24% of transactions exceed R5 million. Some premium sales have also surpassed R10 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The median price for freehold properties is approximately R3.675 million, compared with R2.6 million for sectional-title properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The market has also attracted considerable interest from older buyers. Brand noted that people over 50 account for approximately 62% of property buyers in Riebeek Kasteel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brand attributed the rising property values to the area’s growing popularity as a tourism, events, and semigration destination over the past decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe last ten years have seen it become a tourist, events and semigration hotspot, boosting demand and property values,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This has also encouraged homeowners to renovate and upgrade existing properties, alongside new residential developments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the village’s lifestyle has also become a major attraction for people approaching or entering retirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike larger towns and cities, Riebeek Kasteel has retained its traditional country-village character. It has no traffic lights, limited congestion and no shopping malls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its relatively compact and walkable centre also allows residents to reach local coffee shops, markets, and the pharmacy without needing a car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The village has an established older community, supported by local initiatives such as the ACVV Riebeek Kasteel Dienssentrum, which provides social activities, community meals, and assistance to residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The village is also within reach of Cape Town, allowing residents to access specialist medical facilities, major hospitals, and international flights without having to live in a metropolitan area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the oldest towns in South Africa<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Riebeek Kasteel is also surrounded by the Kasteelberg Mountains, vineyards and olive groves, with several established wine estates in the surrounding valley<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These include Kloovenburg, Meerhof and Allesverloren, which have helped establish the region’s reputation for wine and olive production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The village itself has developed a strong artistic and tourism identity, with numerous art studios, antique shops, guest houses and restaurants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also home to the Royal Hotel, recognised as the oldest licensed hotel in the Cape, while wine and olive tastings, festivals, and local markets attract regular visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The nearby Village Market in Riebeek West also adds to the area’s appeal among weekend visitors and day-trippers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Riebeek Kasteel’s history stretches back more than 165 years. The surrounding valley was first explored by a Dutch expedition led by Pieter Cruythoff on 3 February 1661, when the mountain was named Riebeek Kasteel after Commander Jan van Riebeeck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The village itself was officially established in 1861, following earlier settlement activity in the valley, including the construction of the historic De Oude Kerk in the 1850s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, its historic character and proximity to Cape Town are helping sustain its appeal among South Africans looking to relocate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photos of Riebeek Kasteel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This small town 80km from Cape Town, has become a popular destination for retirees and semigrants in South Africa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":883089,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sma_x_autopost_status":"failed","_sma_x_autopost_error":"Instagram publishing failed: Instagram returned HTTP 400: Media ID is not available","_sma_x_post_id":"2119083714583953592","_sma_facebook_post_id":"191437357620492_2264495854370813","_sma_instagram_post_id":"","_sma_x_attempts":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12755],"tags":[27059,11693,853],"class_list":["post-883075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-property","tag-riebeek-kasteel","tag-seeff-property-group","tag-south-africa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/883075","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=883075"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/883075\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":883103,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/883075\/revisions\/883103"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/883089"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=883075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=883075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=883075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}