Western Cape property guide

Aerial photo of Cape Town
Beautiful Cape Town landscape
View over Hidden Valley farm in Stellenbosch
Aerial view of Knysna on the Garden Route

Province Overview

Arguably one of the most picturesque landscapes in the world, the Western Cape province not only offers chic city living apartments but also breathtaking agricultural properties.

Young professionals prefer Cape Town CBD living, whilst the larger family homes scattered throughout the Northern and Southern Suburbs of the city attract family buyers. If you are in the market for retirement and holiday properties the Garden Route is the destination for you with gems like George and Knysna to chose from.

The various rental property options available in the Western Cape ensure that prospective tenants will be able to find exactly what they are looking for. Cape Town’s City Bowl is a hotspot for young professional tenants, while the Atlantic Seaboard is known for its movie-worthy rental properties.

With its sweeping vistas of mountains, vineyards, and ocean it is easy to see why people fall in love with this picturesque South African province. From young creatives to the older generation - everyone will find their slice of paradise here - whether it is in the buzzing City Bowl or the laid-back Knysna!

Those in the market for a holiday home also flock to this province in the hopes of finding an escape from city life, which sees many eventually retiring to their previous holiday destinations.

Interesting Facts

  • With a total area of 129 370 square kilometres, the Western Cape is roughly the size of Greece. It’s the country’s fourth-largest province, only slightly smaller than the Free State, taking up 10.6% of South Africa’s land area and with a mid-2006 population of 4.7-million people.
  • Visitors to the Western Cape can disembark at international airports in Cape Town and the city of George, or at the ports of Cape Town, Mossel Bay or Saldanha.
  • Saldanha, north of Cape Town, is South Africa’s only natural harbour, and notable harbour for iron exports and the fishing industry. Other towns include Worcester and Stellenbosch in the heart of the winelands, George, a centre for indigenous timber and vegetable production, Oudtshoorn, known for its ostrich products and the world-famous Cango caves, and Beaufort West on the dry, sheep-farming plains of the Great Karoo.
  • The Western Cape is home to the smallest of the world’s six floral kingdoms, the Cape Floral Kingdom, which is characterised by fynbos and the protea family, and contains more plant species than the whole of Europe.
Western Cape property map
Explore Western Cape towns
Agulhas (1), Albertinia (49), Ashton (1), Askham (2), Atlantis (11), Baardskeerdersbos (1), Beaufort West (1), Bellville (228), Bettys Bay (21), Blaauwberg (76), Blackheath (72), Blouberg (274), Blue Downs (77), Boggomsbaai (1), Bonnievale (4), Bot River (5), Brackenfell (108), Bredasdorp (4), Breede Rivier (1), Caledon (19), Calitzdorp (17), Cape Town (1987), Ceres (3), Clanwilliam (3), Darling (10), De Doorns (2), Delft (39), Durbanville (89), Eersterivier (79), Elsies River (13), Fish Hoek (48), Franschhoek (11), Gansbaai (112), Genadendal (1), George (396), Glentana (3), Goodwood (130), Gordons Bay (129), Gouritsmond (17), Grabouw (9), Grassy Park (2), Great Brak River (70), Greyton (1), Grotto Bay (17), Hartenbos (291), Heidelberg (10), Hermanus (51), Hopefield (18), Hout Bay (51), Kalbaskraal (1), Khayelitsha (87), Kleinmond (42), Knysna (255), Kommetjie (3), Kraaifontein (121), Kuils River (127), Ladismith (51), Laingsburg (3), Lamberts Bay (5), Langebaan (189), Macassar (3), Malmesbury (75), Mcgregor (11), Melkbosstrand (21), Milnerton (467), Mitchells Plain (181), Montagu (40), Moorreesburg (24), Mossel Bay (892), Muizenberg (50), Murraysburg (1), Napier (11), Noordhoek (14), Oudtshoorn (55), Paarl (289), Parow (264), Paternoster (3), Piketberg (13), Plettenberg Bay (63), Porterville (10), Prince Albert (14), Pringle Bay (10), Riebeek Valley (1), Riversdale (25), Robertson (45), Rooi Els (1), Saldanha (132), Sedgefield (81), Simons Town (31), Sir Lowrys Pass (1), Somerset West (221), St Helena Bay (98), Stanford (7), Stellenbosch (99), Still Bay (45), Strand (122), Strandfontein (2), Struisbaai (12), Suiderstrand (9), Swellendam (5), Touws River (3), Tulbagh (9), Uniondale (14), Velddrif (71), Villiersdorp (42), Vleesbaai (15), Vredenburg (16), Wellington (13), Wilderness (53), Witsand (3), Worcester (6), Yzerfontein (17)
Latest real estate news in Western Cape view all news in Western Cape
South Africa’s property market: A balancing act between recovery and affordability
Market & Opinion
South Africa’s property market: A balancing act between recovery and affordability
18 Nov 2024
The South African property market is entering a new chapter, characterized by cautious optimism and subtle shifts in activity. Despite encouraging signs of renewed interest, house prices remain relatively stagnant, leaving buyers, sellers, and industry professionals wondering: What’s next for the property market?
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TPN report reveals rising residential vacancies amid declining demand
Market & Opinion
TPN report reveals rising residential vacancies amid declining demand
07 Oct 2024
Residential vacancy rates have increased across all provinces and rental value bands, according to TPN’s latest Residential Vacancy Survey Report. The report shows a significant rise in vacancies, jumping from 4.42% in the first quarter to 6.72% in the second quarter of 2024.
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Rental growth surges in Q2 2024
Market & Opinion
Rental growth surges in Q2 2024
03 Sep 2024
Rental growth in South Africa surged in Q2 2024, reaching its highest post-pandemic levels. The PayProp Rental Index shows year-on-year growth peaked at 5.2% in June, outpacing inflation for the first time in five years. While tenants face rising debt burdens, landlords and rental agents are seeing real-terms returns improve, signaling a potential recovery for the sector. Provinces like the Western Cape are leading the way, with rental growth hitting 11.7% – the fastest since 2017.
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Maintenance critical as Sectional Title insurance costs rocket
Legal
Maintenance critical as Sectional Title insurance costs rocket
14 Aug 2024
Sectional Title (ST) owners are experiencing insurance premium shocks this year as insurance companies and re-insurers rethink the risks associated with building insurance.
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