Welcome to the 2026-property year, and wishing you everything of the best and success in your property choices!
We kick off the year on a strong foundation. It seems that just about everybody wants to live and holiday in Cape Town. That much is evident from the continued semigration into the City, and the tremendous growth in tourism with the City of Cape Town reporting record arrivals again over the summer.
Cape Town International Airport welcomed over 11.1 million two-way passengers throughout 2025. This included local and international visitors. This surge in global interest is not just a win for tourism, but also for our local property market as it exposes more potential buyers to the lifestyle and investment benefits.
In a year of global uncertainty, Cape Town property proved to be a solid bet. The market thrived, topping the national statistics in terms of sales activity, the lowest average time on the market, and average price appreciation of 8.7%. This was significantly ahead of the national average of around 5.2%, according to Lightstone data.
Reflecting on the past year, the Western Cape remains the undisputed jewel of South African real estate, driven by a mix of location, lifestyle, access to great amenities including top schools and universities, and superior service delivery when compared to the rest of the country. The Cape Town Metro again improved on its overall matric pass rate for 2025 with a host of schools among the top performers.
2025 proved to be another outstanding year for the False Bay property market with sustained demand and excellent results for sellers and landlords. Lightstone data shows that just about every area across False Bay recorded slightly higher overall sales volumes and an uptick selling prices compared to the previous year.
We head into the 2026-year with an improved economic outlook. The Rand has strengthened significantly in recent months, potentially now heading to below R16.00 to the US Dollar. Inflation has come down considerably compared to the start of last year with the average inflation for 2025 (3.2%) at a 21-year low. This bodes well for the economy and the possibility of further interest rate reductions this year.
The Cape property market is expected to maintain momentum this year. The laidback coastal lifestyle, warmer ocean, surfing, water sport and outdoor attractions remain the envy of those living in the inland metros. False Bay is therefore one of the popular areas for people to migrate to both for rentals and to purchase property.
For those considering their next move, now could well be an ideal time to sell as there is always a shortage of well-priced properties in our areas. Seeff remains a market leader in the area, offering a solid six-decade track record of sales and rentals success. So make your next move with Seeff. If you are ready to open the door to your next property move and would like an assessment of what your property could sell for, let’s talk. Contact Seeff today!
