Lightstone and 1st for Women have partnered to provide women with access to tailored home and contents insurance when purchasing a property report from Lightstone. The offer reflects the growing importance of women, who are involved in 70% of residential property purchases, either on their own or in a partnership.
"As women increasingly prioritise financial independence and take the lead in property decisions, our partnership with Lightstone supports this shift," says Seugnette van Wyngaard, Head of 1st for Women Insurance. "By integrating our tailored home and contents insurance into the property-buying journey, we empower women to move from homeowner to protected homeowner with cover designed specifically for them."
"Over the past few decades, women have become primary or joint income earners in their households. Our data shows women are at the centre of South Africa's housing market, often as first-time buyers. This trend has been driven by rising levels of education, professional opportunity, and financial independence and has fundamentally reshaped consumer behaviour, economic power dynamics, and most notably, the housing market," says Hayley Ivins-Downes, Lightstone's Managing Executive Real Estate and Director at Prop Data.
In many markets, women as individuals now purchase homes at higher rates than men on their own, a reversal from past generations. The ripple effects extend far beyond the transaction itself. Women homeowners bring different expectations regarding safety, community, design, sustainability, and convenience which have influenced everything from urban planning and property development to mortgage product innovation - and insurance.
The formation of 1st for Women in 2004 mirrored this social and economic shift, offering products specifically built around women's needs. Lightstone's property reports now make it easier to move from 'offer accepted' to 'protected' with tailored home and contents cover from 1st for Women.
Individual women accounted for 36% of the 156 900 natural persons who bought properties between June 2024 to May 2025, while women who partnered with a man made up another 33% and women-only partnerships accounted for 1%. Collectively, this means women are involved in 70% of property transactions, Ivins-Downes said.
Natural persons buying: 2024 - 2025
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