• Cape Winelands and iLembe attract a higher percentage of younger buyers.
  • Eden and Overberg attract more retirees.

The Cape Winelands’ residential property market is the pick of South Africa’s top six best-selling districts outside the metros.

All but Cape Winelands are on the coast. They include West Coast District, Cape Winelands District, Overberg District, Eden District (all in the Western Cape), Sarah Baartman District in the Eastern Cape and the iLembe District - in KwaZulu-Natal.

The top six are the leading markets based on property activity over the past 18 months. They recorded the highest total sales value, the highest average sales value and the highest churn rate (the percentage of stock transacting, indicating market liquidity).

Top six districts 2025-2026



Key features of the top six include:

  • Cape Town sellers typically move to Overberg or West Coast for more space, coastal lifestyle and comparatively lower prices while keeping reasonable access to the city. Buyers from Cape Town are often motivated by lifestyle changes (retirement, remote work), weekend-home demand and the appeal of quieter towns such as Hermanus, Stanford and Langebaan, which offer scenic coastlines, slower pace and lifestyle amenities without completely severing links to Cape Town’s services and networks.
  • iLembe and Overberg have the biggest relative inflow (proportion of activity coming from buyers outside the area). Both districts have seen a high share of transactions initiated by non-locals, driven by affordability relative to metro prices and targeted lifestyle or investment demand. iLembe attracts buyers who want coastal properties and lower entry prices near Durban, and is close to King Shaka International Airport, while Overberg pulls in buyers from Cape Town and elsewhere for holiday homes, retirement and second-home investment. High inflow proportions indicate these markets rely substantially on external demand rather than predominantly local movers.
  • Eden is most attractive to buyers from Gauteng. Eden’s beaches, scenic routes, and more relaxed lifestyle make it a popular destination for Gauteng buyers seeking holiday homes, retirement moves or long-distance relocations. The region’s comparative affordability versus coastal metros, plus good road and air links, appeals to buyers from inland provinces who value coastal living and investment potential. This buyer profile often drives demand for freestanding homes and holiday properties in towns across Eden.

Median time on market - days: 2025-2026 Residential property sales: top six districts v big five metros



Listed properties in the Cape Winelands, with Paarl, Worcester, Stellenbosch and Wellington as its anchor towns, spend the least time-on-market of the six districts, and significantly so at less than 50 days compared to Overberg and Sarah Baartman at 75 days. Of the big five metros, only Cape Town outperforms Cape Winelands.

Overberg includes Hermanus, Caledon, Bredasdorp, Grabouw and Swellendam, as well as Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point in Africa. Sarah Baartman borders the Western Cape and stretches all the way to Ndlambe (Port Alfred) and Makhanda (Grahamstown) in the east. Other towns include St Francis Bay and Jeffreys Bay in the west, and inland towns such as Somerset East and Graaff-Reinet.

Cape Winelands again leads the way in terms of median price achieved as a percentage of asking price at 95%, and is followed by West Coast (94%), home to Langebaan and Moorreesburg, (the seat of the District Municipality), and the municipalities of Matzikama, Cedarburg, Bergrivier, Saldanha Bay and Swartland. Overberg and Sarah Baartman were next, just short of 94%, followed by iLembe (home to Ballito and Salt Rock) and Eden (which includes George, Mossel Bay, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay), both just above 93%

Cape Winelands is only beaten by Cape Town of the big 5 metros, while West Coast’s median performance as a percentage of asking price was better than Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and eThekwini.

Median price achieved - %: 2025-2026 Residential property sales: top six districts v big five metros



The age distribution of buyers is varied with Cape Winelands (67% under-50) and iLembe (69% under-50) attracting the largest proportion of younger buyers, while just more than half of West Coast’s buyers were under-50.

Buyers over-50 preferred Overberg (56% of sales) and Eden (55%).

Age split of buyers - %: 2025-2026 Residential property sales: top six districts