Big Moves in 2023: South Africans are on the Move!

In 2023, a staggering 27% of South African homeowners who sold their properties to buy new ones chose to settle in a different province. That’s a major jump from just 16% back in 2019! This year, around 50,000 homeowners joined the sell-to-buy market, with the majority of action happening in Gauteng and the Western Cape—these two hotspots alone accounted for over 70% of all transactions, while the remaining provinces shared the rest.

While many homeowners still prefer to stay within their current province, this trend is shifting. Across eight of the nine provinces, more people are packing up and heading elsewhere—except in the Western Cape, where the allure seems as strong as ever. Gauteng saw a 10% drop in repeat buyers staying put, while the Eastern Cape and the Free State each dropped by 9%. KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga were down by 13%, and Limpopo saw the biggest shift with a 15% decrease.

Western Cape: The Crown Jewel for Relocation

When it comes to property values, the Western Cape takes the crown in the sell-to-buy market, drawing in homeowners from all over. Thousands have flocked to the Western Cape, with Gauteng leading the charge (around 3,500), followed by about 870 arrivals from KwaZulu-Natal. On the flip side, around 1,600 homeowners from other provinces made their way to Gauteng, with a similar number choosing the Western Cape as their new home.

Top Destination Towns and Where Homeowners are Leaving

Ten towns in the Western Cape have become the go-to spots for those relocating, while Gauteng sees a different trend—more towns where people are choosing to move away from.

Young homeowners, in particular, seem more attached to Gauteng, with 80% staying put. But for older homeowners looking for a change, the Western Cape is the top pick, offering a mix of lifestyle, scenery, and opportunity. Meanwhile, the Western Cape is seeing fewer people leaving—its charm is hard to resist!

Cape Town and Beyond: Hotspots and Exits

Cape Town leads the pack, welcoming 1,740 new homeowners, with Milnerton following at 1,394 and Pretoria at 997. Other popular destinations include the coastal gems Mossel Bay (701) and George (560), as well as Somerset West (526), Durbanville (448), Sandton (420), Gqeberha (405), and St Helena Bay (378).

On the flip side, Pretoria saw the highest number of residents moving out, with 1,818 homeowners leaving, followed by Johannesburg at 980 and Sandton at 861. Centurion (766), Randburg (695), Roodepoort (635), Durban (493), Bloemfontein (485), Kempton Park (313), and Gqeberha (429) also experienced significant outflows.