Here’s Who Is Actually Buying Homes In South Africa

Loading player...
Esteani Marx - Head of Real Estate at Lightstone Property.

Although domestic and global headwinds are persisting into 2023, South Africa’s residential property is showing pockets of progress and opportunity, says Hayley Ivins-Downes, the head of digital at Lightstone.

Ivines-Downes said that the data analytics company found rising interest rates, socio-political tensions, and a limp economy hampered by an unstable electricity supply dampened consumers’ spirit.

Despite the slight dampening, the most recent comprehensive data from Lightstone points to certain categories of buyers carrying the market with Mid value and High-value segments carrying the market at 37% and 32%, respectively, in 2021 – a consistent trend for many years.

Ivins-Downes said that: “Luxury category buyers were back to 12% in 2021, the highest recorded in this category and last matched in 2015, and buyers in the High category hit 32% in 2021, the highest score recorded in the past 14 years.”

Low-value buyers, unfortunately, dropped below 20% in 2021, said Ivins-Downes.

This perhaps suggests fewer new entrants into the market – an unwelcome development given the country’s demographics – with market activity dominated by the Mid and High values, said the head of digital.
7 Feb 2023 1PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

It’s My House: SA’s Property Boom: Risks, Reality & Buyer Protection

Cyn Mac Properties’ Matome Machaba unpacks South Africa’s booming property market from first‑time buyer surges and semigration trends to rising fraud, hijacked buildings and affordability pressures. He explains the need for a national fraud registry, the impact of the PIE Amendment Bill, and the practical steps buyers must take to…
27 Aug 1PM 13 min

IDC Swings to a FY Loss of R4.6bln on Subsidiary Pressure

The Industrial Development Corporation released its 2026 financial results, showing R17 billion disbursed, R28 billion mobilised in co‑funding, and R2.3 billion in Company-level profit, despite a challenging industrial environment marked by weak fixed investment, global trade uncertainty, and pressure on export-oriented sectors. There remains pressure at headline level as it…
27 Aug 1PM 13 min

Clicks Taps Into South Africa’s Township Economy

Clicks CEO Bertina Engelbrecht breaks down the launch of KwaMakhi a new township‑focused retail format designed for high‑density, lower‑income communities. She explains why Clicks is expanding beyond traditional malls, how KwaMakhi differs from standard stores, and what this means for healthcare access in areas like Alexandra, Soweto, Tembisa and Khayelitsha.
27 Aug 12PM 10 min

Grindrod’s Record Volumes & Rail Future: CEO Kwazi Mabaso on H1 2026

Grindrod CEO Kwazi Mabaso unpacks the Group’s strong interim performance — including record 8.4 million tonnes at the Port of Maputo, a 52% surge in EBITDA, and resilient drybulk throughput across SA terminals. We explore safety improvements, logistics challenges, locomotive redeployment, and major strategic projects like the Matola expansion and…
27 Aug 12PM 14 min

Real Salaries Lift — But Households Still Under Pressure

July brought rare relief as nominal net salaries edged up to R21,642 and real salaries improved for the first time in nine months. But with year‑to‑date salary growth at just 1.6% and real earnings still 2.2% below last year, households remain stretched. Elize Kruger breaks down wage trends, inflation dynamics,…
26 Aug 1PM 10 min