Western Cape property guide

Aerial photo of Cape Town
Beautiful Cape Town landscape
View over Hidden Valley farm in Stellenbosch
Aerial view of Knysna on the Garden Route

Province Overview

Arguably one of the most picturesque landscapes in the world, the Western Cape province not only offers chic city living apartments but also breathtaking agricultural properties.

Young professionals prefer Cape Town CBD living, whilst the larger family homes scattered throughout the Northern and Southern Suburbs of the city attract family buyers. If you are in the market for retirement and holiday properties the Garden Route is the destination for you with gems like George and Knysna to chose from.

The various rental property options available in the Western Cape ensure that prospective tenants will be able to find exactly what they are looking for. Cape Town’s City Bowl is a hotspot for young professional tenants, while the Atlantic Seaboard is known for its movie-worthy rental properties.

With its sweeping vistas of mountains, vineyards, and ocean it is easy to see why people fall in love with this picturesque South African province. From young creatives to the older generation - everyone will find their slice of paradise here - whether it is in the buzzing City Bowl or the laid-back Knysna!

Those in the market for a holiday home also flock to this province in the hopes of finding an escape from city life, which sees many eventually retiring to their previous holiday destinations.

Interesting Facts

  • With a total area of 129 370 square kilometres, the Western Cape is roughly the size of Greece. It’s the country’s fourth-largest province, only slightly smaller than the Free State, taking up 10.6% of South Africa’s land area and with a mid-2006 population of 4.7-million people.
  • Visitors to the Western Cape can disembark at international airports in Cape Town and the city of George, or at the ports of Cape Town, Mossel Bay or Saldanha.
  • Saldanha, north of Cape Town, is South Africa’s only natural harbour, and notable harbour for iron exports and the fishing industry. Other towns include Worcester and Stellenbosch in the heart of the winelands, George, a centre for indigenous timber and vegetable production, Oudtshoorn, known for its ostrich products and the world-famous Cango caves, and Beaufort West on the dry, sheep-farming plains of the Great Karoo.
  • The Western Cape is home to the smallest of the world’s six floral kingdoms, the Cape Floral Kingdom, which is characterised by fynbos and the protea family, and contains more plant species than the whole of Europe.
Western Cape property map
Explore Western Cape towns
Agulhas (1), Albertinia (47), Ashton (3), Atlantis (10), Beaufort West (7), Bellville (203), Bettys Bay (17), Blaauwberg (129), Blackheath (15), Blouberg (243), Blue Downs (28), Boggomsbaai (5), Bonnievale (1), Bot River (2), Brackenfell (62), Bredasdorp (5), Breede Rivier (1), Caledon (5), Calitzdorp (34), Cape Town (1944), Ceres (1), Clanwilliam (2), Darling (2), De Doorns (2), De Kelders (2), Delft (30), Durbanville (87), Eersterivier (41), Elsies River (9), Fish Hoek (26), Franschhoek (3), Gansbaai (221), Genadendal (1), George (331), Glentana (4), Goodwood (111), Gordons Bay (166), Gouritsmond (3), Grabouw (9), Great Brak River (45), Greyton (1), Groot Brakrivier (18), Grotto Bay (16), Hartenbos (136), Heidelberg (2), Hermanus (56), Hout Bay (92), Khayelitsha (15), Kleinmond (53), Knysna (104), Kommetjie (12), Kraaifontein (84), Kuils River (73), Ladismith (51), Lamberts Bay (2), Langebaan (63), Malmesbury (67), Matroosfontein (3), Mcgregor (18), Melkbosstrand (36), Milnerton (305), Mitchells Plain (43), Montagu (55), Mossel Bay (643), Muizenberg (11), Napier (4), Noordhoek (2), Oudtshoorn (18), Paarl (146), Parow (201), Paternoster (11), Piketberg (2), Plettenberg Bay (21), Porterville (12), Prince Albert (13), Pringle Bay (15), Riversdale (40), Riviersonderend (2), Robertson (45), Saldanha (86), Sedgefield (25), Simons Town (8), Sir Lowrys Pass (3), Somerset West (183), St Helena Bay (11), Stanford (5), Stellenbosch (158), Still Bay (32), Strand (145), Strandfontein (1), Struisbaai (6), Suiderstrand (3), Swellendam (5), Touws River (1), Tulbagh (5), Uniondale (7), Van Wyksdorp (46), Velddrif (34), Villiersdorp (54), Vleesbaai (12), Vredenburg (7), Vredendal (1), Wellington (8), Wilderness (34), Witsand (2), Worcester (5), Yzerfontein (14)
Latest real estate news in Western Cape view all news in Western Cape
The Ballito Lifestyle Boom
Market & Opinion
The Ballito Lifestyle Boom
05 Mar 2024
Besides the year-round subtropical climate and safe, well-kept Blue Flag beaches, Ballito is famed for its beautiful sugar cane scenery and surfing. In recent years, the area has evolved from a luxury holiday destination to an exclusive residential haven.
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Expats and returning semigrants are boosting Gauteng home sales
Market & Opinion
Expats and returning semigrants are boosting Gauteng home sales
11 Jan 2024
Expats are returning to South Africa in droves and, contrary to popular opinion, they aren’t all settling in the Western Cape.
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Residential rental vacancies at 6 year low
Market & Opinion
Residential rental vacancies at 6 year low
12 Dec 2023
Demand for residential rental property remains strong with residential rental vacancies nationally declining to 6.76% in the third quarter of 2023, the lowest quarter since 2017, according to the latest TPN Credit Bureau Vacancy Survey Report. Year-on-year, overall vacancies have decreased by 11.52% on average.
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Top Cape coastal holiday home hotspots for 2023
Market & Opinion
Top Cape coastal holiday home hotspots for 2023
08 Dec 2023
Are you heading to the coast for the summer holidays and looking to invest in a holiday home or an Airbnb rental investment? We find out what the top hotspots are according to the experts.
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