According to the latest census, the Western Cape’s population has exploded, growing by 27% to reach 7.4 million. Over half (4.7 million) is found in the City of Cape Town, which is expected to grow to 5.1 million by 2025. Cape Town is growing slightly above the province as a whole.
“The figures confirm what we’ve all suspected—the City itself is the destination for a large proportion of the semigration from other provinces. It also attracts a significant number of ‘swallows’—individuals from the Northern Hemisphere who migrate south for our summer months,” says Deborah Kolnik, Jawitz Properties South Peninsula. “However, the parts of the City that people think of when they think of living in Cape Town are filling up, and getting a foothold in the Cape Town property market is increasingly difficult, especially given the marked drop in property prices upcountry.”
One of the most desirable areas to live in Cape Town is the South Peninsula, which covers False Bay (Fish Hoek, Simon’s Town,) as well as Scarborough, Misty Cliffs, Kommetjie, Noordhoek and others on that section of the Atlantic coast.
These areas offer a wide range of lifestyles, with families gravitating to the rural atmosphere of Noordhoek and surrounds, while others love the convenience of Fish Hoek and the history and charm of Simon’s Town. Despite its growth, Kommetjie retains its village atmosphere, while Scarborough and Misty Cliffs continue to offer a sense of ocean and space.
Another big attraction is the strong sense of community across these areas.
The various inhabited areas of the South Peninsula are set in a web of beautiful, unspoiled nature. Nature reserves include the Silvermine Nature Reserve, with its numerous hiking trails, and Cape Point, where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet—a place of austere, windswept beauty and perfect place to have lunch. Wherever you look, there are mountains around you, framed by the silhouette of the Hottentots Holland range across the dark blue waters of False Bay.
“It’s astonishing how this relatively small area offers so much variety and natural beauty, a series of ‘villages’ each with its own distinct character and yet so conveniently close to the city itself,” Kolnik says. “It’s not hard to see why property prices have risen sharply over the past few years. But, if you know where to look, you can still find properties offering good value—it’s more important than ever to have an agent who knows the area very well on your side.”
Jawitz South Peninsula’s team all have close connections with the area and have lived there for many years—the team which runs the franchise have been involved in property in the area since 1996. All in all, the franchise represents a hugely useful reservoir of inside knowledge.
In the last few years, what once were primarily holiday towns (for example, Scarborough and Kommetjie) have become largely residential, and excellent schools have been developed in the area. Two recent developments in Kommetjie, Riverside Village and Village Lane, have sold out. Demand definitely outweighs supply, she says, and the supply of available land is strictly limited—one of the area’s big attractions is how much of it is protected, not forgetting the iconic Cape Point Nature Reserve.
To give an idea of the kind of prices we are looking at, Scarborough properties are now selling for an average R6 million (up from R4.1 million in 2021), while Noordhoek is at roughly the same level. However, if one looks at the False Bay area as a whole, there are still pockets of value where it’s possible to find homes starting at R2.5 million if you know where to look.
“In a highly desirable area like this, an agent with deep insight into the property dynamics is essential,” concludes Kolnik.
