This semigration trend, although not new, has been strengthened by the ability to work remotely during the pandemic and the devastating July unrest that tore through parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
Small towns in the Western Cape have witnessed an explosion of interest since the onset of the pandemic and associated lockdown restrictions which forced South Africans out of the office and into remote-work scenarios. Coastal towns, particularly those close to Cape Town,, attracting a flurry of home buyers from Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal in 2020.
"And so, not surprisingly, we have seen talk of, and data-driven indications, that 'semigration' to the Western Cape has been strong once again." Cape Town outperforms all other metros – across office, retail, and industrial properties – when it comes to the perceived increase in activity levels compared with six months prior.
The opposite is true for Johannesburg, which recorded the lowest activity ratings among office spaces and second lowest – only just ahead of Tshwane – in retail and industrial properties.