South Africa’s wealthiest property buyers are no longer choosing between city life and coastal living; they’re opting for both.
A growing number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals are embracing what property experts describe as a “hybrid” lifestyle: maintaining a primary residence in Johannesburg while investing in second or even third homes in sought-after lifestyle destinations across the country.
Johannesburg still anchors wealth
Despite ongoing talk of semigration, Johannesburg remains firmly at the centre of this trend.
According to property experts, proximity to key business hubs like Sandton, Rosebank and Illovo, along with access to top schools, continues to make the city indispensable.
The Africa Wealth Report 2025 reinforces this, ranking Johannesburg as the wealthiest city on the continent, with around 11 700 US dollar millionaires, well ahead of Cape Town.
South Africans are not moving – just expanding
Rather than relocating, affluent buyers are adding to their property portfolios.
Data shows that many retain high-end homes in Johannesburg suburbs such as Hyde Park, Saxonwold and Melrose, often valued between R20 million and R40 million or more.
At the same time, they’re investing heavily in coastal or lifestyle properties, particularly in Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard, the Garden Route, and the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, where prices can easily exceed R60 million.
Popular second-home destinations include Clifton and Bishopscourt in Cape Town, estates like Zimbali and Sibaya in KZN, and towns such as Plettenberg Bay and Knysna along the beautiful Garden Route.
And improved connectivity is helping drive the trend.
OR Tambo International Airport offers quick access from Sandton, while Lanseria International Airport provides convenience for private and regional travel.
Future developments, like the planned Cape Winelands Airport, are also expected to make moving between regions even easier.
For many South African buyers, commuting between homes, sometimes weekly, is becoming the norm, and property is no longer just about where you live.
It’s a mix of lifestyle, investment and long-term security.
High-end homes are increasingly seen as a way to preserve capital, hedge against economic uncertainty and secure a foothold in desirable locations.
