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

SANEDI on Key AEF Takeaways critical for South Africa's Energy Future

Prof. Sampson Mamphweli, the Head of the Energy Secretariat at the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI), joins us for his view on South Africa's future. He unpacks policy and project-based initiatives that came to the fore on the agenda at this week's Africa Energy Forum.
18 Jun 3PM 11 min

Africa’s Power Market Is Learning to Share: AEF 2026 Highlights

From Uganda’s first independent transmission project to South Africa’s R440bn grid expansion plan, AEF 2026 showcased a continent shifting toward private‑sector participation and distributed energy. Absa CIB's Nikhil Kasiram breaks down the biggest trends shaping Africa’s power future.
18 Jun 3PM 12 min

Pivot Point: BrightRock at 15 and CEO Stevens on Leading the Next Chapter

BrightRock celebrates 15 years of disrupting the life insurance industry with its needs‑matched model. CEO Suzanne Stevens reflects on her leadership journey, the company’s growth to over 12% market share, and the future of life insurance in a rapidly changing consumer landscape.
18 Jun 3PM 18 min