Property

The luxury South African suburb where property prices went from R19 million to R31 million in six years

Kirsten Minnaar • 29 June 2026

As Cape Town’s luxury property market continues to see limited stock and strong demand, prime suburbs such as Clifton are setting new price records, with the median sectional title price reaching R31.17 million.

According to Pam Golding Property CEO Dr Andrew Golding, Cape Town’s luxury residential property market continues to outperform seasonal expectations.

High-end homes across the Atlantic Seaboard, City Bowl, and Southern Suburbs are attracting sustained demand despite the usual winter slowdown.

“What began as a post-pandemic shift in buyer behaviour has evolved into a prolonged high-demand trend,” he said.

This trend is characterised by severe stock shortages, strong local and international interest, and increasingly competitive bidding for prime, high-end properties.

“In many instances, well-located homes are being sold within days of listing, with multiple offers and, in some instances, transactions concluded above asking price,” Golding said.

He said the strength of demand and robust confidence in Cape Town’s residential market was recently made especially clear.

This happened when the group sold a Constantia home for its full R48 million asking price to an international buyer who purchased the property “sight unseen”, i.e., without viewing it in person.

“The Cape Town residential market is now effectively operating at capacity all year-round, with little evidence of a meaningful seasonal slowdown,” he said.

“Instead, transaction volumes are increasingly dictated by stock availability rather than by fluctuations in demand.”

Pam Golding Properties’ Western Cape regional head, Basil Moraitis, said the group is seeing particularly strong activity in the R20 million to R70 million-plus segment.

In this price bracket, competition for quality stock remains intense, and buyer urgency is driving rapid sales cycles.

“Prices for trophy properties and unique locations with sweeping views are reinforcing the value proposition of prime property in particular, as well as fuelling property prices in well-located, accessible suburbs in the Cape Metro,” Moraitis said.

Atlantic Seaboard and City Bowl properties shine

Moraitis said demand continues to significantly outstrip supply along the Atlantic Seaboard and in the City Bowl, particularly in suburbs such as Clifton, Camps Bay, Fresnaye, and Bantry Bay.

The market incorporates everything from quaint Victorian cottages to modern, state-of-the-art, bespoke homes.

Typically, the City Bowl has a mix of both, whereas in Clifton and Camps Bay, the bungalows on the beach are highly sought after, as are luxury villas.

Clifton also boasts some of the most desirable sectional title apartments on the seaside, which command prices in excess of R200,000 per square meter.

“Beachfront homes and luxury villas remain tightly held, while sectional title apartments in Clifton are achieving prices exceeding R200,000 per square metre,” Moraitis said.

Over the five months from January to May 2026, the median sectional title sales price in Clifton was R31.17 million.

This is a record high, reflecting a 64.1% increase over the previous median high of R19 million in 2020, according to Lightstone statistics.

Properties in the V&A Waterfront and the remainder of the beachfront remain in high demand amid low supply levels.

The traditional part of the Waterfront, being the peninsula and the yacht basin, has now become tightly held, with very few homes changing hands.

Moraitis said another emerging trend is the acquisition of older, larger properties for redevelopment into boutique multi-unit schemes or exclusive luxury developments.

This is further tightening the supply of standalone homes in prime locations. The same high-demand price pressures apply in the City Bowl.

“In Higgovale, a contemporary three-bedroom double-storey home with views of Table Mountain recently sold within days of listing to a local buyer for R15.75 million in cash,” Moraitis said.

The sale, which followed competitive bidding among multiple buyers, exceeded its R15.5 million asking price.

Buyers are also flocking to Constantia and Bishopscourt

The Atlantic Seaboard tends to attract buyers who want to be in a more cosmopolitan environment where they can enjoy the increasingly popular ’15-minute-city’ lifestyle, where people can live, work, and play in one hub.

Meanwhile, Moraitis said the leafy, upmarket Constantia and Bishopscourt areas in the Southern Suburbs attract family buyers with children who attend top-end schools.

These areas are also popular with buyers seeking the peace and solitude of a mountain setting close to world-class wine farms.

In general, properties that successfully combine privacy, generous erf size, and security features tend to achieve the strongest demand and premium pricing.

Move-in-ready homes that incorporate modern comfort with timeless design are attracting the highest levels of interest.

Looking ahead, Moraitis said demand across Cape Town’s high-end residential market is expected to remain resilient through the winter months.

“However, conditions are increasingly price sensitive, with correctly priced properties continuing to transact quickly while overpriced stock remains on the market for longer periods,” he said.

“Winter has become less a period of reduced demand and more a phase of reduced supply, as fewer homeowners choose to list during the season.”

According to Moraitis, this dynamic can, in some cases, benefit well-prepared sellers by reducing competition.

Overall, Cape Town’s luxury residential sector continues to be underpinned by strong lifestyle demand, local and international interest, and a sustained perception of long-term value.

All of these factors are reinforcing the city’s position as one of the most sought-after prime property markets globally.