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

Rustenburg mayor raises alarm over rise in illegal mining

Rustenburg Executive Mayor Sheila Mabale-Huma has raised concerns over the growing threat of illegal mining in the North West town. Her warning follows the deaths of 14 illegal miners and injuries to scores of others at a disused mine in Nkaneng near Rustenburg. The incident has again highlighted the dangerous…
19 Aug 2PM 10 min

South Africans Under Pressure: Inside the Q2 2026 Debt Index

DebtBusters’ Benay Sager breaks down the latest Debt Index, revealing consumers still using 64% of their income to service debt, with high earners needing 103% just to stay afloat. We unpack the surge in unsecured credit, cost‑of‑living shocks, multi‑lender borrowing, and why debt counselling outcomes are improving despite rising financial…
19 Aug 1PM 8 min

DRDGOLD’s Big Year: Earnings Surge & Vision 2028 Takes Shape

DRDGOLD CEO Niël Pretorius unpacks a standout FY2026 performance, with revenue up 42%, operating profit up 83%, and major Vision 2028 infrastructure coming online. We explore production stability, the company’s debt‑free position, dividend uplift, and how new assets like the Daggafontein TSF and DP2 expansion reshape future output.
19 Aug 1PM 15 min

SA Consumer Price Inflation slows to 4.3% in July

Nedbank Economist Isaac Matshego breaks down South Africa’s July CPI print, which eased to 4.3% as fuel prices softened and goods inflation cooled. We unpack the drivers behind the slowdown, the stubborn pressure from housing and utilities, and what this means for consumer wallets heading into the September MPC meeting…
19 Aug 12PM 16 min

Leaky Pipelines & Broken Rungs: Fixing Gender Gaps in Investments

PPS Investments’ Fran Troskie breaks down why asset management still struggles with gender parity — from caregiving burdens to promotion barriers, wage gaps, and murky leadership pathways. A candid Women’s Month conversation on redesigning the industry for true inclusion.
18 Aug 1PM 16 min