FNB’s December 2023 Property Barometer shows that “sales attributed to relocation within SA (semi-gration)” were an estimated 11% of the volume of sales (down from a peak of 14% in 3Q22). Lightstone’s 2023 Migration figures show 6,406 new households bought in the Western Cape compared to 1,034 in KwaZulu-Natal and 1,971 in Gauteng. Lighstone noted elsewhere that the proportion of sales between R100k and R20m in 2019 and 2023 shows that the Western Cape’s share jumped from 23% to 27%.

This is perhaps not surprising: many South Africans dream of living in Cape Town, which has beautiful scenery, a deceptively “laid-back” lifestyle, excellent schools, and lower unemployment rates. There is also a perception that service delivery and infrastructure maintenance are better in the city than elsewhere in South Africa.

Whether you’re a professional imagining yourself blissfully whizzing to work in the city after an early morning swim at the Dalebrook tidal pool or a parent envisaging your child thriving at a school on the slopes of Table Mountain, a bit of research before you start packing is a good idea.

Traffic congestion in Cape Town is significant at peak times, and popular, high-performing government schools like Rondebosch, Westerford, SACS, Rustenberg and Wynberg have to turn away 1,000s more kids than they are able to admit in a year. Then, of course, there’s the cost of homes – Cape Town’s house price and rental inflation regularly outpaces that of other major centres. This is because demand often outstrips supply, meaning it can be difficult to replace like for like when you move.

So, which suburbs should you be looking at? Where can you find value-for-money family homes near good schools with fewer traffic nightmares? Is this the end of your dream?Pause. Take a breath. Here are some scenarios that may help make that dream a reality.

1. City Centre Living

If you have to work “in town”, it might make sense to live there too. The “State of Cape Town Central City Report” published in 2023 notes that in 2022 “there was a significant increase in the number of [CBD] residents from elsewhere in South Africa – 35 % to 44.6 % – perhaps reflecting the impact of semi-gration”.

Results of a survey in the same publication show that most residents choose to live in Cape Town’s CBD because it's close to their place of work – other reasons offered include the cosmopolitan “downtown” lifestyle, safe environment, entertainment, restaurants and quick access to other neighbourhoods. In 2022, just over a third of these residents had children.

“New developments that are being built in the CBD offer many options for people to choose from should they wish to live closer to the base of the operations,” says Graham Ross, manager of Just Property Blouberg.

There are a number of excellent schools in the area, as well as tertiary education institutions. While traffic is congested, it is possible to avoid it entirely by using the excellent MyCiti bus service.

View our available properties for sale here.

2. Go West!

Consider Blouberg, Melkbosstrand (both on the beachfront looking across to Table Mountain), and Sunningdale (a pocket just across the West Coast Road). “Areas along the Western Seaboard have consistently shown good growth and continue to be popular amongst buyers,” says Graham. “There is the added benefit of good existing and new schools being added to the area. As a result, many buyers in the know tend to look here first. While these areas are also served by MyCiti buses, they are proving very popular amongst remote workers.”

View our available properties for sale here.

3. A Little Bit Country

Most Capetonians travel up to an hour each way to and from work. If you’re ok with this, look at living a little further out in one of the smaller towns close to the city. “Paarl, Stellenbosch and Somerset West have excellent schools and often offer better value for money in terms of residential options,” says Talbot Sadler, franchisee of Just Property Protea in the Winelands, Direct in Malmesbury and Just Property Weskus.

“The upgrade of the N7 has cut the commute from Malmesbury to Cape Town to less than an hour, and plans for the expansion of Malmesbury are very exciting – now is a very good time to invest.” Talbot also recommends Wellington and, a little further away, Worcester. These country towns offer very affordable residential options and some good schools. Many who choose to live in rural bliss have opted for online or boarding schools for their children.

View our available properties for sale here.

4. Further afield

Garden Route towns like George, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Sedgefield, and Wilderness are great options if you can work remotely. You will not be alone! In 2021, sales in the Garden Route rose from 6 693 to 9 857. The exodus to small towns continued in 2023, with Lightstone noting that in terms of residential sales activity, “it is smaller towns which have benefited rather than the large metros”.

“These smaller towns also have far fewer traffic delays than the major cities, and all amenities are within a 15 to 20 minute drive.” says Kylie Botes, manager of Just Property Knysna & Sedgefield.

View our available properties for sale here.

Rent or Buy?

It usually comes as a surprise to new arrivals in the Western Cape that there are no “zones” for particular schools to promote diversity and ensure that children from all areas have the best possibility of attending one of the best schools. This is why there is so much pressure on the high-performing schools - there simply aren’t enough spaces.

For this reason, those wanting to move to the Cape are often advised to apply to schools before relocating – or to move down and rent until their children’s places have been confirmed. But the very first thing you should do is find a qualified property professional you can trust. After all, moving to a new area involves many considerations – a resident agent will be familiar with your desired area and able to advise on what is available in your budget.

“It is very important for any buyer or tenant to build a good relationship with their agent,” says Graham. “This is how you will get to find out before anyone else about a new sales listing or rental that has become available. They can also tell you about the best schools in the areas you’re looking at, and advise on things like routes to work in the traffic and whether safe public transport is available.”

However, Graham offers a word of caution when it comes to the “rent first” school of thought: “If you are able to buy, do so as soon as possible,” he says. “There is little indication of a slowing down in pricing in the Western Cape as compared to the rest of the country. The longer you wait the more that property is going to cost you down the line.”

So maybe it is time to make that move! Call the Just Property agent in the suburb you’re interested in and begin your new adventure.

For more information on Just Property please visit www.just.property or call (087) 004 0149. Follow Just Property on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JustPropertySA/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/Just_Property.