Millennials And Gen Z Reshape Demand Across South Africa’s Evolving Housing Market

A notable driver of this renewed momentum is the growing influence of younger buyers. Millennials and Gen Z are increasingly entering the housing market, reshaping demand patterns and property preferences.

Their purchasing behaviour, priorities and long-term investment outlook are beginning to redefine how developers, agents and investors approach South Africa’s evolving real estate landscape in 2026.

The quiet optimism that is emerging is seeing most locations show signs of recovery, says Francois du Toit, managing partner of Tyson Properties Johannesburg, who has identified five emerging trends reflecting this more positive outlook.

While he believes these trends may not produce an outright boom in 2026, they indicate why potential buyers should take a fresh look at property investment:

1. Homeowners are getting younger: Absa’s latest Homeowners Sentiment Index (HSI) for the fourth quarter of 2025, not only showed a clear growth in confidence but also suggested that younger survey respondents (under the age of 44) were far more confident than their senior counterparts (over 55).

This aligns with data provided by the South African Deeds Office which indicates that buyers under the age of 44 are not only active participants in the market but account for half of all property purchases.

“This aligns with another important and ongoing trend – the growth in purchases within gated estates where younger buyers are driving property investment that includes lifestyle choices and security with the added bonus of a greater return on investment in the medium to longer term.

"In short, younger buyers are demanding more bang for their buck and, with shared economies of scale, they are able to achieve the amenities that they wouldn’t ordinarily afford alone,” he says.

2. The return of first-time homeowners: Closely aligned with this is the growth in first-time buyers – a trend that Du Toit and fellow real-estate professionals believe will be the most significant trend during 2026.

He points out that although the rental market, especially in major hubs in Gauteng and the Western Cape, is alive and well, newcomers to the market are seeing the value to be had in paying off one’s own bond rather than another investor’s bond. Affordability and accessibility are key factors in tempting younger buyers to make their first purchase, Du Toit believes.

3. An open-door policy from lenders: Gone are the days where funders dictated the terms. Right now, banks are actively courting and competing to secure sound borrowers as the property market finds itself on more solid ground.

While lower interest rates are playing a part in making financial institutions more investor friendly, Du Toit believes that a more modern approach to financing is also taking shape. Looking forward, this is likely to give buyers more bargaining power.

Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago’s announcement in Davos that the bank is looking into scrapping or restructuring the prime lending rate in order to modernise the financial system suggests a major realignment.

The prime rate – currently 10.25% following an interest-rate cut in November last year – has served as the benchmark for the rates banks offer clients since 2001, reflecting the standard addition of 3.5% to the base rate set by the central bank.

When applying for a home loan, clients are offered a rate that centres on the prime rate and is then adjusted depending on the cost of funding, risk appetite and creditworthiness.

“Doing away with the prime rate will increase competition for loans between lenders and see banks offering more market related options to potential clients. It will also inject greater transparency into the lending process.

"With banks already under the watchful eye of the Competition Commission for alleged potential price fixing, the role of credit risk and the cost of lending will play a greater role in negotiations with lenders going forward and pave the way for better deals for borrowers,” he says.

4. Interest rates and inflation: The situation unfolding in the Middle East which threatens to significantly push up global fuel prices coupled with government’s fuel levy increases which are about to come into effect could see inflation breach the Reserve Bank’s new 3% inflation goal. The not-so-good news is that keeping within this band is central to continued interest rate cuts which are expected to continue to inspire further growth in the property market.

However, Du Toit says the good news is that no negative sentiment is surfacing at this point and the ever-resilient real estate industry and existing and future homeowners remain optimistic that at least two further, if small, interest rate cuts remain on the cards for the remainder of 2026.

5. Local government leverage: Local government elections are around the corner – somewhere between November 2026 and the end of January 2027 to be as precise as possible right now. That, says Du Toit, gives municipalities time to get their houses in order which will have important consequences for property owners.

He explains that property values are closely impacted by local authorities’ abilities to provide services and ensure the health of local infrastructure. Constant outages – especially when it comes to water – tend to put downward pressure on property prices, leaving the better performing municipalities in the Western Cape as the top performers here.

However, both the 2026 budget and President Cyril Ramphosa’s announcement during Sona that a white paper that will look at the structure of local authorities suggest there is room for improvement in the near future.