A significant 27% of homeowners who sell their properties and purchase new homes are opting to relocate to a different province, marking a notable increase from 16% in 2019.
These statistics exclude various market segments, such as first-time buyers (FTBs), properties with multiple owners, sellers who do not purchase another home, and households buying under a different spouse’s name, notes Lightstone Property Group.
In 2023, around 50,000 homeowners engaged in the sell-to-buy market, with Gauteng and the Western Cape leading the way—accounting for 48% and 23% of transactions, respectively. These two provinces collectively represented over 70% of the market, with the remaining seven provinces contributing the balance.
While most sell-to-buy homeowners tend to remain within their current province, the proportion of such cases has decreased across eight of South Africa’s nine provinces when comparing data from 2018/19 to 2023/24.
The Western Cape is the only province maintaining its retention rate, with a slight dip to 87% from 89%.
Meanwhile, repeat buyers staying in the same province decreased by 10% in Gauteng, 9% in the Eastern Cape and Free State, 13% in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, and 15% in Limpopo.
The Western Cape also outperforms in the sell-to-buy category regarding property values.
The province captures more than 65% of transactions in the R2 million-R3 million price band, over 70% in the R3 million-R5 million price bands, and around 85% of properties valued above R5 million.
Notably, 70% of those relocating to the Western Cape choose higher-value properties.
The Top Destination for Semigrants
The Western Cape is the leading destination for homeowners changing provinces, with the majority of its new residents—approximately 3,500—relocating from Gauteng, and 870 from KwaZulu-Natal.
Gauteng received about 1,600 new residents from the six other provinces, a similar figure to those moving to the Western Cape.
Provincial Semigration Patterns: Highest Volumes from Gauteng to Western Cape
An analysis of towns and cities, rather than municipalities, reveals a clear trend: 10 towns in the Western Cape top the list in attracting homeowners from other provinces, while 11 towns experiencing the highest outflow of homeowners are located in Gauteng.
When considering net gains and losses, the pattern becomes even more pronounced: 14 of the 15 towns with net gains are in the Western Cape, with Jeffrey’s Bay in the Eastern Cape being the only exception—and by a small margin.
In contrast, 12 of the 15 towns with net losses are in Gauteng, joined by Durban (KwaZulu-Natal), Bloemfontein (Free State), and Emalahleni (Mpumalanga).
Younger sell-to-buy homeowners are more likely to remain in Gauteng, with 80% choosing to stay compared to 60% of older residents. Among those who do leave, the Western Cape is the favored destination—a trend mirrored in other provinces.
Notably, few homeowners opt to leave the Western Cape.
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