Gauteng remains the country’s economic powerhouse, contributing over a third of South Africa’s GDP.
Image: IOL
While coastal properties have often been seen as the crown of real estate in South Africa, current market behaviour suggests that the inland regions might be the country’s best-kept secret.
With property prices rising in the coastal regions of the country, and as many South Africans are reconsidering their lifestyle priorities, questions are coming to light as to whether inland living might be the next move.
“Coastal areas have often come with premium price tags as a result of high demand, tourism appeal, and limited land availability,” says Adrian Goslett, CEO and regional director of REMAX Southern Africa.
“In contrast, many properties in the inland regions of the country offer significantly more space at more affordable price points.”
According to the Q3 REMAX Housing Report for 2025, homebuyers showed the strongest interest in the following Top 5 Most Searched Suburbs:
Most notably, four out of the five most searched areas are located within the Gauteng Province, highlighting a growing interest towards moving to inland regions. These trends may suggest that consumers are prioritising affordability, space, and convenience, qualities that are often associated with inland areas.
Recent data from the Q3 REMAX Housing Report for 2025 showed that the Western Cape, one of the country’s key coastal regions, recorded an average housing price of R3,119,517 for the REMAX network.
In comparison, Gauteng’s average housing price was R1,471,423. While both regions are driven by accessibility to major economic hubs, Gauteng provides this accessibility at a significantly lower cost.
“While South Africa’s coastline will always have strong appeal, our data shows that practical considerations are currently shaping consumer behaviour.
"The fact that only one coastal area appeared in the REMAX network’s Top 5 Most Searched Suburbs reinforces the belief that buyers are becoming more intentional and financially cautious in their property searches,” Goslett says.
As the housing market continues to evolve, more South Africans may soon see that inland living is not just a practical option, but perhaps one of the country’s best-kept real estate secrets. To find out what opportunities exist in the inland areas, Goslett recommends that buyers reach out to their local REMAX office for assistance.
Most affordable metro
Meanwhile, Bloemfontein is said to be the most affordable of the major metropolitan cities to live and buy property in, with most residential transactions in the R500,000 to R1 million range.
It also has one of the highest ratios of first-time buyers driven by the city’s overall affordability, said Bianca Jonker, licensee for Seeff Bloemfontein recently.
The market has been robust, with Seeff sales growth from January to August up by 19% and rentals up by 8% year-on-year. Mortgage originator, ooba, also reported mortgage loan applications rising by 9.5%, with 48% of the market comprising first-time buyers.
Jonker says Bloemfontein has a “big city, small town” feel with no traffic congestion, and a laid-back, community-focused lifestyle.
It offers a good quality of life and excellent affordability, appealing to a broad demographic, from first-time buyers to families, retirees, students, legal, medical and other professionals, public sector employees, politicians, business executives and entrepreneurs.
She says the market vitality is also supported by increasing homeownership among women entrepreneurs. The future outlook for the metro includes planned infrastructure upgrades and new residential and student housing developments, indicating sustained opportunities for investors, buyers, and sellers across diverse property types.
Bloemfontein is the judicial capital and home to the Supreme Court of Appeal. It is also characterised by a strong academic tradition, with the University of the Free State and CUT, and prestigious schools such as Grey College, along with major hospitals, government services, and a robust business sector.
Over one third of all property transactions in the Free State come from Bloemfontein, with a recorded 2,716 transactions, totalling R3.56 billion for the 12 months ending October. About 2,230 of these relate to this year, transacting at an average price of R1.3 million, with a significant percentage transacted below this.
Property prices grew by 26% over 10 years and 14.3% over 5 years, thus maintaining the competitive affordability. Property stock is dominated by freehold at 62.84%, sectional titles at 33.54%, and estates constituting approximately 4%.