Western Cape coastal towns, particularly along the Garden Route, are experiencing a dire shortage of affordable housing as semigration-driven demand continues to drive up prices, estate agents say.

According to Lightstone data, the Western Cape is still by far South Africa’s top semigration destination, with 6,406 households from other provinces having bought property in the province in 2023. Gauteng had the second highest influx of residents, albeit almost three times lower at 1,971.

Among the Western Cape towns, Mossel Bay in the Garden Route region experienced the highest influx of residents last year, causing property prices to rise well above pre-pandemic levels.

Although the market has stabilised since the 2021/22 post-pandemic rush, semigration is still a significant driver in the area, says Peter Máre of Lew Geffen Sotheby’s in Mossel Bay.

A family-sized three bedroom home could be bought for around R1.8 million in 2021, and although there are still a few fixer-uppers available for under R2m, today freehold homes of that size are generally priced between R2.5m and R3.8m. Furthermore there is now a wider array of properties in the R5m to R10m price band.

“Although the market peaked in 2022 with a record high of 1,160 property registrations, demand has remained strong and property values have continued to grow,” Máre said.

The Garden Route town has become popular with upcountry buyers because of its proximity to the George airport and the lifestyle on offer, he added. It is also considered to have one of the best-run and most financially stable municipalities in the country.

Although it has become less affordable in recent years, Mossel Bay property is still more accessible than some of the other Garden Route towns.

Plettenberg Bay saw its values rise by around 24% in 2023, according to Steve Neufeld, Manager Principal of Lew Geffen Sotheby’s in that town.

The average property value in Plett has risen from R2.4m to R4.1m in just four years, and it has become difficult to find free standing houses for under R3.5m. Sectional title units start at around R1.5m, but flats and vacant land are in short supply.

“There are a few residential developments in the pipeline, however, the town’s projected growth is beyond the projected increase in supply, and there is already a dire shortage of affordable housing,” Neufeld said.

More upscale properties are entering the market too, with two listings currently advertised at more than R50m.

Knysna property prices have also surged to new records, from an average of R2m in 2021 to R3.51m this year. And it’s not just the Garden Route that’s seeing such tremendous growth as the small coastal towns closer to Cape Town are also seeing record prices.

Hermanus, which is considered another hot semigration destination, saw its median house price hit R2.51m in 2022.

“We first started to see renewed activity at the beginning of 2021 when people were starting to adjust to the new normal and plan ahead, and there has been a steady and notable upswing since then,” says Brett Sparg, Managing Director for Lew Geffen Sotheby’s in Hermanus.

However the town’s geographical and environmental constraints mean the scope for new development and further physical expansion is limited, Sparg added.

The Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber warned those who engage in corruption that they would be pursued.
He was speaking following the sentencing of home affairs official Judy Zuma who was jailed to 12 years for passport fraud.
Zuma was sentenced this week in the Durban Commercial Crime Court after pleading guilty to a string of counts including corruption, fraud, and breaching the Immigration Act and the Identification Act.
She was arrested following a sting operation where she tried to bribe a Home Affairs Counter Corruption Investigator with R10,000 and was arrested by the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (known as the Hawks).
“The message sent by this conviction is crystal clear: if you engage in corruption, we will find you and we will pursue you until you are locked up. Under this new administration, we will not rest until we have cleansed the scourge of corruption from the face of Home Affairs,” said Schreiber.
He said this sentence must inaugurate a new culture of zero-tolerance towards corruption.
“The fight against corruption in this department, as demonstrated by the serious nature of the issues raised in this case, is particularly urgent given that Home Affairs sits at the heart of our national security apparatus.”
During 2021, Zuma and the syndicate colluded with South Africans to assist foreign nationals to obtain South African passports by using their identity documents and biometrics.
Zuma charged R4 000 per passport and issued 192, making well over R700 000.
The minister said all the affected passports were red-flagged.
“This means that anyone who tries to use these fraudulent documents at a port of entry will be immediately arrested.
“So far, two foreign nationals have already been locked away, serving time for their involvement in this corrupt scheme.”
He said to improve the security of travel documents, the Department in 2022 introduced a requirement that passports be activated via fingerprints at the office of application.
“This means that passports can only be used after the owner has validated them with their own fingerprints.”
Her co-accused Zima Shange was sentenced to an effective 10 years imprisonment in October 2023.
Minister Schreiber said he was repulsed by the actions of Zuma and other members of such syndicates.
“Who cheapen our documents, threaten our security, and undermine the work done by committed Home Affairs officials.
“May she be haunted by her actions every day that she spends behind bars. Those of us who are committed to turning Home Affairs into a department that delivers dignity will not be deterred by corrupt criminals. Instead, we will put them behind bars where they belong.

MEDIA STATEMENT - The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.
The Public Servants Association (PSA) has received alarming reports of mistreatment of the Union’s members employed at the Department of Home Affairs during recent raids conducted by the Special Investigating Unit, the Hawks, and the former Minister of Home Affairs.

Employees have reported feeling traumatised, being treated like criminals, and enduring unjust treatment, despite their non-involvement in any wrongdoing. During these operations, employees experienced invasive actions, including the confiscation of cell phones and random searches.

Whilst the PSA firmly supports the combatting of corruption and urges its members to cooperate with lawful investigations, the Union demands that all law-enforcement agencies must conduct their activities within the boundaries of the law, respecting the dignity and rights of all persons.

The PSA has confronted the Department of Home Affairs regarding the troubling behaviour of counter-corruption officials who have been accused of overstepping their authority. Reports of intimidation, threats, and coercion to write statements are deeply concerning. Such actions undermine the principles of justice and fairness.

All employees, like every South African, are entitled to dignity and must be presumed innocent until proven guilty. Many employees subjected to these harsh investigative tactics are often found innocent, with no evidence against them, and only a few have legitimate cases to answer for. The PSA unequivocally supports efforts to eradicate fraud and corruption in the Department of Home Affairs but cannot condone the mistreatment of the Union’s members and other employees. The PSA urges the Department and relevant law-enforcement agencies to ensure that their actions are just, respectful, and in line with the legal rights of employees.

The PSA will continue to advocate for the fair treatment of public-sector employees and will not hesitate to take further action to protect the rights and dignity of the Union’s members
Issued by Public Servants Association

Schreiber was responding to written questions by members of Parliament (MPs) about the temporary visa concession for foreigners, as well as the impact of wealthy foreigners on the rental housing market.
CAPE TOWN - Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber says there are measures in place to prevent the abuse of immigration policies for foreigners.
Schreiber also revealed the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) was probing thousands of visas issued due to the alleged corrupt activities contained in the Lubisi Report, which exposed serious fraud in the department.
He said the total number of approved cases since August 2022 was almost 80,000.
Schreiber was responding to written questions by members of Parliament (MPs) about the temporary visa concession for foreigners, as well as the impact of wealthy foreigners on the rental housing market.
Schreiber was asked by African Transformation Movement (ATM) MP Vuyo Zungula how the concession for foreign nationals aligns with the government’s strategy to reduce unemployment, and protect job opportunities for South Africans.
Zungula also asked Schreiber for details of the skills transfer plan for foreign workers as well as the measures his department had in place to address the issue of fraud.
Schreiber said the concession was aimed at addressing applicants who are affected by the backlogs experienced in the department.
On the skills transfer, the minister said this occurs for a category of visa, namely, intra-company transfer, whereby the company is required to have a skills transfer plan.
Schreiber, however, referred questions on the impact of wealthy foreigners on the local property markets to other relevant departments like Human Settlements.

The government says social media platforms `clearly need to do far more` after it emerged a list purporting to contain the names and addresses of immigration lawyers was being spread online.
Initially shared on the Telegram messaging app - along with the phrase “no more immigration” - it has now begun appearing on other platforms.
Lawyers have told the BBC they have been advised by police to work from home, board up office windows and install fireproof letterboxes.
Jim McMahon, minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government, told the Today programme, on BBC Radio 4, that he was `concerned`.
One immigration lawyer on the list told the BBC she had been repeatedly threatened, and received messages on Monday from concerned colleagues, clients and members of the public telling her she was `on a hitlist`.
The Law Society of England and Wales said it was treating the list as a `very credible threat` to its members.
“This week has been a stark reminder that the anti-lawyer rhetoric has very real-world consequences for solicitors working tirelessly for their clients, access to justice and the rule of law,` said its president Nick Emmerson.
`We don`t know if they will transpire to be protests like we`ve seen in other places or whether it`s a list that`s intended just to cause alarm and distress or even to provoke,` Mr McMahon said.
`But to be clear we are absolutely prepared in terms of our policing response, in terms of our prosecutor response, and also in terms of our court response.`
The BBC has approached Telegram for comment on the spreading of the list - it is yet to respond.
However, in a previous statement about the unrest it said its moderators were `actively monitoring the situation and are removing channels and posts containing calls to violence.`
It said such `calls to violence` were explicitly forbidden in its terms of service.
Mr McMahon warned people could `expect the full force of the law` if they `cross the line`, whether it is `on the street or online`.
The Telegram group was created just hours after the killing of three children at a holiday club in Southport, on Merseyside, on 29 July.
That triggered waves of unrest in England and Northern Ireland, partly fuelled by far-right activists and online misinformation.
Henry Parker from fact-checking firm Logically said one issue the government was facing is that powers in the Online Safety Act - which could be used to tackle the spread of misinformation - aren`t yet in force.
`Unfortunately, riots haven`t waited for regulatory processes to catch up, and that`s the situation we find ourselves in at the moment,` he said.
Police response
Mr Parker added, that while he was confident the government was taking steps to tackle the problem, multiple teams had a role in fighting misinformation which could lead to a “to-and-fro where people are trying to work out ‘Well what do we do about this?’” slowing down action.`
Mr McMahon would not be drawn on whether Telegram could be told to remove channels where the list is being spread, or whether the messaging app could be blocked altogether.
He said it was important that police and prosecutors were able to do their jobs `without any political interference`.
Mark Webster, the chief constable of Cleveland Police, told Today people should be `very careful` about `naming individual premises or saying what we’re doing individually in forces`.
`You will see an awful lot of resource today and over the following days to make sure we can manage responses to all of the intelligence that comes in,` he said.
He urged people to focus on official communications online, and not to `react to things on social media from sources you can’t verify`.
Ciaran O’Connor, analyst at online extremism think thinktank, ISD, told the BBC that Telegram had taken `a hands-off approach to tackling disinformation and all shapes of extremism` on its platform.
`We’ve seen lists of refugee accommodation and immigration services addresses being shared, and an invitation to ‘protest’ on Wednesday evening,` he said.
`We’ve seen the celebration of violence that has happened so far, and the widespread dissemination of false, misleading and inflammatory claims about Muslims, migrants and the stabbing.
`This captures the essence of the largely unmoderated space on Telegram.”