The semi migration boom in the Garden Route.

In the past two years, the Garden Route has emerged as one of the country's hottest property hotspots

In the past two years, the Garden Route has emerged as one of the country's hottest property hotspots, with coastal properties flourishing. Arnold Maritz, the co-principal of Lew Geffen Sotheby's International Realty in Cape Town's suburbs and False Bay, states that as a result of the pandemic, many people relocate from larger metropolitan areas to smaller towns to work from home. As a result, the Western Cape has experienced an influx of migrants. Lightstone data shows a 5% increase in the number of semi-migrants moving from inland provinces to the Garden Route.

According to Neufeld, principal at Lew Geffen Sotheby's International Realty in Plettenberg Bay, less than a third of Plettenberg Bay’s market are locals. About 30% of the buyers are local, 30% are from Gauteng, 13% are from Cape Town, and 7% are from Pretoria. Another 13% are a mix of other South African towns and cities, and the remaining 7% are foreign investors. According to Yael Geffen, CEO of Lew Geffen Sotheby's, coastal suburbs such as Mossel Bay and Knysna have also experienced a spike in sales, reaching 56% and 45%. Market and sales grew even more rapidly in Noordhoek, where they increased by 37%, and in False Bay, by 86%.

As a result of the difficulties of emigration, semi-migration or relocating has become South Africans' answer to a better life. Furthermore, there is a valid reason why the Garden Route is the go-to semi-migration destination in South Africa: lush vegetation, lagoons, forests, lakes, and pristine beaches, make it an Eden paradise to live in!