SA Property enters 2026 with real momentum - not hype

• Lower rates plus affordability unlock new wave of first-time buyers
• Lifestyle estates plus hybrid work reshape demand and geography
• FNB index and semigration signal broad-based structural recovery

2026 isn’t “hopeful optimism”. It’s measurable momentum. After three messy, confidence-draining years, people are finally making decisions again. Deals are happening. Bond approvals are moving. Stock is being absorbed, not left to rot on portals.

The shift is subtle… but real.

Rates changed the psychology

‍The turning point was mid-2025: SARB’s easing. From 7.25% repo in May, to holding at 7.00% by October, as inflation settled around 3.3%.

And that’s the unlock. Lower debt service costs always find their way into activity.

‍

“The interest rate reprieve has opened the door for a new wave of buyers, especially women in their thirties.” Bradd Bendall, BetterBond.

‍

Banks aren’t suddenly reckless, but they’re not terrified of every risk line item anymore.

Lifestyle priorities are now the anchor, not the afterthought

‍Lightstone has been screaming this signal for 18 months:

• 20 - 35 age cohort = 29.7% of all transactions
• 17% spent R1m - R1.5m

And they’re not chasing tiny lock-ups and go’s. They want security.
They want hybrid work flexibility. They want neighbourhoods that feel like long-term ROI.

‍

“People want homes that suit their lifestyle’” says Bendall. This is why lifestyle estates aren’t a fad, they’re the new baseline.

‍

The numbers confirm it, not PR

‍The FNB House Price Index accelerated to 4.5% in August 2025 -  fastest since 2022 and in specific nodes inflation is being beaten again. That matters.

Because once house prices run above inflation for 3 - 6 consecutive months, investor psychology flips from defence to selective acquisition.

Semigration phase 2 - the new map of SA

‍2023/24 = “Cape Town or die”. 2025/26 is different. Secondary hubs are now the alpha trade: George. Gqeberha. Nelspruit. Polokwane.

Better quality governance plus better infrastructure plus better value. Not speculation. Rational migration of capital.

Outlook for 2026

‍Lending growth is still modest, not bubble territory. Investors are returning, cautiously, but purposely. First-time buyers are finally not frozen.

If SARB holds, or trims again, the flywheel will accelerate.

2026 is shaping up to be the first year in a long time where real estate isn’t defined by “repairing damage”… but by playing offence.

‍