LOOK: Inside the properties of the ultra-rich on Cape Town's Atlantic Seaboard

IOL News

11-07-2025

Fit for a king. Sweeping views, luxury living and the sound of waves make the Atlantic Seaboard a popular choice for international and local investors.
Image: Courtesy of Lew Geffen Sotheby's International Realty
Smooth operating property agents are selling sunsets - staggeringly stylish apartments and beach bungalows with prime views of Cape Town's Atlantic ocean - at record high prices.
Wherever you go along the city's Atlantic Seaboard, you will see construction cranes - concrete evidence that developments are taking place in the sought after precinct.
A noticeable jump in upper-end property sales in the city has seen foreign and local investors secure properties that can only appreciate as Cape Town clinches accolade after accolade, whether from a lifestyle perspective or that of tourists who have helped carve a niche for the mother city.
Whichever way you look at it, Cape Town's Atlantic Seaboard is on the up, with luxury properties - from apartments through to beach bungalows - fetching prices beyond most people's dreams.
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Warrick Wiegand of Law Real Estate recently sold a bungalow at Glen Beach for R79 million - believed to be among the highest amounts paid for a beach house in the areas of Clifton, Camps Bay and Bakoven.
The Gqeberha buyer will not be left wanting for much. The property took 10 years to design and curate, creating a breathtaking space with expansive views of the ocean, the Twelve Apostles, and easy access onto the white sandy shore.
"It is a one of a kind masterpiece, and is the only three-level bungalow on Glen Beach and possibly one of the best positions in the world," Wiegand said, when asked about the hefty price tag..
He said that according to PIRI, a global residential index, Cape Town showed 5.1 percent growth over the first two quarters of 2025, with the global average across 45 luxury cities being 2.8 percent.
"This is a remarkable feat, considering the fierce competition among the world's luxury markets.
"This can, in my opinion, be attested to a degree to global buyers discovering Cape Town, many for the first time, for what it truly is, a city of lifestyle, great value, beauty of nature and most importantly potential for growth!"
Last month, the Atlantic Seaboard secured full title sales amounting to R318 million, with the average home price fetching R31.8 million, up from R91 million, with an average price of R15.3 million for the same period last year.
Sectional title sales raked in almost R472 million, with apartments averaging prices of R8.74 million.
Wiegand also noted how close properties are selling to asking prices, with sectional title sales receiving 95.75 percent of asking price, on average.
Lance Cohen, owner of Lance Real Estate, who sold an apartment at Clifton with an asking price of R145 million, believes the buoyed market is linked to global instability, and the fact that many South Africans are returning home after many years of living abroad.
That's a lot of money, so does the place boast a cinema, wine cellar or "secret" room?
Cohen laughs at this, admitting it has neither, but said it has top-end finishes, including marble, and that the apartment has its own elevator that takes you a stone's throw away from the shore.
"It's all about location, really."
"We are not getting the bad press as an unsafe city any longer, so good press and more flights coming in means more visitors. People get to see the infrastructure, that the city is well managed and is cheaper than say Dubai and other places.
"We also have upcountry buyers, but when people come here from overseas for the first time, they fall in love with the city and want to settle," Cohen said.
"A lot of buyers have homes in various places, so those from the northern hemisphere find it an attractive option to come here in winter, while the Emiratis like coming here in winter to dodge their extreme heat of summer."
On the rental side of things, Cohen believes a shortage in rental stock has also pushed up selling prices, resulting in buyers investing so that they can rent out their properties.
"We have a situation where there is huge demand and little supply which pushes up prices, but in my opinion, the market has never been better and stronger.
"The great demand has led to spill-over to places like Constantia and Bishopscourt because of the shortage of stock on the Atlantic Seaboard," he said.
Asked what made the Atlantic Seaboard so attractive, Cohen said: "Safety and security, the best climate in the country and accessibility to Blue Flag beaches and of course the views."
Commanding views and a price tag that could take your breath away, this property is on the market for R110 million.
Image: Courtesy of Lew Geffen Sotheby's International Realty
Chad Shapiro, senior operations and systems manager at Lew Geffen Sotheby's International Realty Atlantic Seaboard, said that although they do have upcountry buyers, the bulk are foreigners.
"We do have some properties that you could say are very expensive, and we get retorts of 'how can you charge so much', but the Atlantic Seaboard warrants its pricing, which is more comparable to the global market," he said.
Asked what was so special about these properties that they fetch such high prices, Shapiro said the primary purchase reward is location.
"The Cape Town Ciry centre and Atlantic Seaboard both offer superior position as well as weather, the south Easter misses many of our suburbs when it is in full flight and this has borne a strong desire for holiday making near all the premium beaches and in turn long term residency, property ownership and business locality which is also considered to be highly exclusive.
"Views and proximity to amazing food, entertainment, sightseeing and recreational activities also bring property pricing to a premium; you are buying a location as well as a lifestyle."
With the property market in this precinct looking so promising, agents say the trend is likely to sustain its momentum.