South Africa's best property returns - all the stats

Greater Johannesburg property owners are enjoying the highest property returns (8.9%), while KwaZulu-Natal South Coast owners have watched their property values fall by a painful 21% over the past year, according to latest figures published in Absa's quarterly housing review. Figures vary considerably from region to region and property type.

Of the country's seven metropolitan regions, Johannesburg was the top property performer year-on-year followed by Durban/Pinetown in KwaZulu-Natal (7.7%).  East London property fell (-2.6%) in value the most out of all metropolitan areas since the first quarter of 2009.

Coastal property owners around the country have been hit hard by the recession, particularly the KZN South Coast and the Western Cape's West Coast (-12.7%).

Of South Africa's nine provinces, Mpumalanga produced the best average nominal return, year-on-year, of 9.5% and Limpopo the worst, with -2%.

The Western Cape produced a modest 1.4% gain year-on-year for property owners, while the Eastern Cape and Free State barely registered positive returns (0.5%).

Jacques du Toit, senior property analyst for Absa Home Loans, said of the South African property market that the "steady recovery" evident since late last year is expected to "gain further momentum" as the economy improves. "Nominal house price growth of around 6% is currently forecast for 2010, but with a projected average consumer price inflation of rate of also 6%, no real price growth is expected this year."

See the table below for details on how your property is faring.

For less than R100 you can find out who owns a property, what they paid and whether they have a large mortgage - and what others have been paying in a suburb. You don't need an estate agent to tell you what a property is worth. Click here to access Realestateweb's new property valuation tools

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responses to this article

Property returns For property speculators the obvious place to buy is the South Coast by Opportnity knocks on February 15 2010, 16:52 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

and in other news... Jacques du Toit says simians fly out of his posterior. No real price growth? Isn't that a different tune to the one that was being painted merely weeks ago? by JDog on February 15 2010, 16:59 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Limpopo Does anybody out there have REAL numbers re- farms in so-called Limpopo. I would appreciate feedback from 'weekend farmers' and real ones in that area. by Voortrekker on February 15 2010, 19:34 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Meanwhile in the real world The UK's Fleet street letter, who have a pretty good track record at keeping tabs on what is REALLY going on, say UK housing will still fall 50% (nominal, not real) in the coming years and that the UK is about to implode. It was interesting that . .more in Paulson's book, he writes that during the height of the US crisis, he was so freaked out and stressed by what was going on that he was secretly dashing behind pillars to hide from the press whilst he threw up. Ever get the feeling that people are hiding from us what's really going on ??? . .less by CJ Says on February 16 2010, 01:11 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@ CJ No. never got that "feeling" CJ. By the way, please refrain from posting more articles on this site CJ. Its for owners who have an interest in real estate, either to live in...for their own consumption or to invest in. Your arguments are baseless as you . .more have no experience in real estate...you remain a serf. . .less by CJs Landlord on February 16 2010, 08:02 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

lies, damn lies, statistics There is something fishy with the 2009 Q4 Y/Y change figures. Small houses down 1.3% Medium houses down 2.5 % Large houses up 2.8% How can overall existing houses be up 4.8%?????? by doubtful on February 16 2010, 09:01 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Of course you haven't Landlord Denial and ignorance must be a wonderfully comforting position to be in ... and talking about ostriches, why is the bird called an ostrich - well if you had to lay an egg that big, your @rse would also stretch ... by CJ Says on February 16 2010, 09:10 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Its Personal now? DearEditor, Its about time that you ban CJ from this column. Its supposed to be an adult read for people with property interests. CJ really believes readers are interested in the childish rubbish that he belches out day in and day out. If you are not . .more prepared to ban him then I respectully request, directly to CJ, that he engages with this column with respect to others views and refrains from childish utterrences. . .less by Enough is enough on February 16 2010, 09:47 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

CJ has to stay CJ is the biggest asset this column has. His arguments are well researched and reasoned. He offers an alternative view to the normal "property is the best investment" rubbish this column usually produces. CJs Landlord has been trying for years to talk . .more down and belittle him by pretending to be greater because he owns property (apparently). That is a childish and worthless contribution if you ask me. . .less by @Enough is enough on February 16 2010, 10:53 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Is this supposed to be sort of precise figures? Interesting Affordable 40m 2006 Rand R 216620 upped to 2007 Rand 929896 dropped to 2008 Rand R283805 and on the above row of existing dropped from 2006 Rand R811553 to 2007 R647210 and then up to 2008 R957741 Amazing, even more amazing . .more that people believe that house prices are increasing . .less by ea on February 16 2010, 11:03 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Come on! As a regular reader of this forum - it look to me that CJ is the victim of the malice. It seems most posters hate what he has to say, not how he says it. Says something to me about the relative maturity of the groups. Grow up and accept . .more that people have differing opinions. Without that there would be no markets. . .less by Mike R on February 16 2010, 11:27 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

re. CJ says He is a muppet of note, but please don't ban him, he is nothing if not entertaining! by Obs on February 16 2010, 12:33 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@Enough is Enough You may not agree with the CJ says' arguments but having an alternative viewpoint presented is true enlightenment. Methinks you subsricbe to the Zanu-PF version of democracy. by aj on February 16 2010, 13:40 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

CJ needs to be educated not banned What can be frustrating is that he is a slow learner however... We fully understand he has no skin in the game and that is he chases capital depreciation just like the specuvestors of the last boom who chased capital appreciation. CJ can . .more be a bit stale I must say.. we are still stuck on basic 101 stuff whereby if he just moved his education up a gear we could be talking about some more intermediate and advanced topics besides real growth depreciation the entire time. 50% this 63% that... UK, USA, Spain, Ireland etc etc.. So stay CJ just move it along please mate because you are getting a bit boring ! . .less by Brennan on February 16 2010, 16:06 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Property price returning to normality slowly I have been an intermittent follower of CJ´s posts for years, and have always found my opinions on the property boom/bust cycle to be in tune with his esp after having lived in the States for 2 years, he is an asset to this column, and brings a balanced . .more view.... Regards Hackintosh . .less by Hackintosh on February 16 2010, 16:08 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

house I have always wondered how a non income producing residential property can be considered an investment! when the income loss/maintenance/insurance and general costs are deducted most if not all of the supposed capital appreciation is wiped out. nice to . .more live in but not an investment. . .less by horace on February 16 2010, 16:33 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

RE: C.J. Says Leave him alone, This is a forum for all viewpoints, just because I believe him to be persisting in being very wrong means I must try harder to educate him! (I suspect he feels the same way about me but with charts rather than physical hard facts and . .more truthfull history) Though my property investments give me the ability to say "freedom, I wont!" to persons I would rather not have in my life anymore (like bosses) C.J. has the right to say Im wrong while on his way to work (his bosses are his customers.........I just dont renew the lease) . .less by andrewa on February 16 2010, 23:58 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@horace BINGO! You have grasped a fundamental concept that most people never will (even most property investors...) Your own home is not an asset! It is a liability UNTILL it is paid off! Then, and only then, can you call your own home an . .more investment. RE: C.J. Says I agree (even though I don't agree with C.J. most of the time) -leave him be. We all know he doesn't have any real world experience in property or property investment, but at least he brings an argument. No one would learn anything here if someone didn't have to explain in detail to C.J. why his views are skewed. And him being such a slow learner gives the rest of us time to digest the information before we move on to a "new" concept... . .less by Bearded Bandit on February 17 2010, 10:12 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Leave CJ ! For the sake of democracy and fairness, please let CJ say his bit. Although any rational person would not agree with him, I enjoy his quirky and amusing remarks tremendously ! You keep on doing what you do my boy. by Frikkie on February 17 2010, 13:29 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

CJ says What nonsense is this calling for CJ's banning? Last time I checked we lived in an open society with freedom of speech, and although I differ with most of CJ's views, he does give a good counter argument to the bulls and bull dusters amongst us. So . .more say it again, CJ... . .less by CT Landlord on February 17 2010, 16:08 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

CJ to Remain CJ provides healthy debate that is much needed on this site. Too many owners claim too much rubbish to keep the market up. Viva CJ !! by Outsider on February 18 2010, 11:21 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

CJ to stay CJ to stay ! by Anon on February 18 2010, 11:23 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

VIVA CJ AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE FLAT EARTH SOCIETY . by VIP on February 18 2010, 14:31 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY AS AN INVESTMENT I "invested" R 4,000 in a property in1980. Since that time I have moved and "improved", at one stage owning 3 houses. My "equity" in my current property is now R 3.5 million (even allowing for the depressed state of the market). I have had the . .more enjoyment of my properties over the years and probabaly would have paid rental in excess of what my mortgage payments were. I have no flair for "equities" and could have ended up with nothing investing in them. If the property market collapses I still have my land and the bricks and mortar. BUT, was I investing???? . .less by Peter on February 23 2010, 13:05 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

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