MOSSEL BAY NEWS- Six of the 10 South African towns that experienced the highest influx of residents in 2023 are situated within the boundaries of the ever popular (and soon to be over populated) Garden Route District Municipality. 

All 10 towns are located in the Western Cape.

Data analytics company, Lightstone, used the January to October 2023 sale of residential properties to newcomers, or as they are known locally, "incomers", to determine the Top 10 rural migration hotspots.

Mossel Bay is by far the most popular and tops the list with 368 homes sold to new residents. George, in second place with 289 sales, saw 21% fewer sales than its sought-after westerly coastal neighbour.

This could be due to the fact that a high percentage of the newcomers are retirees and Mossel Bay is renowned for its many retirement facilities.

Knysna is third on the list with 206 sales, Great Brak River fifth with 188 sales, Plettenberg Bay eighth with 119, and Still Bay 10th with 89 homes sold to newcomers.

St Helena Bay on the West Coast came in fourth with 189 sales, Hermanus on the south coast is sixth with 181 sales, Langebaan on the West Coast seventh at 132 and Stellenbosch in the Cape Winelands in ninth spot with 95 sales.

Hayley Ivins Downes, head of digital at Lightstone, says the sales figures are as of end of October due to the three month lag in transfers. "By March we will have the entire picture for 2023."

Ivins Downes says the relocation trend to small coastal towns is set to continue due to a number of factors. The post Covid era has set the tone for many breadwinners to work from anywhere in the world. 

The perception that most of the municipalities in the Western Cape are functional is a huge drawcard and of course a more relaxed lifestyle and proximity to the ocean add to the Garden Route's allure.

Safety considerations also come into play. Ivins Downes doesn't see the popularity of the Garden Route district waning anytime soon and points out that there are indications that interests rates will be lowered by mid-year - always a huge boost for the property market.

And she hopes that the upcoming election will provide the economic and political certainty to facilitate the much-needed focus on growth. 

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