The BEST Real Estate Investments for Sale in South Africa

South Africa is located at the southernmost tip of the African continent, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Indian Ocean to the east.

It shares land borders with Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Eswatini, and completely surrounds the mountain kingdom of Lesotho.

Known for its diverse landscapes, South Africa features coastlines, rolling plains, deserts, mountains, and fertile valleys.

Its position makes it a gateway between Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas, with major ports and transport routes connecting global trade and tourism.

It lies largely south of the Tropic of Capricorn and has a temperate climate.

The "BEST" types of real estate in South Africa may vary depending on the reason for the purchase, be it investment or personal use.

There are many types of investment real estate for sale that come under the residential bracket such as luxury houses, apartments, condos and townhouses, and these types are often in demand, especially in growing areas.

When looking to obtain investment loans, investors may find residential properties easier to finance, usually due to residential markets providing stable returns.

Office buildings, retail spaces, warehouses and industrial buildings come under the Commercial Real Estate (CRE) bracket, and while needing larger capital and up front investments fees, often the long-term leases lead to more predictable higher income return.

Distribution centers, warehouses, logistics facilities, manufacturing plants fall into the Industrial Real Estate sector and will normally be let-out under long-term contracts to stable tenants generating reliable cash flow.

Under Retail Real Estate comes shopping centers, malls, retail stores, often which can demand high-traffic, leading to potential for high returns, as tenants often sign long leases, which can provide stability.

With vacation and holiday properties such as purchased to rent can provide high returns, especially in focused tourist locations, plus there is the flexibility for the investor or owner to use the property personally when not renting it out as an investment.


Raw land, farmland and potential development land can appreciate significantly in the right location, and the land plot can sit undeveloped for long periods waiting for the right market conditions.

Mixed-Use properties combine residential, commercial, and sometimes even industrial spaces in one building or development which can provide multiple streams of income.

Student housing rental properties located near universities or colleges, where apartment complexes or houses in high demand in university towns, can provide income for 9-12 months of the year.

Factors when deciding on the best type of real estate in South Africa to focus on are such aspects as location - is the area declining or undesirable area may not offer the same returns as a less-than-ideal property in a booming area.

What are the BEST real estate investments for sale in South Africa to begin investing are often residential properties that typically require less up front capital compared to commercial or industrial properties.

This means the initial monetary outlay is less, and the risks reduced.