In Johannesburg’s fast-evolving property landscape, one trend is standing out with unmistakable clarity: safety has become the ultimate dealbreaker—especially for women.
Source: Supplied. Claude McKirby, co-principal of Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty’s Southern Suburbs office.
A 2023 Lightstone Property Security Survey revealed that 78% of female buyers in the city rank multi-layered security systems as a top priority, far outpacing the 62% in Cape Town.
This heightened demand isn't just influencing buying decisions—it’s reshaping the way developers build. In Johannesburg’s northern suburbs, security features now account for up to 20% of construction budgets, according to Balwin’s latest market analysis.
“We've reached a point where by far the majority of women will scratch off their list of properties that don’t have biometric access, armed response or both,” says Cobus Odendaal, chief executive officer of Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty’s Johannesburg and Randburg/Craighall operation.
“In Craighall Park last quarter, some 60% of our R3m-plus sales went to single women; many of whom had panic rooms on their wish lists. We weren’t seeing this five years ago.”
Savvy professional women
The trend towards single women applying to purchase homes more so than men continues (66.6%), according to the Absa Homeowner Sentiment Index detailing figures for Q3 last year.
Many of these buyers are young, black women. This sub-group of homeowners is becoming a key driver of the property ownership space, notes the Index – and Odendaal agrees.
Real estate purchases that are flexible as investment buys are also driving the market; 38% according to the Absa Index.
“Our Sandton clients, in particular, are fairly consistent in wanting to view smaller, secure apartments they can Airbnb during business trips.
“Renting out properties for a secondary income – especially short lets that accommodate owners’ travel schedules – is big on women’s wish lists because it provides flexibility, contributes to maintenance costs and is a slightly less risky proposition right now than long-term rentals."
“The latter group is showing significantly more movement in recent months as current renters – a whopping 73% according to the Absa Index, reflect more optimism in the market and are keen to get on the property ladder themselves,” Odendaal says.
“Not too long ago a buyer specifically seeking short-term letting flexibility paid R35,000 per square metre for an ultra-luxury sectional-title property around Sandton, when the median for the area is between R14,000 and R18,000 per square metre.”
Entry price-band investment surge
First National Bank's Q3 2023 Township Property Barometer – the latest Barometer to reflect gender-based buyer profiles – showed women lead 68% of purchases in formerly segregated areas.
“Where male investors buy one R2.5m home, on the whole our female clients are a little cannier with their investment choices,” observes Odendaal.
“Rather than going for one splashy house, many opt for three R800,000 units closer to the CBD or in business hubs like Randburg for passive income from demand-driven rental yields. In terms of wealth creation, it also mitigates their risk distribution.”
The coastal contrast
Meanwhile, Cape Town’s market may be feeding the appetites of investors seeking richer blood, but by and large women buyers at the coast have similar wish-lists to their upcountry counterparts.
The city’s female buyers demonstrate what Claude McKirby, co-principal of Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty’s Southern Suburbs office, calls “lifestyle pragmatism” – prioritising walkable neighbourhoods and lock-up-and-go convenience, with 58% purchasing coastal properties that can easily convert to holiday rentals, according to Lightstone’s 2023 Coastal Report.
“Mid-market female buyers have shown a strong preference for sectional-title properties and those located within security precincts. This trend is driven by the appeal of enhanced security and convenience lifestyle features often associated with these types of properties.
“In contrast, though, women shopping in the luxury price band are interested in secure freehold properties as well as luxury lifestyle estates.
“There’s far less movement in the lower price bands in Cape Town than Jo’burg, but that’s not to say ladies who are house-hunting on the coast are any less savvy than their upcountry counterparts.
“For one, there’s less stock available, and there’s also an ask for flexible spaces for multigenerational living – 32% specifically seeking granny flats, according to an FNB Housing Demand Survey – and that’s borne out in inquiries at our offices.
McKirby says lifestyle amenities add value to investment properties, as do views – oceans and mountains.
While there may be differences between what women buyers want across the country, Odendaal and McKirby agree there’s no doubt that female buyers are reshaping the market, way beyond a trend.
“Women are determined to get on the property ladder and climb it, which is phenomenal in a country that’s had so much economic disparity between the sexes,” says Odendaal.
McKirby echoes the sentiment: “We’ll always go the extra mile to help women get into the market and stay there. They’ve earned it.”
