South African occupancy rates are on par with those seen in the rest of the world. Suppose you’re considering a transfer to Cape Town, South Africa. Including all you need to know, I have written this guide on affordable places to live in cape town.
Top 9 Affordable Places To Live In Cape Town
1. Durbanville
Durbanville, located just beyond the Durbanville Hills and 20 minutes north of Cape Town, is one of the oldest municipalities in the Western Cape Province and was formerly known as Pampoenkraal (pumpkin fold) because it served as a gathering spot for local farmers near a source of fresh water.
Durbanville was renamed after Sir Benjamin D’Urban, the Cape’s governor. Located in a picturesque valley between the years 1834 and 1838, the Durbanville wine trail is one of Cape Town’s best-kept secrets.
2. Plumstead
If a village can exist in the middle of London’s Greenwich or Cape Town, then the fairly large suburb of Plumstead, just south of Wynberg, divided into two by the Main Road and the railway line, could easily be mistaken for the English village after which it is named.
Plumstead is the “Cinderella” of Wynberg and Diep River; it is populated by retirees and young artists who are renovating homes from the 1940s and 1950s to create contemporary masterpieces.
The streets of Plumstead are a mishmash of tree species, and the residences here still have modest walls and off-street parking that isn’t hidden by six-meter barricades. Those taking their dogs for a stroll in the area often engage in friendly conversation with their neighbors as they pass each other’s front doors.
3. Kuilsriver
Kuils River is located at the base of the Bottelary Mountains, a place that is only now being “discovered” by tourists looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of Cape Town in favor of a more rural experience without going too far from the city.
The airport is even closer to Kuils River than it is to Cape Town. In the 1600s, it served as a cattle fold for the Dutch East India Company and then as a way station on the road to Stellenbosch.
Although large firms like Coca-Cola and Nampak are headquartered in Kuils River, original farms and small holdings are still visible and farming is still practiced in the area.
4. False Bay
The name “False Bay” comes from the fact that early mariners mistaken Hangklip for Cape Point. Today, False Bay is the largest real bay in South Africa and one of the great bays of the globe.
The 33-kilometer swim across False Bay, from Rooiels to Miller’s Point, has been attempted 20 times, with only three successful completions. This is not surprising, given that approximately 90% of those who have tried have failed.
Seaside hamlets and villages dot the whole length of the False Bay coast, their winding streets dotted with unique boutiques, inns, and eateries. This variety bodes well for the availability of scenic picnic areas and vantage points all year round, but especially during the months when whales migrate into the harbor to calve.
5. Woodstock
Incredibly, this vibrant neighborhood was once a rural village called Papendorp a hundred years ago; now, Woodstock is a hotspot for the inner-city resurgence that has just swept the region by storm.
Woodstock, like many Cape Town suburbs, is split in half by Main Road: upper Woodstock, with its larger, graceful and carefully restored Victorian semi-detached homes, reminiscent of Observatory a little further along Main Road, and Woodstock proper, which managed to survive the trauma of the Group Areas Act to become a mixed-race suburb associated with crime, litter, and dilapidated drug hovels despite its fantastic views out over the harbor.
6. Khayelitsha
Khayelitsha, a shantytown just outside of Cape Town, is home to more than half of the city’s unemployed. Khayelitsha, however, is more than just the row of shantytowns that you see from the N2 Highway. Formal dwellings, a mix of 1980s’matchbox houses’ and more contemporary low-cost RDP homes, are popular among the township’s residents, and the commercial district is rapidly expanding, with the recent installation of an outdoor high street mall.
7. Wynberg
The Old Wynberg Village, located only 10 kilometers from the heart of Cape Town, has been designated as an urban conservation area and is home to one of the largest collections of historic properties in a recognized conservation area in and around Cape Town, if not in the entire country.
Even though many of Wynberg’s historic cottages have been purchased by businesses such as galleries, picture framers, and antique shops, a drive through the village reveals charming cottages and tangled trees and bushes that make for wonderful little havens away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
The Wynberg Historic District, with its many historic buildings, churches, and parks, is well worth seeing, and the Muizenberg Cape Town Tourism offices have several self-guided walks available.
Larger homes and traditional tree-lined alleys may be found in other parts of Wynberg, yet even these are sought after by Capetonians and visitors alike due to their historic charm. As you approach Main Road, the area’s safety drops, but there’s still a good selection of stores, including an used CD shop that’s perfect for students and a few places to score a bargain on new or used furniture.
8. Brackenfell
Brackenfell, a small community north-northeast of Bellville, is located in Cape Town’s northern suburbs, beyond the so-called “boerewors curtain,” a slang name for the fictitious wall that separates English- and Afrikaans-speakers in the city.
Back in the day, Brackenfell was a key intersection on the road, but now it’s only a residential enclave near the foothills of the Oostenberg mountains, marking the beginning of the Cape’s famed wine region.
9. Kraaifontein
Kraaifontein is a town in South Africa’s Western Cape region. From an administrative and management perspective, it is part of the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality, however it is technically considered a suburb of the city’s northern section. Due to the abundance of crows’ nests in the area, the name was given.
Conclusion
If you are truly considering relocating to Cape Town, we have discussed all the choices you can consider in the process of making that move on this guide is the list of affordable places to live in Cape Town and all you need to know.