Reporter: I think Cape Town is a very interesting market, certainly very different to Jo'burg in some areas, but also some similarities. When approaching the property market here in Cape Town, where do we start? What's the first step, do you think?
SImon Bray: Well, you know, that's what we set out to answer with this whole neighbourhoods project, is where does someone really want to live? What is the type of lifestyle that they want to access? And I think what's really beautiful about the Cape, no matter where you are in the country, people buy into the beauty of the scenery down in the Cape. There's this lovely emphasis on natural beauty and I think that's something that Southern Suburbs obviously has heaps of. You know, nestled in the foot of Table Mountain with Kirstenbosch Gardens and these beautiful forests. I mean, it's got that amazing natural feel about the area.
We know that the area boasts, some of the oldest, most wealthy properties out there - Bishop's Court, absolutely awe-inspiring - but there are some more sort of accessible points to break into the property market. What is the market like in the Southern Suburbs?
The property market is as you said, filled with these grand, old homes with these beautiful big spreads - unusually for the property market anywhere in the country, 77% of the properties in Southern Suburbs are homes, freestanding houses. Now usually you see it biased towards flats, apartments and townhouses, but in Southern Suburbs, it's all these beautiful old homes and that's unusual and as a result, the values of properties are quite high in Southern Suburbs. I mean, as you know, you're looking at an average property going for about R6 million in Southern Suburbs. Which is a high average.
Who's my neighbour if I'm living in Cape Town southern suburbs?
I think Southern Suburbs is all about family, right? You've got the Varsity just around the corner, you've got some excellent schools in the area so it's very much a family-oriented neighbourhood. We profiled one such guy in the Southern Suburbs, he's been living there for over 20 years with his family, his kids go to the schools just around the corner and for him it's about that lifestyle, that farm sense that you get. You know those beautiful wine farms in Constantia where you go and walk the dogs - I think would be your typical neighbour, someone that wants to be in touch with nature but has a very kind of family-oriented, family mindset.
Do you have a tip to concerning the Southern Suburbs?
Southern suburbs is definitely about family, it's about a love for nature and a love for the environment. So if that's what turns you on, certainly Southern Suburbs is an option. But for more information just check out our website, check out those novel neighbourhoods.
