KwaZulu-Natal’s residential property market is losing pace with the national trend, Stats SA data shows.
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KwaZulu-Natal’s residential property market is losing pace with the national trend according to the latest data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).
The data shows that provincial property prices grew by 3.7% year-on-year in November 2025. This is well below the national residential property price inflation rate, which Stats SA confirmed was 7.1% in November 2025.
The data shows that while property prices in KZN are rising, the province is trailing behind stronger-performing regions.
The Western Cape recorded the highest annual increase at 9.5%, while Gauteng saw growth of 4.6%, making them the biggest contributors to the national figure. In metropolitan areas, overall price growth was 6.7% year-on-year. Within this, eThekwini, KZN’s only metro, recorded a 4.7% increase, which also sits below the metro average.
Nationally, the property market continues to be driven by resales rather than new properties. Prices for resold homes increased by 7.1%, compared to just 1.3% for properties sold for the first time. Stats SA highlighted this disparity, noting that “the RPPI for resold properties increased by 7.1%,” while first-time sales “increased by 1.3%.”
The report further reveals that freehold properties saw stronger growth than sectional title units. Freehold homes rose by 8.1%, while sectional title properties increased by 6.6%. These figures are based on property transaction data from the Deeds Office and may be revised as new data becomes available.
South Africa’s housing market closed 2025 with renewed momentum, but unlike previous cycles where semigration dominated the narrative, the latest data suggests that affordability may be the primary force shaping the current market recovery. Following five interest rate cuts implemented in 2025, the market has shown clear signs of revival across several regions.
Adrian Goslett, CEO and Regional Director of RE/MAX Southern Africa, notes that this recovery appears to be driven less by semigration trends and more by financially conscious decision-making. Nationally, based on performance within the RE/MAX SA network, the country’s average house price increased by 4.2% year-on-year in Q4 2025.
While the Western Cape continued to record strong price growth of 15.5% year-on-year, the overall trend suggests that buyer demand is spreading out.
Gauteng recorded a 4.4% year-on-year adjustment within the network, marking a notable turnaround from the price decline recorded in the previous quarter. Goslett observes that shifting workplace dynamics and return-to-office mandates are increasingly influencing where buyers choose to purchase.
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