South Africa's annual residential property price inflation increased to 8.2% in May, up from a revised 8.1% in April. This rise is attributed to various factors, including regional disparities in property price growth. The residential property price index saw a 0.7% increase over the month. These figures, released by Statistics South Africa on Thursday, 8 October 2026, provide insight into the country's property market trends.
The Western Cape region recorded significant annual growth of 11.2%, contributing 4.7 percentage points to the national increase. In contrast, Gauteng's prices rose by 5.5%, contributing 1.9 percentage points. The data highlights regional variations in property price inflation, with the Western Cape being a major driver of growth.
Across metropolitan areas, annual price growth averaged 8%. Cape Town stood out with an 11.5% increase, followed by Ekurhuleni at 7.3%, and Tshwane at 5.3%. Johannesburg recorded a relatively lower increase of 4.8%. These metropolitan breakdowns indicate diverse trends in property price inflation across major cities in South Africa.
A closer look at the metropolitan breakdown reveals different outcomes for properties entering the sales records for the first time and those being resold. The first-sale index fell by 0.3% year on year, while the resale index increased by 8.3%. This disparity suggests that resale properties are driving growth in the residential property market.
In terms of property types, freehold property prices across the metros rose by 9.3%, compared with 6.3% for sectional-title properties. This indicates that freehold properties are experiencing higher price growth than sectional-title properties. These trends provide valuable insights for stakeholders in the property sector.
The latest 12 months of data remain subject to revision as deeds records are updated. This means that the current figures may be adjusted in the future as more accurate and comprehensive data becomes available. Statistics South Africa continues to monitor and update the data to ensure accuracy and reliability.
The release of these figures by Statistics South Africa on 8 October 2026, at 09:00, provides timely information on the country's residential property market. The data describes transactions from May 2026, offering a retrospective view of the market during that period. This information is crucial for policymakers, investors, and industry stakeholders seeking to understand the dynamics of South Africa's property market.
Key points
- Western Cape leads the growth in residential property price inflation with an 11.2% annual increase.
- Freehold property prices rose by 9.3% across metros, outpacing sectional-title properties.
- Resale properties drive growth, with the resale index increasing by 8.3% year on year.
