Retirees are drawn to areas that offer a good climate, lifestyle, safety and proximity to family. KZN’s North Coast and the Western Cape tick these boxes for many of them.
When choosing where to live, retirees consider factors such as climate, proximity to family, lifestyle, and property and moving costs, amongst others.
Retiring in KZN or the Western Cape
Retirement isn’t just about downsizing, or compromising on comfort, it’s about finding a place you want to spend the rest of your life in. KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape are popular choices because they offer a good lifestyle, a warm climate and family-friendly locations. The North Coast – known as the “chilled” area of KwaZulu-Natal, where wearing flip-flops and walking on the beach is an everyday activity not limited to holiday-makers – is popular among retirees, says Peter Cameron, sales director, Home and Country Property. Cameron says that the number of retirees moving to the Western Cape increases annually because of its relaxed lifestyle, scenic routes, its well-run municipality, First World amenities and languages spoken. “It is an extremely popular retirement destination for Afrikaans-speaking people, as the language is spoken more down there,” says Cameron.
Dejane Steyl, marketing manager, Devmark Property Group, says the Western Cape’s lifestyle and safety are drawcards for retirees. Cape Town and the Garden Route are popular locations as many people retire to the towns where they already have holiday homes. “A lot of retirees still travel abroad often, especially with a large number of their kids living abroad. All our retirement villages are 'lock up and go' making travelling easier,” she says.
The launch of Retire KZN
Meanwhile, growth in demand for retirement homes in KwaZulu-Natal has led to the launch of Retire KZN, an initiative created and driven by Tongaat Hulett Developments to facilitate the creation of new retirement opportunities and to effectively position and promote the province as the ultimate retirement destination.
Rory Wilkinson, planning director, Tongaat Hulett Developments, says, “KwaZulu-Natal is fast becoming a retirement hot spot; retirees can actually enjoy retirement.” Stefan Botha, director, Rainmaker Marketing, says there's been significant residential growth from Umhlanga up the North Coast, due to the fact that KwaZulu-Natal compares favourably with some of the best retirement destinations in the world, which bodes well for those investing in retirement. He says Retire KZN data shows that 71% of people indicated they would retire on the North Coast.
Security is a major contributing factor, as well as the proximity to amenities, and the holistic lifestyle that greater North Coast region has become renowned for
Stefan Botha, Rainmaker Marketing.
Things to do in KwaZulu-Natal North Coast:
- Explore Ezemvelo’s KZN Wildlife Imfolozi/Hluhluwe Game Reserves and other private reserves
- Enjoy one of the many beaches along the coast
- Experience the Hawaan Forest Walk in Umhlanga
- Visit the Litchi Orchard, Salt Rock
- Catch a movie at Ballito Junction Regional Mall
- Check out Cinema Nouveau at Gateway Theatre of Shopping
Things to do in Western Cape:
- Discover Robberg Nature Reserve
- Explore the Cango Caves
- Spend the day at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
- Take a trip to Robben Island
- Visit Wilderness Beach
- Scale Table Mountain via hiking routes or the cable car
This article originally appeared in Neighbourhood, Sunday Times.