Our list of most expensive suburbs is dominated by areas north of the city and inland, revealing that wealthy buyers are moving away from the city centre in search of their ideal lifestyle.
Earlier this year, Durban was for the third consecutive year ranked the best city in South Africa, with the highest quality of life in the International Mercer’s 19th Quality of Life survey.
Mercer’s Quality of Living Survey assesses quality of living conditions to help multinational companies and other employers fairly compensate employees when placing them on international assignments.
Durban’s higher ranking is due to the numerous plentiful recreational offerings, availability of consumer goods and most importantly its high-quality housing. Property in Durban offers excellent value for money, even in the more upmarket areas when compared to Cape Town.
Our list of most expensive suburbs in Durban is dominated by areas north of the city and inland, revealing that wealthy buyers are moving away from the city in search of their ideal lifestyle.
Durban's 10 most expensive suburbs
1. Mount Edgecombe Estate (Median asking price R7 075 000)
Tucked away, north of the city centre, Mount Edgecombe Estate is consistently rated one of the best lifestyle estates in South Africa. The estate enjoys a brilliant location close to the airport, excellent beaches and the vast array of businesses and shopping centres in the La Lucia Ridge/Gateway area. The estate boasts 2 unique golf courses, beautiful upmarket homes and a peaceful environment where residents feel at one with nature.
2. La Lucia (Median asking price R5 500 000)
What was once sugar cane fields has been transformed into a desirable Umhlanga neighbourhood with every imaginable amenity. The area has numerous gated estates and beautiful homes set on large plots – many of which have sea views. The suburb attracts young families who want access to the excellent schools in the area, as well as people who want to live close to the business nodes up on the La Lucia and Umhlanga business districts.
3. Cotswold Downs Estate (Median asking price R 5 422 500)
The Cotswold Downs Golf Club and Estate is situated in Hillcrest, around 30 minutes from the Durban city centre. With a natural setting amongst rolling hills, the estate offers residents an upmarket, country lifestyle. Excellent security, numerous spaces for the family to relax in and array of sporting facilities add to the appeal of the estate.
4. Umhlanga Rocks (Median asking price R 4 942 500)
A combination of seaside-resort charm and 21st-century living makes Umhlanga Rocks one of Durban’s most popular suburbs. In recent years this area has been transformed from a small coastal village into a bustling commercial hub. Development within the area has been phenomenal and has contributed positively towards the residential property market in the area. Umhlanga is home to the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board and a large variety of top class amenities such as the Umhlanga Hospital, schools, restaurants, entertainment facilities and the Gateway Theatre of Shopping - the largest shopping mall in the Southern Hemisphere.
5. Glenashley (Median asking price R4 100 000)
Glenashley is one of the oldest suburbs in Durban North and features a wide variety of older homes, many of which have been modernised. The suburb’s popularity is largely due to its location - close to Umhlanga, La Lucia and the commercial centres which have mushroomed in the area and it is also close to some of Durban’s top schools. Shopping can be done at the nearby La Lucia Mall and Gateway Theatre of Shopping. It’s also an ideal location for those who want to take advantage of Durban’s gorgeous beaches.
6. Durban North (Median asking price R 3 800 000)
Great schools, a terrific location and a superb choice of property are all factors which have been drawing buyers to Durban North for years. The suburb is also ideally situated for those who work in Durban or in the new commercial centres to the north. Good schools, amazing restaurants, excellent shopping and numerous sporting facilities draws buyers to the area.
7. Mt Edgecombe (Median asking price R3 375 000)
Property in Mount Edgecombe, outside of the estate is also in high demand. Located just 10 minutes away from the shops, restaurant and nightlife of Umhlanga, it also has easy access to the highway and the airport (or rather, it will when the N2 interchange is completed). The recently completed Cornubia Mall will make retail access for residents even easier.
8. Winston Park (Median asking price R3 250 000)
This leafy, well-established suburb in the Kloof area offers residents a quiet, village lifestyle. Its location offers residents some respite from the heat and humidity of Durban. Exceptional schools, large plot sizes and a wealth of sporting facilities make this an extremely popular suburb for families.
9. Kloof (Median asking price R2 995 000)
In recent years, Kloof has become an upmarket residential suburb with excellent facilities. Kloof boasts excellent shopping and a host of other amenities, set in one of the most beautiful parts of the city. The area is popular with middle-income earners, and the property market is dominated by large freehold properties. Buyers are drawn to the area for a variety of reasons including the schools, the great outdoors, the schools and the village-like atmosphere.
10. Hillcrest Central (Median asking price R2 950 000)
With its location high above Durban and an array of schools and amenities, Hillcrest is benefiting from the major development it has seen in the past 2 decades. what was once a sleepy village has been transformed into one of Durban’s most popular suburbs with an array of great schools and a wealth of shopping facilities.
…and the 10 most affordable suburbs in Durban
Durban's most affordable suburbs
Background
This report is compiled using search activity and median asking prices of residential properties listings on Private Property’s website in October 2017. To maintain consistency over time and assist comparison between areas, data is only presented for areas with 100 or more listed properties and grouped by the following common attributes of residential properties in South Africa: • type (houses, townhouses or flats)
Some effort is also made to exclude outliers from the analysis. A feature of Private Property’s Report is that it provides insights based on current asking prices rather than the eventual sale prices of property transactions. This is an important distinction, as the two measures provide slightly different insights into the property market.
Private Property’s median asking price data provides a view of all properties being offered for sale on its website. This has the advantage of including insight into many more properties than are eventually sold in each quarter. Although asking prices are usually slightly higher than sale prices, they have an advantage of being available to analyse well in advance of the eventual transactions. Care must be taken when interpreting prices of listings on Private Property’s website, as it differs from some analysis of sale prices that track individual properties as they are offered for resale over time.