More women are building wealth through property ownership

Article insights

• More women are building wealth through property in South Africa, with BetterBond recording more than 43,000 home loan applications involving women in 2024 and 2025, driven largely by first-time homebuyers.
• Women are using property to build long-term wealth and financial independence, supported by greater earning power, improved access to home finance and increasing household responsibility.
• First-time homebuyers are benefiting from improved affordability, with the higher transfer duty threshold and the First Home Finance subsidy making homeownership more accessible.
• Women are choosing secure sectional title properties, favouring low-maintenance, lock-up-and-go homes that align with busy lifestyles while offering strong investment potential.
• Young women are entering the property market independently, reflecting changing life choices, stronger financial confidence and growing demand for homeownership without waiting for marriage or a partner.

More women than ever are using property ownership as a way to build wealth and achieve financial independence. The trend reflects broader shifts in women's earning power, changing household responsibilities and improving access to finance, positioning women as an increasingly influential force in South Africa's residential property market.

BetterBond Home Loan’s data shows that more than 43 000 women applied for home loans in 2024 and 2025, with more than half of all applications involving women being first-time buyers entering the property market. “As more women assert their financial independence and flex their purchasing power, we are seeing strong activity from this segment of the market,” says Mary Lindemann, Chief Operations Officer of BetterBond Home Loans.

Historically, women have faced barriers to homeownership. But in recent years, improved access to finance and greater economic empowerment have seen women become formidable players in the housing market. BetterBond’s data shows that the number of women applying for bonds as the main applicant increased from 12 294 in 2024 to 14 473 in 2025. “What is encouraging is that the number of first-time buyers among these applicants also increased.” In 2024, 3 550 were new buyers. This rose to 3 896 in 2025.

In April 2025, the transfer duty threshold increased from R1.1 million to R1.21 million, improving affordability for many first-time buyers, including women, explains Lindemann. “We expect our data for this year to show a similar growth trajectory as an accommodating lending environment would likely have bolstered buying activity.”

Property ownership for first-time women buyers in the lower-to-middle income brackets has also become more accessible thanks to government subsidy schemes such as the First Home Finance (previously called FLISP) programme. “This once-off subsidy enables qualifying buyers to afford their first home.”

Building wealth through property

The increase in applications is also changing the reasons women are buying property. Women increasingly view property as a pathway to wealth generation and financial security, she notes. According to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), women head more than 42% of all households in the country. “Many of these women view property as a means to financial security for themselves and their dependents,” says Lindemann. BetterBond has also seen that women often buy property to accommodate extended family in multigenerational households.

Women are also showing strong independent buying power, with BetterBond’s data showing that women as the main bond applicants spend, on average, R1.3 million on a home, while those buying as a spouse spend R1.9 million. This trend reflects a broader global shift. Morgan Stanley’s study, Rise of the Sheconomy, notes that more women are building wealth independently and predicts that, over the next two decades, a large share of wealth will be transferred to women.

Challenges remain

While the momentum is encouraging, significant structural barriers still affect women's ability to build wealth through property, says Lindemann. There is still a formidable wage gap, with research suggesting that women in South Africa earn between 25% and 33% less than their male counterparts. But generally, women are earning more than before and enjoying greater control over their own finances and those of their households. Stats SA reported that women-headed households enjoyed a 33.6% income growth between 2006 and 2023, while household income for men-headed households declined by 1.5%.

Interestingly, data suggests that women tend to have healthier credit scores than men, which may also account for the increased application volumes. A stronger credit profile means improved access to finance and increases the likelihood of bond approval. In 2024, BetterBond recorded 20 566 bond applications that included women. In 2025, this increased to 23 345.

The appeal of sectional title living

Buying patterns also reveal how women are approaching homeownership differently. Lindemann notes that women tend to prioritise secure, low-maintenance properties that support busy lifestyles and long-term financial planning. This means they often seek homes in developments that offer secure living.

Sectional title properties require less maintenance than freestanding homes and offer lock-up-and-go convenience. In July, FNB reported that, for the first time post-pandemic (2020), equity values for sectional title properties outpaced those of freestanding homes. “This means that the sectional title market has become more accessible to women, and they will also benefit from this segment’s stronger value growth.”

More young women buying on their own

“Recent property market trends suggest that more women under the age of 35 are buying homes on their own. Over the past two decades, the share of women-only property purchases has grown significantly, while the proportion of men-only purchases has remained relatively stable,” says Lindemann.

“Women are getting married later, if at all, and many are delaying starting a family. They are not waiting for a ring or spouse to buy property,” adds Lindemann. This is supported by Stats SA data which shows the median age for women in civil marriages rose from 31 in 2014 to 34 in 2023.

As more women are building wealth through property, increasing their earning power and entering the property market, their influence on home ownership trends is expected to continue strengthening, concludes Lindemann. "Supported by a favourable lending environment and continued demand from first-time buyers, more women are likely to use property ownership as a foundation for long-term financial security and wealth creation."