In 1575, Portuguese explorer Manuel de Perestrelo discovered a sheltered bay along what is now the Eastern Cape coastline, naming it Bahia de São Francisca after St Francis of Assisi.
The area remained a quaint fishing village until 1954 when Leighton Hulett purchased land and envisioned a marina with an inland canal system, adhering to strict architectural guidelines that persist today.
Today, St Francis Bay is renowned for its charm and strong community spirit. Many residents now choose to live here permanently rather than maintaining holiday homes, a significant shift from 15 years ago.
“We now welcome a growing community of younger families,” says long-time resident Patsy Roux. “They are renovating older properties into beautiful open-plan homes while preserving the distinctive black and white aesthetics, especially in the Village and Canals areas.”
Richard Arderne, principal of Pam Golding Properties in the area, praises the Canals: “They are arguably the best in the country, and the sea offers great surfing, fishing, boating, diving, and more. This is a sporting mecca with numerous clubs: running, paddling, cycling, swimming, squash, bowls, two golf clubs, indoor pools, windsurfing, kiteboarding, soccer, tennis, walking trails, and padel, among others.”
These amenities appeal to young and growing families securing entry-level homes, while waterfront homes needing renovation start from R6 million. “We are experiencing good demand in the R8 to R12 million price band. Plots in St Francis Links have, on average, at least doubled in price over the past five years but still offer sound value. Entry-level Links plots have increased from around R350,000 to approximately R700,000, while prime plots have risen from R1.5 million to approximately R3 million, with some now fetching as much as R6 million.”
This trend is supported by data from Loom Property Insights, which recorded 2,814 property sales over the past five years across various areas, averaging more than 500 sales per year.
“Currently, Cape St Francis has very little residential property on the market,” says Arderne, indicating the area's growing popularity and rising values. “Non-prime plots have also doubled in price—from about R200,000 to around R400,000 in Santareme, and from about R300,000 to approximately R600,000 in the village. Entry-level canal plots have doubled from approximately R2 million to about R4 million. Village houses are now mostly over R4 million, while prime Santareme houses have doubled from around R6 million to R12 million.”
Roux notes that 15 years ago, most properties were holiday homes, fostering a close-knit community—a sentiment that persists today, even as younger generations integrate into the 'chokka' community. 'Chokka' refers to the boats used for fishing calamari, with export levels so high that St Francis is known as South Africa’s calamari capital.
“Development has been rapid as the region's popularity has grown,” she says. “Locals are enjoying new restaurants and events attracting both local and international tourists.” Notably, many foreign buyers hail from Germany and the UK, while local buyers predominantly come from Cape Town and Centurion in Gauteng.
The exact number of St Francis Bay residents is uncertain, especially since the 2022 census findings have not been released. St Francis Today estimates the permanent resident population at around 10,000, with about 6,000 residing in Sea Vista. Given the average of 500 property sales per year since then, the population could be higher in 2025.
Residential developments are underway, including apartments and retirement villages like Grand Comoros Retirement Village, Quays, and Homestead Views. Port View apartments and St Francis Links Villas have recently entered the market, alongside new business opportunities. “While we have strong boat/yacht building and allied trades, there are options to establish new growth sectors,” says Arderne. “We have an array of excellent doctors, dentists, physiotherapists, an optometrist, biokineticists, and alternative healing practitioners. There are also several schools in the region, but the private junior school is currently full.”
Weather and recreation
The weather is consistently pleasant. On average, daytime temperatures range from 24°C in February to 19°C in July, with nighttime lows around 13°C in winter. This climate is comparable to Plettenberg Bay or Knysna.
Local hotels, B&Bs, and self-catering holiday homes are often fully booked, especially given the numerous tourist attractions and festivals. The annual Wine on Water festival, for instance, features world-class wine estates hosted in private homes along the St Francis Bay canals, with festival-goers transported via hop-on hop-off water taxis. Billy’s Beach has become a popular destination for its end-of-year Summer Festival, attracting recent matriculants eager to celebrate.
