What makes a Karoo town an ideal permanent destination for home buyers

The charm of picturesque Karoo towns, with their slower pace, warm sense of community, quaint architecture and historic buildings – not to mention the expansive, open spaces of ‘Big Sky’ country – continues to draw home buyers escaping bustling city life, says Wayne Rubidge, area principal in the Karoo for Pam Golding Properties.

“It’s a wonderland for hikers, runners, birders, golfers, bowlers, cyclists, off-roadsters, crafters, astronomers, geologists, botanists and even fishers. In the Karoo, boerewors and biltong making count as recreational pursuits too, as does the reviving viticulture and culinary trends. Coupled with this, a rapidly improving connectivity has opened up some beautiful, smaller Karoo towns for more work-at-home entrepreneurs.

“In our experience, there is an ongoing, general move away from large urban areas by a certain market segment due to congestion and high prices. Increasingly, having a Karoo property is an alternative to owning a beach property for getaways, while from a lifestyle perspective, others are investing in a Karoo semi-retirement property. A couple of decades ago, more remote towns held less appeal, but now the market is reacting far more positively to the offering of clean, safe, rural living.”

For those from further afield, Rubidge says there is a choice to be made when considering relocating to the Karoo – either a large town or a small town. For every larger town, there are three to five smaller towns, but regardless of size, they all offer the attraction of freehold homes, a sense of security and wide, open spaces.

 

“Large Karoo towns – with more houses and property options, a broader range of services and greater infrastructure, attract more people. However, the majority of Karoo towns are in the small category, being the quaint, classical Karoo towns and villages.

“Three examples of good-sized, principal towns which serve local residents and nearby smaller towns are Beaufort West in the Western Cape – the ‘capital’ of the Western Cape’s Karoo, and similarly in the Eastern Cape region, Graaff-Reinet and Cradock. With good schools, large commercial centres, regional local government centres and good medical facilities, each town is within three hours of the coast and larger centres such as George and Gqeberha. In addition, all three towns have their own airstrips. Each town is also surrounded by or adjacent to National Parks, which boosts the economy and affords access to the Karoo’s vast natural beauty,” says Rubidge.

Beaufort West in the Central Karoo has on its doorstep the massive Karoo National Park – with high-quality tourism and events infrastructure, Graaff-Reinet is surrounded by the scenic Camdeboo National Park, and Cradock, situated in the upper valley of the Great Fish River, has the equally scenic Mountain Zebra National Park. Cradock is also renowned for the Fish River Canoe Marathon, which has developed into one of South Africa’s prime river races.

Says Rubidge: “Importantly, these three locations also have national roads which go through the towns, not bypassing them. Beaufort-West has the N1 and N12, Graaff-Reinet the N9 and Cradock the N10. They are also connected with and serve as hubs for their nearby smaller towns and villages, mostly by tar and often with scenic, less-travelled alternatives popular among locals and those travelling through the Karoo.

“Farming is the mainstay of the towns, offering employment, business opportunities and a range of leisure activities including farm-stays. The high-quality produce that originates in the Karoo, such as wool, mohair, Karoo lamb and venison, plays an important role in the local economy, while restaurants and accommodation abound.

“Popular price ranges for those looking to relocate to the Karoo range from R1.2 million to approximately R2.5 million. However, for those seeking more affordably priced homes, a two to three-bedroom, freestanding house on a reasonably sized erf is generally below R900 000. Meanwhile, in the adjacent smaller towns R1 million or R1.2 million will acquire the more premium properties.”

According to Lightstone statistics (April 2024 – March 2025), a fifth of recent home buyers in Beaufort West were young adults, while Graaff-Reinet and Cradock attract more retirees. In Beaufort West, 68% of homeowners have owned their houses for 11 or more years, while in Graaff-Reinet this figure is 73%, and 90% in Cradock.

Being in the Western Cape, Beaufort West is the gateway to the Karoo from Cape Town. Says Pam Golding Properties’ Beaufort West area specialist, Ian Taylor: “Ten years ago I was working with sellers who were moving to the coast. Now I’m selling properties to people who are leaving the coast and relocating here. For home buyers, the town offers a diverse selection of locations including those with scenic mountain views, or residences close to good schools or business areas.”

Taylor says the size of Beaufort West is substantial, catering for the huge demand for houses under R850 000 as well as larger, well-priced homes in the R1.2 million and R1.6 million price ranges. “Like the farming and tourism sectors, the N1 plays a big role in the economy of the town, and with its luxurious guest houses and farm stays, occupancies are always high. Farms are similarly diverse, from irrigation to livestock, game and leisure farms. Just a couple of hours’ drive from Cape Town and the Garden Route, the popularity of the town among home buyers, entrepreneurs and investors is set to grow exponentially with all the plans for the region – ranging from commercial farms and renewable energy projects to other thriving opportunities the town has to offer as a bustling, regional commercial centre.

Says Rubidge: “Cradock is a major transportation hub approximately 230km inland from Gqeberha on the N10, and like Beaufort West, the national road goes through the town, along with the rail lines connecting Coega and the Cape to inland. The bulk of business and work in Cradock is centred around the large agricultural potential of the town and the Fish River. Besides the irrigation farms which drive the local economy, there are also extensive, traditional Karoo farms where livestock and/or game dominate. One of the two good schools is Marlow, an agricultural high school. Most buyers acquiring property in Cradock are relocating for work purposes, mainly from elsewhere in the Eastern Cape. With a mix of modern and Karoo homes, the popular price range is R900 000 to R1.4 million for a three-bedroom family house.

“The fourth-oldest town in South Africa, Graaff-Reinet, or ‘Gem of the Karoo’ as it is called, is well known for its attractive and well-preserved historic homes and buildings. The price range of homes is similar to the above two towns, however, Graaff-Reinet has a higher top-end with more luxurious houses,” adds Rubidge.

“Graaff-Reinet is sought after by lifestyle buyers, and along with Prince Albert in the Western Cape, are two of the Karoo’s most sought-after towns – hence the residential price premium compared to other towns. Graaff-Reinet has become a destination of choice in its own right, with tourism playing a major role in the economy, which augurs well going forward. The increasing lifestyle offerings such as therapies, luxury shops, additional restaurants and a new Fossil Centre, further enhance the appeal of the Graaff-Reinet district. Here we see city escapees as well as coastal buyers either returning or relocating to the Karoo for the first time, having found other parts of the Cape too congested.”