Saldanha Bay IDZ boosts West Coast property market
The Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) is already impacting the property market on the West Coast in a positive way.
This four bedroom house in Bluewater Bay, Saldanha, offers an open-plan kitchen and dining room, a study, indoor braai, veranda and manicured garden. It is selling for R3.195 million - click here to view.
This is according to Lizette Wiseman and Natashia Kotze, the new owners of the RealNet West Coastfranchise, who say they grew up on the West Coast and love living in the area.
“The future looks bright, with new industrial development, new opportunities unfolding every day and the demand for property rising steadily.
“The IDZ has already prompted new industrial development in Saldanha Bay and Vredenburg, and more commercial development in Langebaan, and experts say it has the potential to create 15 000 more jobs over the next 10 years,” they say.
“This will give the residential market in this area a substantial boost, as envisaged by the West Coast District Municipality Integrated Development Plan, which identified the Saldanha-Vredenburg node as a high-potential growth area.”
Meanwhile, the agents say the price of land close to the IDZ has already risen and there is strong demand for upmarket rental homes suitable for senior employees of the companies that are relocating or opening new branches here.
Rentals depend on location, size and type of home, of course, but in Langebaan can go up to R22 000 a month now, in Saldanha up to around R15 000 and in Vredenburg up to R12 000.
This property in Vredenburg has three bedrooms and an open-plan living area. It is on the market for R675 000 - click here to view.
Kotze and Wiseman say the West Coast is also set to become a sports hub and the site of the West Coast Sport Academy System, the aim of which is to encourage excellence and inclusiveness in sport.
“Consequently, we are keenly awaiting the planned upgrading of the Saldanha Bay Sports Complex, to serve as a competition and training venue for rugby, football, cricket and netball - some of the sports identified for growth in the academy system,” they say.
“The other sports include athletics, kickboxing, water sports and gymnastics and there will no doubt be further training facilities needed for these - and further demand for accommodation for the trainees, coaches, academy personnel and their families who relocate in this area.”
They say, meanwhile, the West Coast remains a desirable destination for leisure property buyers.
“The market has been in recovery for some time and prices have shown sustained growth since 2011, with the result that there is now not enough stock to meet demand in the most popular price ranges, which are between R765 000 and R1.7 million for medium-sized homes in Langebaan, between R500 000 and R1.2 million in Saldanha and between R650 000 and R1.6 million in Vredenburg,” they say.
This home in Bluewater Bay, Saldanha, offers four bedrooms and a private patio, It is priced at R1.94 million - click here to view.
“There are also many beachfront apartments and designer mansions along this coastline, and high-end buyers will pay up to around R8 million for a luxury property in Langebaan.”
Kotze and Wiseman say this town is the most popular West Coast destination for holidaymakers, with the main attraction being a lagoon where visitors can take part in a huge range of water sports.
However, it also boasts several private schools and an upmarket retirement village, with the result that it now has an increasing number of permanent residents. Prices of homes in new developments in this area range from R1.2 million to R1.6 million.
“Our current listings also include vacant stands priced at R189 000 to R325 000 in HooglandEstate, a popular security estate situated on the top of a hill overlooking Saldanha Bay, and well-priced stands in Bluewater Bay.”