While South African retirees have been moving to the coast for decades in search of a more relaxed lifestyle, Covid-19 and the tough economy have underscored the trend of semigration over the past two years for a wider age group.
As a result of Covid-19, more employers have become amenable to allowing staff in certain jobs to work from home, which gives those workers more choice of where to live.
Uprooting completely from the area you know and the friends you are comfortable with can be painful, but with sound preparation and a flexible and positive attitude, you can make a success of it.
A sea of movement
Considering semigration? You are not alone. A poll of BusinessTech readers in January 2022 showed that almost one-third of respondents were considering it.
The main reasons that South Africans are choosing to move from large urban hubs like Gauteng to the coast include lower crime, an improved outdoor lifestyle, better-run municipalities (specifically in the Western Cape), good schools for children, less traffic, and to downgrade from larger, more expensive properties to more convenient spaces.
The most popular towns cited by estate agents include Margate, Port Shepstone, Ballito, and Hilton in KwaZulu-Natal; Port Alfred, St Francis Bay and Kenton-on-Sea in the Eastern Cape; and Plettenberg Bay, Wilderness, George and Hermanus in the Western Cape.
Data from Lightstone in January 2022 showed that:
- In 2021, 43% of those semigrating were from Gauteng; 13% from KZN and the Western Cape; and 7% from the Eastern Cape.
- The most popular province for semigrants was the Western Cape, attracting 35% of all those moving. Only 21% of semigrants moved to Gauteng, down from 29% in 2015. 9% of semigrants were moving to the Eastern Cape in 2021.
- Most of those moving were aged 49-64.
- 27% of those moving were downgrading to smaller homes (from 24% in 2015). But almost half of those moving to the Western Cape were moving to a house of smaller size and greater value.
Easing the process
Moving is never easy, particularly if it is a long-distance move. Here are some tips to help you:
- Scope out your target area well in advance, which means visiting it at different times of the year (a place that you only visit on holiday will almost always seem desirable).
- Ideally, you are moving to an area where you have friends or family. Talk to them.
- Drive around, look at the properties in different suburbs and watch the estate agents’ windows to gauge pricing and affordability. You can also ask an estate agent to show you properties in the area, well in advance of your move. They will understand you are not going to rush into a purchase.
- Research the options for schooling, if you have children.
- It may be a good idea to stay in temporary accommodation for six months to a year until you have a good feel of the place you are moving to, before you commit to buying a property.
- Get at least three quotes from removal companies, and do not use the cheapest firm. Your goods are valuable to you and an incompetent mover can cause a lot of stress to you and damage to your furniture. For a long-distance move, insurance of your goods is essential.
- Contact a reputable storage company like Spacious Storage and find out how they can help you with temporary storage.
- Start packing several weeks in advance of the move. It always takes longer than you expect, and you may have to make difficult decisions about what to keep and what to dispose of.
Working with professional firms that understand the issues around moving long-distance will ensure that you get off to a good start in your new home.
