Property prices have doubled in this South Coast retirement destination
· The South African
KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast has become the go-to for buyers wanting value.
But towns along this 120-kilometre stretch of coast are quickly shedding that title, as prices rise with demand.
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In one such town, the average sale price has doubled since 2024.
South Coast Property Price Rise
The best time to buy property in Elysium was in 2024.
At the time, the South Coast town’s average selling price was R311 000.
In 2025, the average sale price was R650 000.
The average selling price as of September 2026 is R1 467 000.
That’s a 125.7% increase from 2024.
To get a property with ocean views, buyers will need to spend at least R1.3 million.
But prices in the area haven’t been trending upwards when you zoom out.
Instead, prices peaked in 2021, when the average selling price surpassed the asking price.
Over the next two years, the average sale price would dip to below half that value.
Then it started climbing.
This appears to be a pattern for Elysium.
In 2018, the average sale price dropped to R210 000.
However, it increased to R720 000 in 2019.
In 2020, it increased again to R755 000, before peaking at R880 000 in 2021.
YearAverage Sale PriceYear-over-Year % Difference2021R880 000+16.55%2022R577 500-34.38%2023R609 500+5.54%2024R311 000-48.98%2025R650 000+109%2026 (September)R1 467 000+125.7%The predictable cycle could stem from buyers purchasing land, building a home and selling the home for profit.
But there could be other causes.
In the meantime, the area doesn’t provide a reliable return on investment when compared to North Coast towns.
Elysium Buyers
Despite the property price fluctuation, sales in the area remain strong.
The area has become a sought-after retirement destination, being just under an hour from Durban.
83.2% of property owners in Elysium are over 50.
More than half (52.6%) of Elysium’s buyers are between 50 and 64.
Crime in Elysium
The older population benefit from a very low crime rate compared to the province’s average.
Elysium is part of the Hibberdene precinct.
That precinct has a 2.22% crime rate.
Over the last 10 years, crime in the area has decreased by 5.6%.
But quarter-on-quarter data shows an increase in crime.
According to crime stats from the South African Police Service (SAPS), crime increased by 4.6% between April and June 2026, compared to the same period last year.
The region, which shares data with Mtwalume, Bazley Beach, Ifafa Beach, and Hibberdene, is mainly impacted by residential burglary.
Between April and June 2026, there were 40 residential burglaries.
But residential burglaries and other property-related crimes are trending downward.
What’s Next for Elysium?
If the trend continues in Elysium, its average selling price may reach R1.6 million, the current average selling price for neighbouring Bazley Beach.
However, Ifafa Beach and Mtwalume still offer the seaside lifestyle for less.
In Ifafa Beach, the average sale price is R650 000.
Mtwalume also offers excellent value.
The average sale price is R500 000.
Buyers can pick up a plot starting at R85 000.
A move-in-ready townhouse in the area starts at R450 000.