Mpumalanga recorded average house price growth of 7% year-on-year last year.
Image: IOL Lifestyle - Renee Moodie
Mpumalanga is giving traditional property hotspots a run for their money, fast emerging as one of South Africa’s high-growth, higher-value residential markets.
A combination of strong price growth and above-average house prices has seen the ‘province of the rising sun’ become one of the country’s most valuable residential regions, rapidly catching up to perennial favourites such as the Western Cape and Gauteng, says Bradd Bendall, BetterBond’s national head of sales.
Solid price growth
According to the bond originator's latest data, as reported in the January 2026 Property Brief, Mpumalanga recorded average house price growth of 7% year-on-year last year.
This made it the second-best performing region in the country, narrowly trailing the Western Cape, which recorded growth of 7.3%.
“This performance – with a growth rate four times stronger than the national average – is being driven by the region’s tourism, agricultural and mining sectors,” says Bendall.
“These industries create employment opportunities and attract a diverse range of buyers. Mpumalanga also offers a compelling lifestyle proposition, including proximity to iconic destinations such as the Kruger National Park.”
Top price performance
The province was also one of only four regions – alongside the Western Cape, Greater Pretoria and KwaZulu-Natal – where house price growth outpaced inflation last year.
As a result, the province now boasts the third-highest average house price in the country, at R1.63 million. “This means Mpumalanga has surpassed the national average house price of R1.6 million,” explains Bendall. “Only the Western Cape, at R2.1 million, and Greater Pretoria, at R1.7 million, currently rank higher.”
The province is said to now be outperforming several major metros and regions, including Johannesburg’s north-western suburbs and parts of KwaZulu-Natal, both in terms of growth and overall price positioning.
First-time buyer prospects
Mpumalanga’s housing market is also creating meaningful opportunities for first-time buyers. In August last year, BetterBond data showed that the province recorded the smallest home loan gap in the country, at just R75 000.
This gap reflects the difference between the average home loan approved for all buyers and that of first-time buyers.
By comparison, the average home loan gap in the Western Cape stands at R252 000. “Greater accessibility for first-time buyers plays an important role in supporting activity in emerging regions such as Mpumalanga,” says Bendall.
The province also recorded the highest average income for first-time buyers last year, at R56 000.
“This points to improved purchasing power among first-time buyers and helps explain the shift towards higher-value property purchases in the region,” he adds.
New residential estates, including the exclusive Matumi Valley and the nature-inspired Green Valley development in Mbombela, are meeting the needs of buyers willing to pay a premium for a secure, lifestyle-focused offering.
“With strong price growth, rising buyer incomes and improving accessibility for first-time buyers, Mpumalanga is no longer simply an affordable alternative,” Bendall says.
“It is fast becoming a serious contender in South Africa’s residential property landscape and is well positioned to sustain its upward momentum into 2026.”
According to the Real Economy Bulletin Provincial Review 2024 of Mpumalanga published by the Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS), the economic research institution said the province had a relatively high share of non-urban areas within its borders.
“In 2023, 41% of the population lived in urban areas, 50% in non-urban areas and 9% on farms. Mpumalanga has no metro but four secondary cities, which house 35% of its population. Of the adult population, 38% had a matric certificate and 7% a post-matric qualification.
In 2023, 87% of households in Mpumalanga had piped or tap water in their houses or yards, compared to 87% nationally. Ninety percent of households had access to electricity, the same as the national figure.”
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