Real Estate Investor February 2021 February 2021 #131 | Page 17

their central hubs out of large cities .
“ The workplace is going through transformation , which is characterised by decentralisation , as workplaces move from the large global cities to ‘ outercity ’ locations : smaller cities , towns and suburban locations ,” says Alan Van der Westhuizen , Head of Partnership Growth for IWG plc SA .
“ People are saying if they must stay home and work from home , they might as well do it in better surroundings .”
Before the pandemic , employees opted to live in urban centers within commuting distance to their offices and thought of smaller coastal towns as holiday destinations or retirement options only . Ofcourse , living in these urban centers often means high-rent , high-rise apartments with limited space . With the closing of many nightlife and cultural institutions during Lockdown , city dwellers weren ’ t able to take advantage of perks that intially drew them into their once-vibrant communities .
Remote workers are craving more space , privacy and tranquility as well as convenient opportunities to spend time outdoors and get closer to nature . Chariman of the Seeff Group , Samuel Seeff says : “ People are saying if they must stay home and work from home , they might as well do it in better surroundings .”
He says the impact of this has already been felt across many areas of the Cape and KwaZulu-Natal ( KZN ) in particular . “ Langebaan has become sought after for its close proximity to Cape Town ( less than a two-hour drive ). It offers stunning upmarket properties , a golf estate , the Mykonos development , a Curro private school and easy access to the commercial centres of Vredenburg and Saldanha .”
Seeff says Hermanus is also increasingly being favoured by Capetonians as a workfrom-home base or weekend getaway . Plettenberg Bay has experienced a similar uptick in interest , with people looking to relocate from more crowded Cape Town .
According to the chief executive of the Pam Golding Property Group , Dr Andrew Golding , semigration is not a brand-new trend that arose solely as a result of the pandemic Covid-19 . He says semigration has taken place over the past two to five years and it was primarily to coastal living and in estates . Now the latest new normal is more of a decentralisation of urban living from the greater metropoles to urban areas in smaller towns and villages .
“ Back then , people were essentially looking for a lifestyle supported by a local airport for travel , because most of the semigration took place from Gauteng to the coast . Many of the executives or entrepreneurs travelled between work and home for a few days of the week . The next tick that was needed was hospital care and schooling ,” He says .
Dr Golding adds that among the list of prerequisites people required prior to moving , were connectivity and schooling for their children . However , in today ’ s semigration , “ schooling is no longer a pre-requisite as the children , for safety purposes , can home school ,” He says .
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