Buy a House in Pietermaritzburg: KwaZulu-Natal Prices and Process

Pietermaritzburg has Victorian-era buildings, a large student population around the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and the Comrades Marathon route running through it. The Midlands, with Howick, art routes and country estates, sit in the hills to the north-west. Local employment includes government, education, forestry and manufacturing. Buyers are mostly South Africans, and international interest comes from investors targeting low entry prices and from returning expats. Rental demand from students and civil servants is steady, but check the quality of the specific suburb and building.

Foreigners can buy property in South Africa without restriction. Practical points:

• Conveyancing: an attorney handles transfer at the Deeds Office, usually taking two to three months
• Transfer duty: a sliding scale that is nil on lower-priced homes and rises for higher values; confirm current bands
• Exchange control: funds must come in via an authorised dealer, and repatriating sale proceeds follows Reserve Bank rules
• Levies and rates: check municipal rates, body-corporate levies for sectional title and any security costs

See our South Africa buying guide and financing page. Banks lend to non-residents with larger deposits.

Durban is roughly an hour away down the N3 and is a separate market. The south coast towns of Port Shepstone and Margate are a much longer drive. The South Africa page lists every province.