# SA house price growth holds at 7.9%, with the Western Cape still leading - Canonical URL: https://bond.co.za/news/stats-sa-house-prices-april-2026 - Author: Neil B - Published: 2026-09-12 - Last updated: 2026-09-12 Market newsMarket trends South Africa's official house price index shows annual growth holding steady at 7.9% in April 2026, with the Western Cape doing the heavy lifting — while prices of homes sold for the first time rose just 1.3%, a signal worth watching for first-time buyers. By [Neil B](https://bond.co.za/expert) · Checked against published primary sources · Published 2026-09-12 · Last verified 2026-09-12 house pricesStats SAWestern Capefirst-time buyers ![Family home in a South African suburb — Stats SA data shows house price growth of 7.9% in April 2026.](https://bond.co.za/images/news/stats-sa-house-prices-april-2026.svg) ## Key takeaways - 01National house price inflation was 7.9% year on year in April 2026, unchanged from a revised 7.9% in March, and up 0.6% month on month (Stats SA). - 02The Western Cape (11.2%) and Gauteng (4.8%) were the biggest contributors to national growth; the City of Cape Town’s index rose 11.0%. - 03Growth is concentrated in resold properties (+8.5%); properties sold for the first time rose only 1.3% year on year. - 04Freehold homes (+8.8%) outpaced sectional title (+6.0%), and the monthly trend is still upward. - 05The next SARB MPC decision lands on 23 September 2026, with the repo rate at 7.25% and prime at 10.75% — the rates backdrop for the spring buying season. **South Africa's residential property market entered spring with official confirmation that price growth remains firm.** Statistics South Africa's Residential Property Price Index (RPPI) for April 2026 — released on 3 September — shows national house price inflation of 7.9% year on year, matching the revised figure for March, with prices up 0.6% month on month. The headline number hides a very regional story. The Western Cape recorded 11.2% annual growth and contributed 4.6 percentage points of the national rate on its own — more than Gauteng (4.8% growth, contributing 1.7 points) and the rest of the country combined. Among the metros, the City of Cape Town (11.0%) set the pace, ahead of Johannesburg (5.4%), Ekurhuleni (4.9%) and Tshwane (3.8%). For buyers, that two-speed market means [negotiating power](https://bond.co.za/guides/can-i-negotiate-my-home-loan-interest-rate) still depends heavily on where you're shopping: Western Cape sellers continue to hold the cards, while price growth in Gauteng's metros is closer to — and in Tshwane's case below — general inflation. The most interesting detail for home buyers is in the type of property changing hands. Prices of **resold** properties rose 8.5% over the year, but properties **sold for the first time** rose just 1.3% — and slipped 0.2% between March and April. In plain terms: the market for existing, established homes is running hot, while the entry-level and new-stock segment is barely moving. First-time buyers are not being priced out of the whole market — they're being priced out of the segment where prices are rising fastest, mostly in the Cape. Freehold properties (8.8%) also continued to outgrow sectional title (6.0%), consistent with demand for family homes and semigration-driven buying in coastal provinces. Why it matters now: the cost-of-credit backdrop is settled for the moment but not settled for long. The South African Reserve Bank's Monetary Policy Committee left the [repo rate](https://bond.co.za/guides/repo-rate-south-africa) at 7.25% at its July meeting, and the next decision arrives on **23 September 2026**. Bond pricing is linked to the [prime lending rate](https://bond.co.za/prime-interest-rate-south-africa-today) (repo plus 3.5 percentage points, standing at 10.75% since the July hold), so any move at that meeting filters directly into monthly bond repayments. Until then, buyers know where they stand. Buyers racing an [offer-to-purchase clock](https://bond.co.za/guides/offer-to-purchase-south-africa) should also note: the next MPC decision lands on 23 September, and any repo move filters straight into monthly repayments within weeks. ### What to watch next - The May 2026 RPPI on 8 October, which will confirm whether the first-time-sale segment weakness persists. - The SARB’s 23 September decision — and, if the repo rate moves, how quickly banks pass it into prime. - Spring listing volumes: if stock stays thin in high-growth metros, resold-home price pressure is likely to continue. If resold-home growth stays near 8% while first-sale prices stay flat, expect continued pressure on entry-level stock in high-growth metros — and more buyers stretching affordability with longer terms or [lower deposits](https://bond.co.za/guides/home-loan-deposit-south-africa), both of which raise the total cost of a bond even at the same rate. Figures as at 12 September 2026. Sources: Stats SA Residential Property Price Index (P0160), April 2026 release of 3 Sep 2026; SARB Current Market Rates (repo 7.00%, 11 Sep 2026); SARB MPC statements and calendar; prime re-verified against the SARB July 2026 statement on 12 Sep 2026. Last verified: 2026-09-12. Free affordability estimate ## Buying in a market growing at 7.9% a year? Run the numbers first: our free bond calculator shows the monthly cost on any home price in under a minute — no personal details, no signup. Then check what you could qualify for before you make an offer, with a free estimate based on the details you enter. [Run the numbers on our free bond calculator](https://bond.co.za/bond-calculator) ### Get your free affordability estimate Know what you could qualify for before you make an offer — a free estimate based on the details you enter. Estimates, not promised rates or approvals. Free to use. bond.co.za is an independent educational resource — we do not provide credit, origination, legal or conveyancing services. [About our independence](https://bond.co.za/how-we-make-money). ## Sources - [Stats SA — Residential Property Price Index, April 2026 (P0160, released 3 Sep 2026)](https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0160/P0160April2026.pdf)Primary source for all price-growth figures: 7.9% national y/y; WC 11.2% (4.6pp contribution); Gauteng 4.8% (1.7pp); CoCT 11.0%; JHB 5.4%; Ekurhuleni 4.9%; Tshwane 3.8%; first-sale +1.3% y/y and −0.2% m/m; resold +8.5%; sectional title +6.0%; freehold +8.8%; +0.6% m/m. Next release: May 2026 data on 8 Oct 2026. - [SARB — Current Market Rates](https://www.resbank.co.za/en/home/what-we-do/statistics/key-statistics/current-market-rates)Repo (policy) rate 7.00% as of 11 Sep 2026. - [SARB — Monetary Policy page](https://www.resbank.co.za/en/home/what-we-do/monetary-policy)MPC meets six times a year; next announcement 23 Sep 2026 (then 19 Nov 2026). - [SARB — Statement of the Monetary Policy Committee, July 2026](https://www.resbank.co.za/en/home/publications/publication-detail-pages/statements/monetary-policy-statements/2026/july)July hold; prime 10.50% since 23 Jul 2026 (repo + 3.5pp). Prime and repo figures re-verified against this statement on 12 Sep 2026 (lib/rates.ts, BON-368). - [Nedbank — Understanding the repo rate](https://personal.nedbank.co.za/borrow/debt-assistance/repo-rate.html)Bank page confirming the repo + 3.5pp prime mechanics; secondary corroboration of the prime figure. ## More market news [ SA house price growth accelerates to 8.2%, with Cape Town still leadingThe May print: 8.2% national, April revised up to 8.1% — the acceleration confirmed. ](https://bond.co.za/news/stats-sa-house-prices-may-2026)[ SA house price growth cools as home loan approvals keep risingFNB HPI at 5.2% in June while grants rose 4.1% y/y — the cooler market behind the MPC’s thinking. ](https://bond.co.za/news/house-prices-cool-home-loan-approvals-rise)[ Rate decision on 23 September: what a hike would cost your bondA hold is the base case and a hike is live — how to stress-test your budget for either. ](https://bond.co.za/news/sarb-september-rate-decision-bond-cost)[ SA first-time buyers hit record prices while rates holdBetterBond’s August data — and how buyers are stretching terms and deposits to get in. ](https://bond.co.za/news/sa-first-time-buyers-record-prices-stable-rates)[ What a rate change does to your bond repaymentA 25bp move adds roughly R170 a month per R1m borrowed — the rand arithmetic for the 23 September MPC. ](https://bond.co.za/news/what-a-rate-change-does-to-your-bond-repayment) ## Informational disclaimer This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, a guaranteed outcome or a recommendation to buy, sell or apply for a specific home loan. House-price figures are drawn from Statistics South Africa's published index and rate figures from South African Reserve Bank publications as listed in Sources; both change over time. An affordability estimate is an indication of what you could qualify for, not a loan offer or an approval. Always confirm current rates with the South African Reserve Bank, your lender or a qualified financial adviser before making a financial decision. All price-growth figures are sourced from the Stats SA P0160 April 2026 release; repo and prime from SARB publications (prime 10.75%, repo 7.25%). Last verified: 2026-09-12. > This is the Markdown version of [https://bond.co.za/news/stats-sa-house-prices-april-2026](https://bond.co.za/news/stats-sa-house-prices-april-2026); that HTML page is the canonical version of this content.