As more South Africans seek lifestyle, space, and affordability beyond the city, scenic Eastern Cape towns like Rhodes and Lady Grey are emerging as popular choices. These peaceful hamlets offer a blend of tranquillity, natural beauty, and accessible property prices, appealing to retirees, first-time buyers, and investors looking for a lifestyle-focused opportunity.
According to Lightstone/Seeff, existing homeowners in Rhodes and Lady Grey often retain properties for over a decade, while recent buyers range from middle-aged to mature, highlighting the market’s appeal to those seeking both serenity and stability.
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In recent years, peaceful, scenic hamlets such as Rhodes and Lady Grey in the Eastern Cape have seen an increase in residential property buyers acquiring vacant plots to build a getaway home or permanent residence, while others are purchasing existing homes for retirement or simply a more tranquil way of life in picturesque surroundings, says Wayne Rubidge, area principal for Pam Golding Properties in the Karoo.
Dave Walker, Pam Golding Properties Karoo agent, says in Rhodes, situated in a remote location in the Eastern Cape Highlands at the southernmost end of the Drakensberg Mountain range, vacant land has been proving popular for buyers to build new homes. “However, existing homeowners often buy vacant land adjoining their properties just to ensure that their views of the surrounding mountains and the peaceful ambience remain undisturbed. An example of this was an erf that changed hands for R500 000.”
In Rhodes, snow is also a major attraction, with the recent snowfall (June 2025) the highest recorded since 2001. Well off the beaten track, with sensible planning, residents only need to venture out of the village to go shopping once a month so the 60km gravel road is not a major obstacle. It is ideal for retirees escaping the bright lights of the city who seek a quiet backwater, especially for avid fly fishers.
Fly fishing for wild rainbow trout, hiking, mountain biking, stargazing and exploring the many mountain passes in the area make Rhodes and Lady Grey a mecca for nature lovers. In the mountains close to Rhodes are some excellent examples of San rock art. Ice climbing is also a growing pastime for adventure enthusiasts, while rock climbing is considered unsafe due to the nature of the rock, being sandstone overlain by basalt of volcanic origin, making it friable.
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"Existing homeowners in Rhodes and Lady Grey seem to enjoy the lifestyle so much that they don’t move away. In Rhodes 79% have owned their homes for 11 or more years, a figure which escalates to a massive 88% in Lady Grey, suggesting very little turnover of homes," says Walker. (Source: Lightstone Statistics).
“In Rhodes, 58% of existing homeowners are retirees (65 years and older), and 58% of recent buyers were mature (50-64 years), which indicates that the market appeals to older buyers. Although the age profile of stable homeowners skews older in Lady Grey, more than half of recent buyers were middle-aged (36-49 years), revealing that this town is attracting a younger cohort.”
Walker says erven in Rhodes are generally only about 535sqm in size and those with dwellings range from one- or two-bedroom cottages to larger houses with up to five bedrooms, some of which even have cottages on the same property - all of which are sought after. “Most residential sales have been under R1 million, with the highest price achieved to date being R1.65 million,” he says.
Situated in the foothills of the majestic Witteberg mountains, with its clean air, gentle streams, historic buildings and quaint country cottages, Lady Grey is home to various types of dinosaur fossils. The town is also the seat of Senqu Local Municipality, which is one of the best-run municipalities in South Africa. Being larger than Rhodes, there are business owners who also reside in the town.
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With its own hospital, Lady Grey is also home to renowned Lady Grey Arts Academy, a reputable primary and secondary school for learners furthering their education in the performing and visual arts, as well as music.
“Lady Grey has more spacious erven than Rhodes and a few properties up to 2.5ha in size, and as the salaries of government employees in the municipality generally determine the affordability price range, residential properties tend to range between R350 000 and R500 000,” adds Walker.
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