South African homeowners show resilience in property market amid challenges

HOMEOWNER sentiment fell only 2 percentage points to 85% in the first quarter, still the second highest reading for Absa's Homeowners Sentiment Index (HSI) in a decade, which indicates that the momentum of positive sentiment is likely to continue into 2025.

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The authors of the latest HSI, first developed in 2015 as an indicator of the state of consumer confidence in South Africa's property market, said the dip in confidence was likely due to uncertainty around US policy direction and the South African Reserve Bank's decision not to implement a widely anticipated interest rate cut in March.

The index results are broadly in line with the latest FNB Property Market Report that was released recently, which showed there was a continued, albeit modest, upwards trajectory in home values in the first quarter, which had averaged 2.2% year-on-year growth in April, up from 2% in March.

The HSI showed that buying sentiment held steady at 77% in the first quarter, maintaining gains in the previous quarter. The average age of homebuyers also continued to decline, with first-time buyers entering the market at 38, and property investors at the age of 43.