New medical school puts this North West city in the property spotlight

A new medical school could further boost the residential property market in the North West’s city of Potchefstroom, attracting more students, academics, healthcare professionals, and businesses.

North-West University’s (NWU) new Desmond Tutu School of Medicine is being developed at its Potchefstroom campus, with construction having started in 2025.

The school will become South Africa’s 11th medical school, with its first students expected to enrol in 2028.

According to Pam Golding Properties area principal Ferdi Coetzee, the development could have a significant long-term impact on the city.

“Together with continued investment in the university and surrounding infrastructure, it has the potential to attract additional professionals, students and businesses,” he says.

Younger buyers enter the PROPERTY market

The medical school comes as the city’s property market is already attracting a broader range of buyers.

Approximately 28% of buyers are now younger purchasers, including young professionals, couples and families looking for secure, modern and low-maintenance homes.

The market continues to benefit from its established student, investor and retirement segments, as well as the surrounding agricultural economy.

Affordability remains important, with a shortage of well-maintained family homes below R1.5 million. Properties in this price range can sell relatively quickly.

SO, what can you buy IN POTCHEFSTROOM?

The market offers a wide range of options depending on budget.

BudgetWhat you can get

R500,000

Sectional-title units at estates such as Waterberry, while vacant stands at Ailanto Country Estate start at around R440 000

R1 million

Smaller sectional-title properties, including a one-bedroom Die Bult apartment priced at about R1.025 million

R2 million

Family homes in areas such as Potchefstroom South and Miederpark, as well as sectional-title properties at Tuscany Ridge

R4 million

Larger freehold homes, including properties in Hillside Estate and higher-end homes in Van der Hoff Park and Tuscany Ridge

At the student-property end of the market, Die Bult remains a major investment hotspot because of its proximity to NWU.

Approximately 82.5% of properties in Die Bult are sectional title, with a median sales price of R625 000 in 2026 to date. One- and two-bedroom units are particularly popular among investors and parents buying accommodation for students.

Medical school adds another layer of demand

The medical school is unlikely to transform the property market overnight, but it could provide another long-term source of demand in an already diverse market.

The university’s existing student population, established residential areas and investor market are now being joined by the potential growth associated with the medical school.

“The strength of [the city] is that it is not driven by a single demographic,” Coetzee says.

For property buyers and investors, this means the market ranges from affordable sectional-title accommodation and family homes to secure estates and higher-end lifestyle properties.

According to Coetzee, properties that combine affordability, security, good location and strong rental or resale potential are likely to remain among the strongest opportunities.