40 minutes from Cape Town is a small town with R800 000 3-bedroom homes
With Cape Town becoming unaffordable for buyers, some are considering smaller towns.

AI summary
Living close to the city centre is becoming increasingly unaffordable for families.
Younger families who want to live in the city often have to live in flats and give up space.
These young families usually rent instead of buy.
Now, young buyers are moving further from the city to find affordable homes.
Small Town with R800 000 Homes
But less than an hour’s drive from Cape Town’s business district, you’ll find a quiet town where homes sell for as little as R750 000.
Along the N7, you’ll find Kalbaskraal between Philadelphia and Malmesbury.
The average sale price among the 12 sales this year is R722 500.
A 3-bedroom home is on the market for R750 000. Buyers can get a quarter acre of land for R280 000 or a 2-bedroom home for under R600 000.
Most of these are in Kalbaskraal’s up-and-coming suburb that has attracted bargain-hunting buyers.
Since 2021, the small town has registered 130 sales with the Western Cape Deeds Office.
Low prices have aided in these sales.
Life in Kalbaskraal
Yet buyers considering moving to the area will have to contend with rising crime.
Crime in Malmesbury, the police precinct that includes Kalbaskraal, increased 5.8% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year.
However, the region’s crime rate remains 4.12%.
Life in the small town is extremely quiet and laid-back.
There is only one school, a public primary school.
The only shop isn’t a major supermarket.
Residents will have to travel to Malmesbury, a 16-minute drive, for amenities.
Other Affordable Areas
If you’re willing to reside further from the city, your options increase.
Homes in Klawer on the West Coast sell for R750 000 on average.
Two hours from the city, there’s Touws River with an average sale price of R475 000.
But within an hour of Cape Town, towns along the N7 and R27 offer the best value.
The average sale price in Moorreesburg is R850 000, and in Darling it’s R822 500.
TownDriving Distance from Cape TownAverage Sale PriceKalbaskraal40 minutesR722 500Malmesbury50 minutesR1.12 millionDarling1 hour 5 minutesR822 500Moorreesburg1 hour 10 minutesR850 000Bot River1 hour 11 minutesR550 000Touws River2 hours 13 minutesR475 000Klawer3 hours 10 minutesR750 000
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About this article
- Length
- 392 words · 2 min read
- Published
- September 20, 2026
- Byline
- Mary Alson
- Source
- South African