In a continent with 30,500 kilometers of coastline, it is a bold claim, but agent Pola Jocum, from Hamptons International, reckons the heartbreakingly beautiful Camps Bay in Cape Town on South Africa’s Atlantic Seaboard, is Africa’s most Instagrammed beach location.

 

The suburb is a hot spot for celebrities, locals and international visitors to kick back over the summer with a cocktail and a meal in one of its many fashionable restaurants, after a long day of surfing, sunbathing, hiking or cycling.

 

Ms. Jocum calls Camps Bay the poshest holiday resort-styled suburb in Cape Town, but it is also a laid-back area full of nature and popular with families, not least because Camps Bay High School has one of the best classroom views in Cape Town, with windows overlooking the glittering Atlantic Ocean.

 

 

Boundaries

 

Camps Bay is on the coast, sandwiched between the ocean and the Table Mountain National Park, at the foot of the Twelve Apostles range. To its north is the exclusive suburb of Clifton, whose stunning 4th Beach is almost as well photographed, and to the South Bakoven, the last suburb in Cape Town, after which the coastline becomes a protected nature reserve all the way to the Cape of Good Hope. The suburb is framed by Victoria Road which runs along the western edge alongside the beaches and the sea, Camps Bay drive to the east, southern elevations are up to Table Mountain and it faces Lions Head to the north.

 

 

Price Range

 

The median price of homes in 2018 was ZAR13.85 million (US$995,937), according to Lightstone property data.

 

To buy what Basil Moraitis, area manager at Pam Golding Properties for the Atlantic Seaboard, calls a trophy property, expect to pay up to ZAR85million for the very top end of the market. The middle-market ranges from about ZAR15million to ZAR25million for a family home, entry-level homes start about ZAR10 million.

 

 

The area’s housing stock comprises apartments, penthouses and villas with views of the mountains and the sea. About 66% are freehold homes while one-third are sectional title properties, a term that describes separate ownership of units or sections within a development—popular in South Africa because they offer heightened security.

 

“Most of the homes are on sizeable stands, which is a bonus on the Atlantic Seaboard, where the landscape makes available land for new property developments somewhat limited,” Mr. Moraitis said.

 

Chad Shapiro, sales and marketing manager for Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty in the Atlantic Seaboard & City Bowl area, describes a stock of mainly high-end large homes with a smaller amount of older homes owned by senior landlords that are bought and redeveloped “into the high-end triple-story mansions that have been customary for what is now one of the most sought after suburbs in the country.”

 

 

What Makes It Unique

 

 

Interior view of a brand new home with views of Camps Bay and the mountains.

Knight Frank

The area is often likened to the French Riviera, with a combination of scenic beauty and what Mr. Jocum describes as a “fabulous lifestyle,” characterized by its Blue Flag beach, with white sand and crystal waters, plus a palm-lined promenade where there are restaurants, diners, cafes and boutiques.

 

“Camps Bay offers the best of two worlds,” Mr. Moraitis said. “Beautiful beaches, trendy places to eat and socialize, spectacular sea view and mountain views. It’s no wonder it’s so popular with local and international celebrities. But it also provides a laidback community lifestyle, where families settle to be close to schools and other attractions.”

 

 

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Victoria Road, which winds its way along the coast from Hout Bay past Llandudno, Camps Bay and Clifton, is regarded as one of the most scenic coastal drives in the world, while Glen Beach, described as one of Camp Bay’s best-kept secrets, is a much quieter stretch of sand, with chilly water but great surfing and pristine beaches made for volleyball and tag rugby.

 

Luxury Amenities

 

“Camps Bay was a small suburb up until about the year 2000, considered to be not as favorable as suburbs like Fresnaye, Upper Sea Point and Higgovale, mainly due to the strong winds and the fact that there weren’t a lot of stores or commercial spaces,” Mr. Shapiro said.

 

“When the promenade shopping center was revamped as well as the Bay Hotel, a spark was created that ran simultaneously with the property boom in Cape Town in 2001 to 2002,” he said. “Caprice, St. Yves, Sandbar, and The Grand hotels were then created, and all of a sudden the interest spiked and new high-end residential homes were built, and older properties bought for the purpose of renovation.”

 

The area is now full of hip restaurants, including Col’Cacchio, serving artisanal wood-fire pizzas; Hudson, the burger joint; and Ocean Blue, a seafood restaurant and grill with dishes, including Springbok carpaccio and ostrich fillets. In addition, chef Luke-Dale Roberts recently opened Salsify Restaurant at The Roundhouse, a fine-dining restaurant with modern classical cooking but without any snobbery. Lunch and dinner tasting menus include grilled langoustine, shellfish cappuccino with broccoli and black rice, and slow-cooked pork belly with stewed quince and celeriac essence.

 

 

Hotspots include Cafe Caprice and the Bay Hotel beach club, cocktail lounges that host regular DJs and A-list celebrities.

 

“Tiger’s Milk, a kitchen and bar, recently opened at the old premises of The Grand Café is fast becoming another hot spot in the suburb,” Ms. Jocum said.

 

“The beachfront strip offers a variety of restaurants and nightspots and is a great spot to see and be seen, making it a mecca for A-listers,” Mr. Moraitis said.

 

Camps Bay is a popular meeting point for the many cyclists and runners who use this beautiful area as their training route. The Pipe Track on Table Mountain is frequented by runners and hikers.

 

Separately, you can catch some local acts at the Theatre on the Bay, one of Cape Town’s popular theaters.

 

Cape Town’s city center is not too far away, and a short drive in the other direction will take you to Hout Bay, and the winelands of Constantia.

 

The Rotunda, now part of the landmark Bay Hotel, is the oldest single-dome construction in Cape Town. It was built in 1904 as an events venue in the Victorian era, and today it still hosts swish functions. And a visit to the Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa is a must. The hotel is the only building on the coastal road between Camps Bay and Llandudno beach, in a conservation area that is otherwise undeveloped, with magnificent views of mountains and ocean.

 

 

There are two excellent schools in the suburb, Camps Bay High and Camps Bay Primary. Other sought-after schools within a 15-minute drive include Reddam School in Green Point, a private school for children ages 1-18, that offers boarding options, too; the German School in Tamboerskloof and the French School in Sea Point.

 

Who Lives There

 

 

A newly-built home offering elevated views over Camps Bay Beach and over to Lions Head.

Knight Frank

Most of the recent buyers in Camps Bay are between the ages of 36 and 49, with 31% between ages 50 and 64, and 26% older than 65, according to Lightstone.

 

“Camps Bay is popular with foreign buyers looking for a trophy home or holiday accommodation, or the investor looking for a property that will yield a solid rental return,” he added. “Families with children at one of the schools in the area also settle in Camps Bay, drawn to the lifestyle and various sporting clubs and activities on offer.”

 

Notable Residents

 

Giorgio Armani is one of the most A-list residents, rumored to have bought a sprawling Camps Bay villa in 2011.

 

Percy Montgomery, the former South African World Cup winning rugby player also has a home here, according to Mr. Shapiro.

 

Outlook

 

There’s more development underway, with the hotel Place on the Bay to be renovated. The Kove Group is building a new five-star hotel above the shopping center, but, Mr. Moraitis said, “the market has softened from its all-time highs last seen in 2017, which seems to be linked to global sentiment, and reflects what has happened to the top-end of the markets in many international property markets such as in Sydney, Melbourne, Vancouver and in parts of London.”

 

“The property market on the Atlantic Seaboard has also enjoyed many years of double digit property inflation, with prices doubling in the last five years, so a period of consolidation and recalibration was inevitable,” Mr. Moraitis said.

 

“It is very much a buyers’ market currently. There are good opportunities for savvy buyers and for people waiting for an opportunity to get into this market.

 

What has become apparent during this period of price softening, however, is that properties priced correctly, will sell. “Recent activity tends to show that buyers are taking advantage of the price correction and using the opportunity to secure sought-after positions on the Atlantic Seaboard. It’s too soon to be able to put a number on the correction as we are in our traditional off-season market in Camps Bay, but there are sales taking place for properties where the seller is prepared to negotiate.”