"No Longer Affordable": Cape Town Locals React to City's Affordability as Average Monthly Rent Rises

• Cape Town Etc shared a video breaking down just how unaffordable Cape Town has become for ordinary residents
• The average rent in the Western Cape reached R12,125 a month in the first quarter of 2026, the highest provincial average in South Africa
• Capetonians flooded the comments to share how rising costs have forced them to downgrade, take on second jobs or move further out

Cape Town residents are being squeezed out of their own city. A video posted on 15 August 2026 by local media page Cape Town Etc laid out the numbers behind what many residents have long felt in their wallets, and the response was immediate.

Cape Town's rent crisis by the numbers

According to the video, the average rent across South African provinces hit R12,125 per month in the first quarter of 2026, with the Western Cape recording the highest provincial average in the country. That figure represents a 7.4% increase on the previous year. Using the standard financial guideline that rent should not exceed 30% of gross income, a Capetonian would need to earn upwards of R40,000 a month before deductions just to comfortably afford the average rental.

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Property prices have followed a similar trajectory, reportedly climbing 31% over five years. On top of that, Cape Town added more than 6,000 Airbnb listings in just two years, pushing the total to nearly 27,000.

The video was careful to note that short-term rentals alone did not cause the housing crunch, but the figures do point to a rental market where locals are competing against investment properties rather than simply looking for a home.

View the Facebook video below:

Cape Town is no longer affordable for locals

The result, the video argued, is that many Capetonians are not choosing to downsize or share accommodation. They are being pushed into it. Moving further from the city centre, bunking with family or splitting costs with housemates has become less of a lifestyle preference and more of a financial survival strategy.

Residents in the comments section on the page had plenty to say:

Tyronne Barber wrote:

"We have downgraded, tightened belts, cut fat, stopped entertaining, no more luxuries and even taken on second jobs and side hustles."

Caitlin Cloete said:

"This is not even a question. Cape Town is no longer affordable for locals unless they earn over 80k a month."

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Fertice Miller III added:

"I've studied food prices and food production for many years, and Cape Town food prices are completely fleecing all consumers at all supermarkets, making a mockery of the system. The prices are equal but often exceed US, Canadian, South American and European cities for groceries across a vast range."

Dowayn FaFa Botha noted:

"And you stay in a holiday destination, rated best in the world."

Elize van der Berg offered a different take:

"That's what is called 'economic principles': supply and demand."

Mac Daniels pointed out:

"It's not just CPT, it's happening all over the world."

More Briefly News stories on Cape Town

• Cape Town’s fierce spring winds knocked pedestrians off balance on 4 September 2026, with viral TikTok footage capturing the chaos.
• Cape Town musician Sayana transformed everyday street sounds into a viral upbeat song, prompting South Africans to call for her to land a record deal.
• A Mexican man living in Cape Town was stunned after discovering a mall food court packed with people watching the Springboks.

Source: Briefly News