Riversdale

Accessible via the N2 highway between Cape Town and George, Riversdale is one of many small towns around the country that have recently experienced an increase in property enquiries as a consequence of the growing remote working trend.

A charming and historic little farming town, it lies next to the Vette River to the south of the Langeberg mountain range and is overlooked by a specific formation known as the Sleeping Beauty.

It only has around 2800 homes, and according to Chas Everitt Southern Cape principal Charles de Kock, the turnover of local property has traditionally been very slow, with less than 100 home sales taking place annually.

In addition, statistics from property data company Lightstone show that more than 75% of properties were bought more than eight years ago and that a similar percentage of homeowners in Riversdale are well over 50 years of age.

"However, almost 60% of recent purchases in the town have been made by buyers in their 30s and 40s - many of them with young families - who have embraced working from home in the past year and realised that as long as they have the right technology and good internet and cellphone connectivity, they really have no need to live in the city anymore, but can enjoy a much more holistic and tranquil lifestyle in a small country or coastal town." 

Riversdale is the seat of the Hessequa municipality, and as the service centre for the surrounding agricultural area, it has two primary schools, a high school and a highly-regarded agricultural high school. It also has a 50-bed public hospital and a lively mid-town shopping precinct.

The town is also home to the culturally important Julius Gordon Africana Centre, which not only contains one of the most impressive collections of works by acclaimed South African painters such as Irma Stern, Maggie Loubser, Jacobus Pierneef, Gregoire Boonzaier, Jan Volschenk, Johannes Meintjies and Thomas Bowler, but also illustrates how the scenic beauty of the surrounding area has inspired rock and other art forms for many thousands of years.

Other local attractions include the town's historic jailhouse (Ou Tronk), which has been converted into an alternative shopping centre featuring the works of the many local creatives and also hosts a Saturday farmers' market; the De Doornkraal Wine Estate and the secluded Korentepoort Dam where visitors revel in a variety of watersports.

 The nearby mountains and nature reserves also offer a plethora of hiking and cycling trails, and Riversdale is only 50km from the sea at Stilbaai (via the R305); 300km from Cape Town and 135km from the George international airport.