Rooi Els

To become a resident of Rooi Els is somewhat like joining a privileged sect. This small coastal enclave houses only 316 freehold properties. Of these, only a handful ever comes onto the market for sale and, when they do, it's with a hefty price tag and usually a waiting list of anxious buyers. Another reason for its popularity is that Rooi Els is ranked 23 out of a total of 850 towns, which explains why this small coastal enclave demands good property prices.

Rooi Els is situated along Clarence Drive, one of the Cape Peninsula's most scenic coastal routes you can wish to find. This road snakes along 48km of spectacular coastal scenery from Gordon's Bay. Hugging the foothills of the Hottentots Holland Mountains, Clarence Drive meanders along the Whale Route to Rooi Els, where it turns sharply inland towards Pringle Bay.

It is this region that houses the Kogelberg Nature Reserve with its 1 880+ different plant varieties, 77 of which are endemic to the area.

Unlike neighbouring Pringle Bay, Rooi Els does not house long stretches of sandy beaches. Instead, the town is surrounded by water on three sides. The Rooi Els River Estuary is situated to the east of the village and offers scenic beach walks. Notorious for its spectacular sunsets, the estuary also attracts bathers and other water sports activities.

Rooi Els is also a birders paradise with species such as the Cape Rock Jumper, Ground Woodpecker, Cape Rock Thrush and, more rarely, the Sentinel Rock Thrush. Sunbirds, the Cape Siskin, the Cape Grassbird, Verreaux's Black Eagle, the Rock Kestrel, Jackal Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon and the White-Necked Raven, are some of the exciting species to be spotted.

Another attraction is the Stone Age relics found in the Rooi Els Cave which is situated on the Rooi Els River's north shore.

While the village may not have any restaurants, diners are well catered for at Pringle Bay which lies a mere 5 kilometres away.

This charming hamlet has untarred narrow roads, with no street lights to detract from a star-studded inky night-sky. The village's residential area occupies land overlooking the scenic beauty of the coastline. These range from modest seaside cottages to OTT beachfront manors.  

Rooi Els consists of 316 freehold properties. Sixty one per cent of these are owned by residents who have lived in the village for upwards of 11 years. The demographics of property ownership clearly illustrates that Rooi Els is a haven for senior citizens with 46% of the residents aged 65 years and older. They are closely followed by residents between the ages of 50 and 64 who make up 41% of the population.

With so few properties, sales are scarce. In fact, only one home was sold for R2.385 million in the last 12 months, ending April 2019. However, there were two sales of undeveloped plots each totalling R1.3 million, giving Rooi Els a total property sales year worth R4.985 million.