Why Global Investors Should Be Looking at Cape Town – And Why Leasehold is the Smarter Way to Develop It

By Warren Brusse, Chief Executive Officer, Zebinvest Real Estate Development

If you're an institutional investor, private equity firm, or high-net-worth individual seeking direct exposure to Southern Africa's premier real estate market, Zebinvest invites you to co-develop the next generation of Cape Town’s urban spaces - securely, efficiently, and impactfully.

As Chief Executive Officer of Zebinvest Real Estate Development, I’ve spent the better part of my career identifying how to unlock long-term, inclusive, and financially sound real estate value. Today, few cities in the world present a more strategic convergence of market fundamentals, quality of life, investor readiness, and urban growth potential than Cape Town, South Africa.

For global investors seeking asset-backed returns with real impact and long-term relevance, Cape Town is not just a tourism gem, it’s one of Africa’s most investable urban landscapes. And through Zebinvest’s leasehold-based model, international capital can enter this market with greater capital efficiency, lower risk, and higher long-term yield.

Cape Town in Numbers: Market Fundamentals That Matter

Cape Town is a city of over 4.8 million residents, contributing roughly R500 billion (USD $27 billion) to national GDP. With over R1.2 trillion (USD $66 billion) in real estate asset value, this is a mature market that continues to outperform South Africa’s broader property landscape, thanks to good governance, a growing middle class, strong infrastructure, and an influx of both remote workers and local "semigrants."

Zebinvest sees the next decade in Cape Town defined by five investment fundamentals:

1. A chronic shortage of affordable and middle-income housing.

   
   

2. Strong and rising demand for mixed-use precincts combining residential, retirement, retail, and commercial uses.

   
   

3. Policy certainty, particularly in the Western Cape, with a provincial government open to public-private collaboration.

   
   

4. Greenfield and brownfield development opportunities in well-located urban expansion zones.

   
   

5. Urban leasehold as a mechanism to unlock land without the need for upfront purchase.

   
   

The Leasehold Advantage: Lower Capital Outlay, Higher Scalable Impact

Leasehold is a proven global development model, familiar to institutional investors in Dubai, the UK, India, and East Asia. In South Africa, it is now gaining momentum as landowners and governments look to unlock land without selling it.

At Zebinvest, we specialise in structuring 99-year leasehold developments, where:

• The land remains owned (or part owned) by the lessor (private, public, or communal).

  
  

• Zebinvest, with global investors, develops the property and manages its lifecycle.

  
  

• The lease is registered in the Deeds Office, ensuring full security for both developers and end-users.

  
  

• End-user leases (e.g. for housing, retail, commercial etc.) are also registerable, making financing straightforward.

  
  

For global investors, leasehold:

• Reduces upfront land acquisition costs.

  
  

• Unlocks previously inaccessible land assets, including state-owned, traditional, or institutional land.

  
  

• Provides long-term yield through rentals, resale rights, and management fees.

  
  

• Carries security and legal protection under South African property law.

  
  

Where We See Growth: Zebinvest’s Investment Focus in Cape Town

We are actively assembling and developing projects in Cape Town’s most promising growth nodes, each carefully selected for infrastructure proximity, end-user demand, and leasehold viability:

1. Northern Growth Corridor

From Brackenfell to Kraaifontein, the Northern Suburbs are experiencing exponential population growth. These areas are ideal for affordable and middle-income leasehold housing, anchored by schools, hospitals, and commercial amenities.

2. Cape Winelands Fringe

Fringes of Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Paarl offer pristine landscapes, top schools, and rising demand for green lifestyle estates and remote work villages.

3. Greater Cape Flats Urban Renewal

Here, the opportunity lies in mixed-use precincts and social housing models built through leasehold partnerships with the City of Cape Town and other stakeholders.

4. CBD and Inner-City Revitalisation

Conversion of aging commercial stock into co-living, student housing, and hospitality projects using leasehold structures creates high-yield opportunities for international capital.

Why Partner with Zebinvest

Zebinvest is not a traditional real estate developer. We are a vision-driven, partnership-led real estate firm focused on unlocking land and value through smart leasehold structures.

Our differentiators include:

• Turnkey project management – From land structuring to developing, to tenanting and asset management.

  
  

• Deep local networks – Including professionals, municipalities, traditional landowners, and communities.

  
  

• Proven leasehold expertise – We lead one of South Africa’s few firms specialising in urban leasehold development.

  
  

• Investor transparency and alignment – We co-invest alongside capital partners, aligning interests from day one.

  
  

Let’s Build the Future of Cape Town Together

Cape Town offers global investors a unique chance to participate in a high-growth, underdeveloped real estate frontier, but with first-world infrastructure, legal security, and world-class living standards. With leasehold, we remove the friction of land acquisition and shift capital to where it matters: building enduring value for the people and the investors alike.

If you're an institutional investor, private equity firm, or high-net-worth individual seeking direct exposure to Southern Africa's premier real estate market, Zebinvest invites you to co-develop the next generation of Cape Town’s urban spaces - securely, efficiently, and impactfully.

Warren Brusse, Chief Executive Officer, Zebinvest Real Estate Development

Leasehold. Unlocked.