15/04/2026
Marriage is no longer the starting gun for homeownership in South Africa.
In 2014, 34% of first-time buyers purchased with a spouse. By 2024, that number had dropped to 27%. More South Africans are buying alone, buying with friends or family, and buying before any of the traditional life milestones.
Houses before spouses is no longer a trend. It's the new normal.
Read the full breakdown here 👇
For a long time, buying a home and building a life together were treated as parts of the same event. You found your person, you got married, and then you bought a house. Homeownership and partnership were bundled together as a single milestone. That bundling is coming apart. A decade ...