Good News for Buy-to-Let Investors This Festive Season — Here’s Why
- Thapelo Fenyane
- Dec 10, 2025
- 3 min read
investRand’s CEO, Ezra Rasethe, shares his views on opportunities for property investors over the 2025 Festive Season, specifically those seeking cash-flow positive, income-generating rental properties that support them to build long-term, generational and sustainable wealth.
As South Africa approaches the end of 2025, the property market is showing resilience that defies the country’s broader economic pressures and global volatility. Recent data illustrates this strength clearly: the national house-price index recorded a 5.0% year-on-year increase in December 2024, signalling steady growth and consistent appetite across the residential sector. While Cape Town continues to lead national metropolitan inflation, Gauteng — and specifically Johannesburg and Pretoria — remain stable performers with positive but modest price growth.
But beyond the headline numbers, the real story shaping the final quarter of 2025 is the strategic behaviour of investors, particularly those focused on rental-based income streams. The festive season, traditionally characterised by a slowdown, is rapidly becoming an advantageous investment window, especially for those seeking high-yielding segments like student accommodation and multi-let properties.
This evolving seasonal pattern, from ‘shutdown’ to ‘strategic pause’, presents informed property investors with an important opportunity: less competition, motivated sellers, and rising demand ahead of the 2026 academic and economic cycle.
And that is exactly where investRand is positioned to lead.
“To make property investment accessible, hassle-free, and financially empowering for ordinary South Africans — not just the elite,” explains Ezra Rasethe, CEO of investRand
The business has quickly become known for its Hassle-Free Property Programme, an end-to-end service that handles property sourcing, negotiation, tenant placement, rental management, maintenance, compliance, and ongoing portfolio optimisation — all on behalf of the investor.
“South Africans want to invest, but they don’t want the administrative burden, the tenant drama, or the fear of buying wrong. Our Hassle-Free Programme eliminates all of that. You invest once — and the income flows monthly while we run the asset professionally.”
This approach has enabled many first-time and seasoned investors to secure cash-positive properties that generate predictable monthly passive income — the foundation of true generational wealth.
An important question is what is shaping property investment going into the Festive Season?
Rising national home-price inflation
With a 5% year-on-year increase in national residential-price inflation, investor confidence has risen. Property continues to show stability even in turbulent economic conditions.
Location-driven inflation patterns
Cape Town leads metropolitan price growth, but Gauteng’s affordability, rental demand, and large student populations continue to attract buy-to-let investors.
Shift in seasonal behaviour
The festive season no longer marks a complete halt. Experts note that it has become a planning and acquisition period for serious buyers who use the quiet months to position themselves for the new year.
Demand surge for rental-oriented properties
Economic pressures mean more South Africans are renting longer rather than buying. This fuels demand for multi-lets and student units, especially in well-connected urban areas.
Urban rental appeal
In short, the holiday period brings a combination of market psychology, lower competition, and new-year demand forecasting that property investors can leverage.
With fewer listings and fewer buyers during December, any well-positioned property stands out more. Serious investors — especially those buying for yield — are active when casual market participation declines.
Furthermore, student accommodation and multi-let units experience the highest tenant demand from January to March, making the festive season the ideal time to acquire.
“December is where smart investors position themselves. By the time January’s demand spike arrives — especially from students — your property is already occupied and cash-flowing,” concludes Rasethe.
Ends.
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