 We're looking at amazing neighborhoods all around the country if you're thinking of potentially renting or buying a property now The urban area of Soweto is located in Johannesburg and borders on the mining belt of the south meaning southwestern township This is a neighborhood that populates over one million people today We have Simon Bray private property CEO in studio to discuss this neighborhood with us Simon so good to have you here great to be back. Yeah now when I think about Soweto I think the best just in Yemen the world definitely but why is Soweto a great Neighborhood to kind of think of you know putting down roots Well, I think I mean you hit the nail on the head with that one comment community is a really really big thing there You know, you just have to walk the streets of Soweto and you get this real feeling of of vibe and and the people You know, there's a there's an energy there that maybe you don't get in some of the other areas Some of the other neighborhoods in South Africa I've heard it said that one in four Joe Burgers actually live in Soweto. So it's just an incredibly Vibrant rich area and I think it it can add a lot to the property market as well. Now talking about the property market What are we looking at? Interesting, you know, so it oh and and affordable markets in general because that's what we would classify so it I was emerging an affordable market this year was actually the first year that the growth rates of those markets superseded the growth rate of the traditional suburbs the traditional residential areas in South Africa So it's great to see that the affordable housing market and Areas like Soweto are starting to really kick There's a real energy behind the property market there and you're starting to see values increase I think there are a number of reasons for that, you know, a lot more people getting into the market lot more first-time buyers The affordability of that market is unreal compared to other areas in South Africa to give you an idea a Three-bedroom house in Soweto is under 600,000 rand still so there's a real great opportunity to go and get your piece of South Africa Yeah, I love it now You mentioned one in four Joe Burgers potentially living in Soweto, but what type of person am I going to find fitting in there? Well, I mean one in four. That's a huge subset of Joe Burgers, you know, you've got young professionals You've got people working in the city in particular because the arterial roots between Soweto and the center of the city are really good So it is actually quite a convenient commute for a lot of people going in and out of the city every day Great opportunity For people in the buy-to-let market as well, and I think that's interesting When you look at Soweto the fact that you can pick up a house for the price that you can And place tenants in that house you're seeing a lot of three-bedroom homes that have maybe two or three tenants letting Parts or rooms in the house. So great value option for buy-to-let investors Okay, so you did touch on it a little bit and we ask this every time we talk about Neighborhoods when it comes to buying or renting it seems to be really affordable, but what what should you choose? What what are the options look? It's a really big market and there are lots of opportunities and and what you often find in a in a market Is a large number of people renting as opposed to buying? I think Soweto is the type of market though that if you can afford to you should be buying you shouldn't be renting The rentals are very close to the cost of ownership in that particular neighborhood So it makes sense to go out there find a home that suits you Get a bond and get involved in the property market. It's got a rich culture Amazing landmarks. Is this an ever-growing neighborhood? It certainly is I mean, you know, Soweto is an intrinsic part of the fabric and the history of this country And I think that charm and that character is something that really comes through in the people that live there I think it can sometimes get overlooked in the traditional property market sense But we definitely need to shine the light on areas like Soweto and the growth that's happening in those areas because There's a there's a very exciting story to tell there. Do we have a very quick Simon break tip of the day? My tip of the day would be in these affordable markets buy-to-let investment is Really exciting. So if you're in the market as a property investor, you like to buy Increase your portfolio. Well, then you have to look at Soweto as an option. Awesome. Don't worry. I'm making mental notes of all of these Thank you so much Simon for being with us talking about Chesanya. I'm hungry just at the thought of it Well simply log on to www.privateproperty.co.ca and let them guide you through the right neighborhood for you