Clifton's crown jewel: Why Nettleton Road is SA's priciest street
This secluded stretch is home to jaw-dropping mansions, ultra-wealthy residents, and property prices that regularly break national records.
But why is this particular road one of South Africa's most exclusive addresses? Views over Clifton. Image: canva
Nettleton Road has long been associated with wealth, but its real estate prices have surged into the stratosphere in recent years.
In early 2025, two adjoining vacant plots, comprising just 2 700 square metres, sold for a staggering R170 million. That's not a typo! That's the price of nothing on Nettleton: just the land, no house, no finishes, JUST location.
And this deal follows a pattern. In 2017, a six-bedroom mansion on the road sold for R120 million, then one of the most expensive residential property sales ever recorded in South Africa.
And in 2021, a 1 200 square metre villa, featuring a cinema, gym, wine cellar, and cantilevered pool, reportedly sold for over R150 million. Sunset skies in Clifton. Image: canva
It's not just the ocean views, as fantastic as they are! Every home on Nettleton Road faces west, soaking in those famous Cape Town sunsets over the Atlantic.
Below are the iconic Clifton beaches; above looms Lion's Head. There's also security, privacy, and scarcity. Only a handful of homes line this quiet cul-de-sac.
And, of course, you could add in architectural bragging rights. Nettleton Road has become a blank canvas for South Africa's top architects, Greg Truen, Stefan Antoni, and others, to showcase gravity-defying, glass-walled masterpieces.
Most homes come with luxury specs as standard: think heated infinity pools, private cinemas, wellness spas, multi-car garages, and staff quarters. But more importantly, they offer something rarer: status.
You won't find names on buzzers on Nettleton Road. Privacy is the norm. But it's no secret that tech entrepreneurs, mining magnates, and international investors have snapped up properties along the exclusive road.
There's heavy foreign interest too, especially from German, UK, and Middle Eastern buyers looking for high-end African investment properties or holiday homes.
Interestingly, though, while it exudes wealth, Nettleton Road hasn't always been ultra-premium.
In the 1970s and '80s, Clifton was already desirable, but Nettleton itself was mostly undeveloped. Over the past 25 years, as Cape Town transformed into a global destination, the road's potential was recognised and monetised.
Now, it's Cape Town's answer to Malibu's Carbon Beach or London's The Bishops Avenue. But with better views and better weather.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
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