Choosing Between Clifton and Camps Bay

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Jul 2, 2026 Choosing Between Clifton and Camps Bay

 Few coastlines in the world offer two neighbouring suburbs as celebrated as Clifton and Camps Bay. They share the same ocean, the same sunsets and the same mountain backdrop, yet they suit quite different buyers. If you are weighing the two, here is how we frame the choice for our clients.

Clifton is about exclusivity and privacy. The four beaches are sheltered from the summer south-easter, and the properties, many of them apartments stacked into the hillside, are tightly held. Stock is scarce, turnover is low, and the address itself carries enormous weight. Clifton suits the buyer who wants a discreet lock-up-and-go in the most prestigious position in the country.

Camps Bay is about lifestyle and space. The suburb offers something Clifton largely cannot: freestanding family homes with gardens and pools, walking distance from a long white beach and a vibrant strip of restaurants and cafes. It is livelier, more social and more family-oriented. Camps Bay suits the buyer who wants the postcard view and the space to actually live in it year-round.

On the numbers, both suburbs sit at the very top of the South African market, and both have shown remarkable resilience through market cycles. Clifton trades at a premium per square metre driven by scarcity. Camps Bay offers more accommodation for the same spend and a deeper rental market, particularly in the summer season.

Our advice is simple: decide whether you are buying primarily a position or primarily a home. Clifton is the purest expression of position. Camps Bay gives you both, with a little more life around you.

The Storey team knows every street on this stretch of coastline. Speak to us before you decide.

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The City Bowl Advantage

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De Waterkant and Green Point for Lock-Up-and-Go Living

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