Is Pinelands a safe place to live in? That’s one of the questions you’ll often get from people looking to move into the leafy suburb of Cape Town. Pinelands is one of the affluent neighborhoods of Capetown, known for its greenery and friendly community.
Pinelands is a garden city located on the northern edge of the southern suburbs of the metropolitan city of Cape Town. It’s one of the many neighborhoods bordering Thornton and is famous throughout South Africa for its iconic green spaces and thatched houses.
Besides its undeniable natural beauty, Pinelands is known as one of the most peaceful suburbs in Cape Town—a crucial discussion in this article. While it’s popular with senior folk and retirees, Pinelands is a haven for young professionals seeking a laid-back, no-frills lifestyle. Thanks to the readily available amenities, it’s the perfect spot for young families looking to raise their kids in a decent community.
Pinelands Surburb of Cape Town
Pinelands is a suburb of Cape Town, one of the largest cities in South Africa, after Johhenessburg – a coastal city, and more like the Los Angeles of South Africa.
It’s not by coincidence that Pinelands has its greenery and natural characteristics. It was originally a Victorian farm, later acquiring the hands of British urban planner Sir Ebenezer Howard, who immediately deemed it an economic failure.
Decades later, Pinelands was granted to “The Garden Cities trust” and, in the hands of Albert John Thompson in 1920, took on its current thatched design. This design brings Pinelands awe and glory, earning its lush greenery and residential focus. The first thatched house in Pinelands was occupied in 1922.
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Over the years, Pinelands has maintained its unique lush ambiance, attracting individuals, both locals and tourists, who love a green, natural environment. The entire design of a garden city in Africa is also inspiring, curving a new path to other nations on the continent, such as Kenya and Rwanda, which are also setting up green techno cities.
What’s Transporation Like in Pinelands?
If you’ve lived in England, you’ll feel at home in Pinelands. Most of the roads – and their names take inspiration from places in the United Kingdom. As soon as you start driving around the streets, you’ll come across road names like Letchworth, Uitvlugt, and Welwyn.
Getting to Pinelands is quite simple since it is centrally located in Cape Town. Residents here have access to all major highways in the city, including the M5 and N2.
As a result, you can easily get to the city center in 10 minutes (driving), making it the perfect neighborhood for professionals and business people working in the heart of Cape Town.
Cape Town International Airport is only about 15 minutes away if you must fly out.
Here’s the thing: Pinelands isn’t the most vibrant suburb in Cape Town. It earned its peaceful tag for a reason—and the residents there love it and will fight for it to remain that way.
Therefore, when you feel the thrill of getting wild, you can also visit more vibrant areas on the periphery like Rondebosch, Woodstock, or Observatory and have a drink or meal with friends.
If you don’t own a car, you can still enjoy Pinelands’ reliable public transportation—a local train station, regular minibus, and taxi services. In case you need something more convenient, you can hail a Share taxi app—just keep in mind that they get scarce past 8 p.m.
Pinelands a Safe to Live: Safety Profile
Here’s the truth: Compared to most Cape Town suburbs, Pinelands is quite safe. It did not earn its ‘Most Peaceful Suburb’ title by chance; the community here upholds safety standards, and crime levels are significantly lower than its neighbors.
To further improve safety, the city launched the Pinelands Improvement District, which is mandated to keep the lush Cape Town suburbs safe, clean, and green.
The PID’s main focus is public safety, and if you’ve set foot in Pinelands, you’ll notice a visible presence of patrol bikes and vehicles, law enforcement officers, and CCTV cameras mounted everywhere—even along the canals.
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The PID isn’t a vigilante group, in case you are wondering—it is reinforcement from the city to help the local police during emergencies and generally act quicker when there’s cause for alarm. So far, this has helped reduce crime rates by a huge margin.
Their presence is greatly welcome. They make Pinelands a safe place to live in Cape Town and offer reassurance to the residents of Peace.
Based on the Police Recorded Crimes Statistics (South Africa) for July 2023 to September 2023 (Quater Two), there’s been a pivotal national improvement in security in Contact Crimes, with the most notable improvement in sexual offenses (-74) and Aggravated Robberies.
Community Makes Pinelands Safe to Live
Like any other safe neighborhood in the world, security always begins with the residents. In Pinelands, the community is extra watchful and protective of its peace, making it a safe place to live. As stated earlier, they’ll go the extra mile to ensure Pinelands remains the lush, peaceful, and laid-back suburb of Cape Town it’s always been.
Other than the PID, the residents of Pinelands have also set up private security firms on specific streets to supplement what the city has already done. This makes Pinelands a safe place to live in. The community also has a vibrant neighborhood watch program that’s quite active on social media—with a big presence on Facebook.
Community members on the page quickly update the page with suspicious indecent and unknown suspected activities, and law enforcement officers on the ground receive rapid notification.
The PIDs, local police, protective community, private security, and neighborhood watch keep Pinelands’ crime rates significantly low, adding to its ‘peaceful’ nature.
Safety Tips and Local Advice
South Africa is one of the best countries to live in, and for that reason, it attracts the best and the worst. However, compared to many other countries on the continent, South Africa’s security systems are leaps ahead in crime and insecurity.
Therefore, even though Pinelands has earned a reputation over the years for being the most peaceful neighborhood in Cape Town, you still need to have individual awareness. It doesn’t matter where you are on the planet; if you are carefree and let loose too often, you’ll get marked.
If you are about to move to Pinelands, as an extra precaution, make sure you invest in good security systems—Pinelands is, after all, a suburb of the north of 2 million people. Also, while accessing the periphery of the suburb, have situational awareness, especially around the townships nearby—these areas often have higher incidences of crime compared to the suburbs.
Community and Lifestyle
As stated earlier, my first impression of visiting Pinelands was that it was laid-back. I got the feeling Pinelands a safe place to live. I am a digital nomad, and such suburbs work for me, especially when I have tight deadlines and need to focus. You’ll not find liquor stores or local restaurants serving alcohol – if you enjoy that kind of fun, you’ll have to drive off to the neighboring suburbs like Obs to enjoy that kind of thrill.
Pinelands is generally conservative when it comes to living carefree, making it perfect for families and significantly reducing the rate of crime. All the parks and social areas, including cricket pitches, are family-friendly, and if you have kids, you can enjoy your time without worrying about indecent exposure.
Don’t get me wrong. Pinelands isn’t a boring place—it just has a better quality of life without alcohol and adult recreation. The community here is super-friendly. Neighbors get to know each other and form bonds, occasionally inviting each other over during social events.
Social Scene and Young Professionals in Pinelands
You might get the feel that Pinelands is a retiree-type neighborhood, but it still has a huge young population. However, many people in Cape Town find Pinelands a safe place to live. In addition to residents who’ve grown up there, it’s an attractive suburb for university students from neighboring institutions.
Young professionals looking to start a decent life with young families also find the Pinelands attractive. The only shortcoming is that finding short leases in this suburb might be difficult. Singles will have a rough time and might need to drive further to mingle, thanks to the lack of adult social places.
However, Pinelands is quite close to the city center, and young professionals looking to hang out on weekend nights can always seek a vibrant lifestyle in the city or in the neighboring suburbs.
Real Estate and Housing Market
Pinelands offers many housing options, including single-family homes, apartments, and townhouses. It is a more established suburb of Cape Town and is generally more appealing as a residential area, especially for individuals with families.
The average housing costs in Pinelands are as follows;
Freestanding Houses: Freestanding houses in Pinelands average between R2.5 million and R4 million (sometimes higher) depending on their size and location within the suburb. If they are new or recently renovated, expect a higher price.
Townhouses: Townhouses or cluster homes average between R1.5 million and R2.5 million in Pinelands. These types of homes are ideal for homeowners looking for affordable, low-maintenance homes.
Apartments: Like most suburbs in Cape Town, apartments have fluctuating prices. Depending on the age and the amenities offered, they cost between R800,000 and R1.5 million. Young professionals with smaller families tend to get the two-bedroom units.
The average rental cost in Pinelands is as follows:
Houses: The average monthly cost to rent a house in Pinelands is between R16,000 and R25,000, though larger homes might be pricier.
Apartments: Apartments in Pinelands generally cost between R7,000 and R12,000, depending on the unit and size. These are popular with students or single professionals.
Resources for New Pinelands Residents
Like any adult moving into a new area, it is important to do your due diligence and get local information from neighbors, local authorities, and the community. Participate in local groups and organizations—this often goes a long way in protecting yourself and getting informed about the history of a place and the community’s way of life.
If you just moved into Pineland or are planning to become a resident, you made a wise decision! I want to reassure you that Pinelands a safe place to live. Yes, it is!