The South African system of buying a house is not dissimilar to the Scottish method. Offers are made in writing and, once accepted by the vendor, are binding subject to various conditions. One innovation is that house sales are often conducted via “open days”, when anybody interested can visit the property before making an offer. This helps to speed up the whole selling process.

One couple who benefited from buying at the right time are Hamish and Nicky Thorpe. Hamish, 50, worked in insurance in the City of London before the lure of South African property became too strong. “We came to Durban on holiday two years ago and fell in love with the place,” he says.

They stayed in a guesthouse in Berea, one of the most exclusive parts of the city, which has lovely views of the ocean and overlooks a park. Hamish and Nicky, 40, a housewife, liked the guest house so much that they made the owner an offer of £360,000 for the 1,060sq m property with garages and swimming pool. They have already sold one section of 235sq m for £180,000 and are considering selling the penthouse apartment of 380sq m. It has wooden floors, two large bedrooms, a terrace and the finest views in the city. “If somebody offered me £455,000 for it I might sell it,” says Hamish. “Otherwise I cannot imagine a better investment anywhere.”

One of the things exciting the locals at the moment is the beach development Durban Point Waterfront. This is Durban’s answer to Cape Town’s famous waterfront.

For years, Durban’s beach has been frequented by pickpockets, drunks and prostitutes. But now, in a bid to improve the area, the city government has invested millions in building uShaka Marine World, an aquarium complete with water slides and dolphins.

It is also building houses, offices, hotels and possibly a marina in a joint venture with Moreland, one of the biggest landowners in KwaZulu Natal. According to Neels Brink, a director of the company, these are exciting times. “We are going to produce a world-class resort in the heart of Durban,” he says.

A number of private investors are also developing their own projects in the area. Alan Burke, a director of Blue Plum Developments, bought 29 Edwardian homes in the area just next to uShaka Marine World, overlooking the ocean.

“They were built in 1904 as homes for the port workers,” says Burke. “They are being gutted, completely rebuilt and will have underground parking, a canal going through the middle of the street, three bedrooms and Gaggenau kitchens.” They are on sale for £455,000.

For those who want to enjoy the attractions of Durban without being trapped in the city, a number of coastal resorts are springing up. One of the best is Zimbali, just half an hour by car from the city. On the 1,700-acre coastal forest estate there is a golf course, a beachside swimming pool complex and horse-riding trails. Security — often the downside for investors in Africa — is excellent. The perimeter is fenced and there are security gates. This does away with the need to have fences and gates around every house. Instead, wild buck, blue duiker and other game wander around; there are birds everywhere and stunning views of the Indian Ocean.

Houses here are not cheap: on the market is a seven-bed house with two swimming pools, terraces, fully equipped kitchen and one of the best views of any house, anywhere, for £1.6m. The annual service charge to cover the security arrangements, plus services such as refuse collection and street lighting, comes to about £1,000.

There are cheaper property options in Zimbali. You can buy a three-bedroom house with a terrace and ocean view, together with a communal swimming pool, for £315,000. “There is a vacation club market, so you can buy a house like this in Zimbali, use it for a couple of months a year, and then put it in a rental pool for the rest of the year,” says Brink at Moreland.

Moreland is developing Zimbali as a joint venture with IFA Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary of Kuwait-based International Financial Advisors. IFA is the largest investor in the Palm, the man-made island off Dubai. Moreland is hoping to develop some more of its 62,000 acres with other international partners.

“Property prices may have almost doubled in the past 18 months,” says Brink, “but in relative terms Durban is still the best value for money in the country.”

Hamish Thorpe, 00 27 824 924 351; Alan Burke, Blue Plum Developments, 00 27 313 687 562; Neels Brink, Moreland, 00 27 315 601 940

This Hollywood-style villa in the Zimbali Coastal Forest Estate has 180-degree sea views, five bedrooms and 24-hour manned security. It is £802,744 with Zimbali, 00 27 325 381 984, www.zimbali.co.za

This four-bedroom villa is on the Mount Edgecombe Country Club estate. It is on the market at £354,200 with Pam Golding, www.pamgolding.co.za, and FPDSavills, 020 7824 9088, www.fpdsavills.co.uk

This four-bedroom house in Ballito, north of Durban, has two bathrooms and a garden with distant sea views. It is on the market for £206,000 with Engel & Völkers, 00 27 329 467 777, www.engelvoelkers.com

This three-bedroom house is on the Mount Edgecombe Country Club estate. It has a verandah and is £182,184 with Pam Golding, www.pamgolding.co.za, and FPDSavills, 020 7824 9088, www.fpdsavills.co.uk

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