Buying a house or stand in Marloth Park

Stand or house

Most stands in Marloth Park are about 1,500-2,500 m², and many are still bush. A stand costs far less up front. Then you pay for plans, connections and the building itself before you can stay there. The municipality charges R194,36 per square metre to approve building plans. A new single-phase electricity connection in Marloth Park costs R21,509,82 before VAT, more than double the fee in Malelane, Hectorspruit or Komatipoort.

With a house, you can move in or start letting straight away, and you can see what you're getting, like the borehole or the solar system. You also take on anything the previous owner built without plans.

Transfer duty and other buying costs

The buyer pays transfer duty to SARS within six months of the date of the sale. SARS kept the 2025/26 table the same for property bought from 1 April 2026.

Price of the property	Transfer duty
R1-R1,210,000	0%
R1,210,001-R1,663,800	3% of the value above R1,210,000
R1,663,801-R2,329,300	R13,614 + 6% of the value above R1,663,800
R2,329,301-R2,994,800	R53,544 + 8% of the value above R2,329,300
R2,994,801-R13,310,000	R106,784 + 11% of the value above R2,994,800
R13,310,001 and above	R1,241,456 + 13% of the value above R13,310,000

Last checked 26 October 2026

Here's what that comes to at prices you'll see in Marloth Park:

Price	Transfer duty
R650,000 stand	R0
R2,200,000 house	R45,786
R2,800,000 house	R91,200
R3,250,000 house	R134,856

Last checked 26 October 2026

If you buy a new house from a developer registered for VAT, the price includes VAT and you don't pay transfer duty on top. You'll also pay the conveyancer's fees and Deeds Office costs, plus bond registration costs if you borrow. Ask the conveyancer for a written estimate before you sign the offer.

Building plans and what you can build

New houses and additions need building plans approved by the Nkomazi Local Municipality. Its tariff list also has fees for a second dwelling and for inspecting swimming pools. The minimum plan fee for 2026/27 is R1,070,24 before VAT.

The Nkomazi Planning Tribunal has kept Marloth Park low density. In December 2021 it didn't approve more than 50% coverage of a stand or buildings of more than two storeys. Anyone applying for new land-use rights here must show how they'll supply water and electricity, because the municipality often can't. Before you design anything, ask the municipality's town planning office for the conditions on your stand.

Water: municipal supply, tanks and boreholes

Houses get municipal water, and the water account in Marloth Park has its own basic charge (see rates and levies). The supply does get cut at times, so many houses for sale have storage tanks and some have boreholes. A new municipal water connection costs R5,440,8 before VAT.

Since July 2026, households using borehole water for reasonable domestic purposes don't need to register it. Commercial users do. It isn't clear where a house let to holiday guests falls, so ask if you plan to let. If a house has a borehole, ask how deep it is and what it yields. Ask too whether the water has been tested, and which pump and tank it runs into.

Electricity, solar and backup power

The municipality's 2026/27 tariff list prices new electricity connections in Marloth Park separately from the towns. They cost R21,509,82 for single phase and R35,882,69 for three phase, before VAT. Power cuts happen, and plenty of holiday houses here put "no load-shedding" in their names. Many houses for sale have solar panels, an inverter and batteries. Ask what size the system is and how old the batteries are, and whether it was installed with a certificate of compliance.

Letting it out to holiday guests

Plenty of owners let their houses by the night, and the zoning has to allow it. The municipality charges a much higher rate for property used in a way its zoning doesn't permit. If you're counting on letting income, ask the town planning office what your stand's zoning allows before you buy.

Pets

Pets aren't allowed in Marloth Park: the by-laws don't let anyone keep a dog or cat on a stand without the municipality's written consent, and many title deeds say the same. If you have pets, plan for that before you buy, and ask your conveyancer for the title deed conditions. The rules page has the details.

What to check before you buy

• The approved building plans for every structure on the stand, checked against what's actually built.
• The title deed conditions and the zoning, especially if you want to let the house or keep pets.
• The latest municipal account, with the valuation, the monthly rates and any arrears.
• Where the water comes from, including the municipal connection, the tank size, the borehole yield and a water test.
• The power setup, from the municipal connection to the solar, the inverter, the age of the batteries and the electrical certificate of compliance.
• The roof, gutters and woodwork, for termite or water damage, and the state of any thatch.
• How the house copes with summer heat, with aircon, fans, shade and mosquito screens.
• What's next door. Many stands back onto open bush or the eco strips, which most buyers like. Check whether a neighbouring stand is about to be built on.
• The road to the house, if you'll drive it every day in a low car.

Membership of Marloth Park's property owners' association is voluntary.