A new Radisson-branded serviced apartment development in Umhlanga has made a dramatic entrance into South Africa’s property market, with 97 units sold within just three hours.
The launch of Radisson Serviced Apartments Umhlanga has highlighted strong demand for hospitality-linked property investments, with the first phase selling at a pace that surprised even the developers.
The development, which is the first Radisson-branded serviced-apartment project of its kind in South Africa, launched online on Saturday, 15 August 2026.
An initial 40 apartments were made available through the Markt platform. They were snapped up in just 4.5 minutes.
As interest continued throughout the morning, a further 57 apartments were released in smaller batches, taking total sales to 97 units by midday.
A New Model For Property Investors
The development uses a sectional-title ownership model, allowing individuals to own apartments within a professionally managed hospitality development.
The model combines traditional property ownership with the operations of an international hotel brand, offering investors an alternative to conventional residential property.
Rainmaker Marketing Director Stefan Botha said the response had already been building before launch, with the project’s pre-launch webinar attracting record attendance.
While the team expected strong demand, selling the entire first release in less than five minutes exceeded expectations.
Developer Stunned By Response
Avoca developer Chris Horn said the launch was unlike anything he had experienced during more than 30 years in the property industry.
The scale of demand, he said, represented a strong vote of confidence in Umhlanga, the Radisson brand and the serviced-apartment investment model.
The project also represents a significant milestone for KwaZulu-Natal property marketing, becoming the province’s first fully online property development launch.
According to Botha, the development sold almost two-and-a-half times the number of apartments originally planned for the launch.
More Apartments Coming This Week
The sell-out has not closed the door for interested buyers.
A further 40 apartments are scheduled to be released through Markt on Thursday, 27 August 2026, with prices starting from R1.89 million.
The response also adds to the growing conversation around serviced apartments as an investment option, particularly in high-demand coastal destinations such as Umhlanga.
For buyers who missed the first release, Thursday’s launch could be the next opportunity to get into the development — but if the first phase is anything to go by, those apartments may not remain available for long.
Main Image: Radisson
