Living in Plettenberg Bay

Plettenberg Bay is a large place in Western Cape, South Africa, home to 38,126 people. Of the 29 household profiles on Nestlyzer, its strongest are outdoor and mountain lovers (top 5%, #26 of 578), retired couples (top 18%, #63 of 367), early retirees (top 22%, #126 of 578).

Residents38,126

Density– per km²

Area– km²

Hub airport92 km (George)

Nearest city of 100k+85 km

Within 30 km113,500 people

Sea coast0 km

Climate typeHumid subtropical (Cfa)

Terrain around itabout 80 m, height range 280 m

Main railway line31.0 km

Distance to Bloemfontein612 km

Within 10 km44,831 people

Winter daylight14 h 26 min, sunset 18:38

See Plettenberg Bay on the map

Open in Nestlyzer

Good to know about Plettenberg Bay

It is right on the coast of the INDIAN OCEAN.
On the shortest day the sun is up for 14 h 26 min and sets around 18:38; in late June it sets around 17:25.

How Plettenberg Bay ranks

Scores run 0 to 100 against every municipality in South Africa. Ranks count only the places that pass each profile's minimums, so the totals differ by profile. Regional overview: population, geography and modelled indicators for costs, schools and safety.

Profile	Score	In South Africa	In Western Cape
Young family	44	#293 of 367	#56 of 62	Map
Low-income household	32	#292 of 578	#47 of 93	Map
Low-income family	47	#302 of 367	#56 of 62	Map
Single parent	48	#297 of 367	#56 of 62	Map
Pensioner couple	75	#63 of 367	#28 of 62	Map
Single pensioner	72	#193 of 367	#34 of 62	Map
Early retiree	68	#126 of 578	#43 of 93	Map
Single professional		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Young professional		not ranked: below the minimum for commute	–	Map
DINKS		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Remote worker	63	#235 of 578	#41 of 93	Map
Commuter		not ranked: below the minimum for commute	–	Map
Car-free household		not ranked: below the minimum for commute	–	Map
Student		not ranked: below the minimum for campus	–	Map
First-home buyer	21	#320 of 367	#57 of 62	Map
Budget-constrained mover	42	#243 of 578	#38 of 93	Map
Urban lifestyle seeker		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Expat professional	22	#274 of 578	#44 of 93	Map
Healthcare-first mover	44	#246 of 367	#39 of 62	Map
Nature-focused household	50	#352 of 578	#61 of 93	Map
Cross-border commuter	0	#359 of 578	#53 of 93	Map
Outdoor and mountain lover	61	#26 of 578	#18 of 93	Map
Rural value seeker	41	#345 of 578	#62 of 93	Map
High-net-worth mover	46	#192 of 578	#30 of 93	Map
Lottery winner	32	#250 of 578	#39 of 93	Map
Climate-resilient relocation	66	#280 of 578	#49 of 93	Map
Coastal living	74	#44 of 138	#26 of 57	Map
Business owner	18	#310 of 578	#52 of 93	Map
Digital native		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map

Strengths and trade-offs

Sea or lake shore100
Services nearby (people within 10 km: shops, doctors, cafes, transport)95
Climate exposure (estimate: coastal and river flooding, heat; 100 = low)92
Climate (mild and sunny: climate class and winter daylight)81
Mountains and water (terrain relief, lakes and the sea nearby)70
Lifestyle and amenities39
Green space39
Education and family39
Mobility and connectivity36
Jobs and economy35
Foundation33
Flat land (terrain relief)31
Affordability31
Universities in town (universities and universities of applied sciences within 10 km)25
University-town character (universities relative to the people nearby)25
Market reach (residents within 100 km, across borders)19
City scale (people within 10 km: big-city life, transit, scenes)17
Home market (residents of the same country within 150 km)15
One-day truck radius (residents within 300 km, across borders)5
Freight access (motorway, rail, port)0
Port access (major sea or inland port)0
Chemical park nearby (sites with pipeline links)0
National border nearby (straight line)0
Financial centre (banking and capital markets) within commuting distance0
Commodity-trading or gold hub within commuting distance0
Crypto hub within commuting distance0
Wealth-management centre within commuting distance0

Nearby

Kranshoek 9 km
Knysna 30 km
Louterwater 39 km
Uniondale 49 km
Joubertina 51 km
Sedgefield 52 km
Wilderness 74 km
George 84 km

Data: Eurostat GISCO LAU 2024; locations EDJNet LAU centres; airports OurAirports; coastline Natural Earth. Updated 2026-10-31. Rankings are decision aids, not advice.