Women Are Reshaping South Africa’s Homes, One Project At A Time

Homeownership in South Africa is increasingly being shaped by women. According to Standard Bank data, approximately 70% of home buyers in 2025 were women, highlighting a significant shift in the country’s property landscape and pointing to a growing generation of women taking ownership of their futures through the spaces they call home.

While purchasing a home is often viewed primarily as a financial milestone, it can also represent something far more personal. For many homeowners, the process of creating a home becomes an opportunity to express their identity, accommodate the way they live and build an environment that reflects their aspirations and personal journey.

For Leroy Merlin South Africa, this evolution reflects a broader trend: women are not only buying homes, but increasingly leading the decisions that shape them.

“We’re seeing more women confidently taking ownership of their home improvement journeys, from making purchasing decisions and planning renovations to tackling DIY projects and creating spaces that reflect their needs and aspirations,” says Jillian Kay, Brand Strategy Leader at Leroy Merlin South Africa. “Home transformation is no longer viewed as a traditionally male-led space. Today, women are playing a significant role in shaping how homes function, feel and evolve.”

For many South Africans, a home represents far more than four walls and a roof. It is where memories are created, families grow, traditions are preserved and futures are built. As women continue to invest in property ownership, they are also playing an increasingly influential role in creating spaces that support the people and communities around them.

From first-time apartment owners and young professionals to mothers, entrepreneurs and retirees, women are increasingly viewing their homes as extensions of themselves. These spaces need to be practical and functional, but they also need to feel comfortable, personal and suited to the lives being lived within them.

According to Kay, this shift is contributing to a more intentional approach to home improvement, with homeowners increasingly considering how individual spaces support their everyday routines and relationships.

“People want homes that reflect how they live. Whether it’s creating an entertainment area for family gatherings, designing a productive work-from-home space or upgrading a kitchen that brings people together, we’re seeing homeowners make choices that are deeply connected to their everyday lives.”

At the heart of Leroy Merlin’s Women’s Month campaign is the idea of “She Builds Her Ekhaya”, a celebration of the many ways women build, shape and nurture their homes. Rather than focusing solely on construction or major renovation projects, the campaign recognises that building a home happens through countless decisions and moments over time. It can mean choosing the paint colour for a child’s bedroom, planting a garden that will grow alongside a family or creating a welcoming space where friends and relatives can gather.

It can also mean picking up a toolbox and tackling a project personally, challenging the idea that DIY and home improvement are traditionally male domains.

“Building a home takes many forms,” says Kay. “For some, it’s a large renovation project. For others, it’s the small changes made over time. What’s important is that people feel empowered to create spaces that work for them, and we’re seeing more women than ever taking ownership of that process.”

As more women enter the property market, their influence extends beyond the act of homeownership and into the broader way homes are designed, used and experienced. From functionality and sustainability to comfort and connection, women are helping redefine what modern South African living can look like.

The shift is also a reminder that home improvement is not necessarily about creating a picture-perfect property. It can be about making a space work harder for the people living in it, whether that means adapting a room for remote work, creating an outdoor area for family life or gradually transforming a first property into somewhere that truly feels like home.

Trends will inevitably change, but the desire to create a home that reflects who you are and the life you are building remains constant.

“Every home tells a story,” concludes Kay. “This Women’s Month, we’re celebrating the women who are writing those stories every day through the spaces they create, the relationships they nurture and the futures they continue to build.”