South Africa’s housing market is seeing a renewed surge, powered largely by Millennials, and TransBridj is at the forefront of ensuring these deals close faster and smoother than ever before.
TransBridj cemented its place in the proptech ecosystem by with a runner-up API PropTech Most Innovative proptech company of the year 2025. Announced at a gala dinner at The Westin In Cape Town, TransBridj were one of six finalists in the 9th annual African Property Investment Awards 2025.
TransBridj CEO, Michael Lenz said that the accolation is not about being one of the best, but more about being successful at identifying a local need across the African continent and being recognised for the efforts to date.
“We are honoured to be named the runner-up in our first six months of trade and are excited to keep growing and disrupting the proptech ecosystem. The market sentiment is exceptionally positive, and the team is upbeat about prospects.
According to BetterBond, home-loan applications are at their strongest since 2022, with July showing a 14% quarter-on-quarter and 12% year-on-year increase. While affordability remains tight, Millennials are leading demand in the affordable to mid-market bands. Their average spend rose 3.9% to R1.54 million, while overall average purchase prices hit a record above R1.6 million.
“This is a pivotal moment for the property market,” says Michael Lenz, CEO of TransBridj. “Millennials are driving demand, but they face upfront costs — from rates and levies to compliance certificates — that can stall transactions. That’s where TransBridj comes in. We remove those bottlenecks by offering fast, fully digitised bridging funding, with approvals and payouts completed within 24 hours.”
Disruption in a shifting market
Loans between R500,000 and R1.5 million made up more than half of approvals, reflecting strong appetite in the affordable-to-mid range segment.
The Western Cape (R4.4bn), Gauteng (R4.1bn) and KwaZulu-Natal (R1.6bn) continue to lead residential completions, with total project values reaching R18.6 billion in the first five months of 2025.
Deposit requirements are climbing, with first-time buyers putting down an average of R188,000 and overall deposits averaging R311,000.
Lenz notes that while Millennials are powering demand, sellers, realtors, and attorneys all need quicker, more reliable access to funds to keep pace with this momentum:
“We are not just digitising bridging funding; we are redefining property transaction infrastructure. By removing paperwork, automating approvals, and providing liquidity instantly, TransBridj ensures that Millennials and all buyers can move into their homes without delays.”
The bigger picture
South Africa’s housing rebound underscores a market in transition. Younger buyers are driving volumes, alterations and upgrades are surging, and high-demand provinces are seeing unprecedented levels of completions. Yet, without seamless liquidity solutions, the pace of growth risks being held back.
“Future. Funding. Now, that’s the TransBridj promise,” concludes Lenz. “We are the disruptor ensuring that South Africa’s next generation of homeowners — and the professionals who serve them — can thrive in a digital-first, resilient property market.”