In this YouTube video, host AskRobAnything (Rob) and on‑camera correspondent James revisit footage of a day‑trip to Langebaan, a coastal town on South Africa’s West Coast, to evaluate whether it could serve as a long‑term retirement base rather than just a holiday spot. The video walks through practical “retirement tests”: ease of access (a 1 h 40 min drive from Cape Town), parking availability, walkability, and the need for a car. It surveys local amenities – shops, cafés, a mall (Laguna Mall) with grocery stores, pharmacies, barbers, and restaurants – and discusses the importance of these for daily life. Health and safety are examined, noting daytime comfort but advising caution at night and the need for reliable healthcare facilities and a personal safety plan. The property market is touched on, with the host noting that prices appear cheap compared with UK coastal towns but warning that affordability for locals differs and that buying should not be rushed. Outdoor attractions such as the West Coast National Park, Krul Bay, and the town’s reputation for kitesurfing are highlighted as lifestyle benefits for an active retirement. The conclusion is measured: Langebaan offers appealing beach‑side living, open space, and amenities, but prospective retirees should test the location for at least a month, secure a car, arrange healthcare coverage, and consider safety and personal preferences before committing to a purchase.
Chapters
Langebaan looks like an easy beach escape from Cape Town. Blue water, open beaches, quiet streets, and a much slower pace. But this video is asking a different question. Not should you visit Langebaan, but could you actually retire here or spend several months of the year here?
Oh my God, it is absolutely freezing.
When I filmed this, I treated Langebaan as a day trip from Cape Town, a quick Saturday escape. But watching it back, I realized it asks a much better question. If you're thinking about long stays travel retirement abroad, could Langebaan work as a serious base? So I'm going back through the footage with a different lens, not holiday mode but retirement mode. It's nice to be escaping crowded and busy Cape Town for somewhere quieter, and it does make me wonder whether busy Cape Town or somewhere with a slower pace of life is our ideal retirement choice. Now it's not long before the land starts changing and you get a feeling of open space around you, and I've only been driving for about 25 minutes, but it's one of the wonders of Cape Town that you don't have to drive very far to be somewhere completely different, and that is very true with Langebaan, where we're headed today. Langebaan sits up the west coast from Cape Town. From Sea Point, it took me about an hour and 40 minutes, which matters if you want calm without being totally cut off from the city.
Welcome to Langkaban. It's about an hour and 40-minute drive, as you saw, all very pleasant. And as you come into the main part of Langkaban, there is plenty of free parking. I'm here on a Saturday and it's half past 11 and there's still plenty of free parking. So let's go and have a wander. Make sure you bring your flip-flops. And if you're brave enough to go swimming, bring your swimming trunks with you as well. But I'm not sure I am. But as you walk down here, there are lots of little shops selling all sorts of things. So if you do happen to forget something, you can still— you can still buy it, whether that's flip-flops, swimming trunks, or any kind of surfing stuff. There's also lots of places that you can go and eat, and of course there's a couple of famous restaurants down the end which I'll show you in a second.
First practical test: is it easy to get to? Yes. Is it easy to park? Well, this is a Saturday and yes, it was easy to park. Is it walkable once you arrive around the beach and the main tourist areas? Yes, but this is still a car-based place, and for retirement that really matters.
There's something really lovely about walking on a wide span of sandy beach, and whilst there's people about, it's definitely not crowded at all today. There's plenty to explore, including surrounding areas like Patagoster and the West Coast National Park, which is stunningly beautiful.
This is where Langkaban starts to make sense. It has the basics of a good slower life: walks by the water, coffee, breakfast, small shops, a beach that still feels spacious even in summer. If you're picturing a calmer retirement rhythm, then this part definitely pulls you in.
Oh my God, it is absolutely freezing.
This is the bit I think people get wrong when they think about retiring abroad. A holiday test is easy: is it pretty? Is the food good? Did I have a nice day? A retirement test is harder: can I buy groceries? Can I see a doctor? What about a dentist? And what happens if I get really sick? Would I still feel safe? Could I build a routine here when that holiday feeling wears off? Let's head over to Laguna Mall and see what shops Langkaban has to offer, because for retirement this is important. You know, a beach is lovely, but if you're here for several months or longer, you need normal life— groceries, a pharmacy, a haircut, dinner from Woolies when you don't feel like cooking— and Langkaban passes the basic test.
So a typical shopping mall with all the shops you would expect. Barbers, coffee shops, clicks. Bambi Picante. I'm gonna go to Woolies and get something for dinner tonight. These are the best places to stay. Are they? Okay, good to know.
Are you looking to buy one?
Oh no, I'm just filming for my YouTube channel. Thank you. Well, there you go then. So these are great places to stay, or you can even buy one. And just to have a bit of context, you are right on the beach and Obviously Langkabang is super well known for its kitesurfing, and you can see all the kite surfers coming out now for the day, and the surfers as well. Take a look at some of the properties for sale. See what we can afford. Nothing there. Property is cheap here.
In the original video, I casually said property looks cheap, but cheap compared with what? Certainly not for locals. Yes, compared with many UK coastal towns, it can look tempting, but I would be careful here. Langkaban is popular, and buying abroad is not something you do because you had one lovely Saturday. For me, this is a place to test first and not rush into it.
So many places. If you just wander a little bit down off the main high street, suddenly you find lots of quiet places. Obviously be mindful about where you're walking, especially at nighttime, but Langkaban is a very touristy place, so I imagine pretty safe, especially in the middle of the day.
I felt comfortable filming in Langkaban during the day. The beach, the cafes, the mall, and the main streets felt relaxed. But I would not use one daytime visit to say safety is not an issue. After all, this is South Africa. If I was staying here longer, I would choose accommodation carefully, drive at night, ask locals where not to walk, and treat security as part of the plan. For foreign viewers thinking about long stays or retirement, healthcare obviously is one of the biggest questions. Now, as you saw, Longaban has some day-to-day basics like pharmacies and also has some hospitals as well, but I'd want to research exactly what facilities exist, what my private medical covers, and so on. And of course, this isn't a detail to sort out later, it's part of the decision about could you retire in Langkaban. So I'm headed into the West Coast National Park, which is one of the key reasons why you would come to Langkaban. This is one of the strongest arguments for Langkaban. The West Coast National Park is absolutely stunning and it gives this area real depth. It's not just a beach town. You have space, nature, lagoon views, and places like Krul Bay where the whole pace of life drops. So for active retirement, this is a huge plus. So could I retire in Langkaban? My honest answer is, well, I would test it for a month before making any big decision. I can absolutely see the appeal— the beaches, the cafes, the open space, the national park, the slower pace— but I can also see the limits. You absolutely need a car, you need a healthcare plan, you need to take safety seriously, and you need to know whether the wind and quiet lifestyle still suit you once the holiday mood wears off. For me, Langkabane is not a fantasy retirement answer. It's a strong long-stay test candidate under, and I definitely wouldn't buy after 1, 2, or 3 visits, but I would come back and test it properly. So what do you think about Langerbarn as a retirement location? Is it somewhere that you're considering, or are there reasons I haven't discussed today that would stop you moving there? Do leave a comment. I love hearing from you guys, and as you know, only 4% of our subscribers actually watch the videos. That means 96% of you viewers are not subscribers, so please do hit the subscribe button, and that helps the algorithm show our videos to more people just like you. And it doesn't cost you anything, but you'll be alerted when the next video goes live. But other, other than that, this is James and Rob signing off for now. We will see you next time.
