Steven Bartlett's decision to sell his Cape Town mansion for £8.5 million has sparked anger among locals, but a friend says the property is a 'victim of his success'.
Sale price doubles original investment
The Dragons' Den star has put the seven-bedroom mansion, located on the slopes of Table Mountain, on the market for double the price he paid when he bought it in 2024. The 33-year-old podcaster has extensively renovated the property, adding a padel court, swimming pool, home cinema, and spa.
A friend of Bartlett's clarified that he 'loves' the South Africa home, adding: 'He's just not able to visit it enough. In the last couple of years, his business has exploded. Diary of a CEO is on track to be the biggest podcast in the world, and his team has grown hugely.'
Business success limits visits
The friend explained that Bartlett's business expansion, with offices now in the US and UK, means most of his time is spent traveling across the Atlantic. 'Unfortunately, that means the pad in South Africa has had to take a back seat,' the friend said.
Bartlett and his girlfriend Melanie Lopes, to whom he proposed earlier this year, only visited the property for four weeks in 2025. The friend added: 'With him basically splitting his time between London and LA, that's on track to be even less this year, so it just doesn't make any sense to keep it. He loves it, but just can't make the time to stay there. In a way, the house is a victim of Steven's success.'
Local residents accuse him of 'flipping'
The sale has angered Cape Town locals, who accuse the BBC star of 'flipping' the property—buying, renovating, and quickly selling at a profit—and inflating house prices in the area. Resident Sedick Dawood told the Daily Mail: 'I love Steven, but here again Cape Town is being bought by foreigners, under the guise of "foreign investment", but in reality pushing up property prices for citizens.'
Under an Instagram video breaking down the local taxes Bartlett could face for the sale, which has been viewed over 600,000 times, Gerry Walsh commented: 'Man it hurts to see a non-resident inflate house prices like this and potentially walk away doubling their money.'
'So this is why the property in Cape Town is so high,' wrote Matt Levey, while @sincerely_natb commented: 'More proof that only multi-millionaires are welcome here. We are unable to enjoy or afford to enjoy our own land because foreign demand [sic].'
A spokesperson declined to comment.
