The Property Pod

Smital Rambhai, portfolio manager of unlisted property fund, Comprop, talks about double-digit growth over the past 10 years, the challenges, and opportunities ahead.

A new Saxon hotel, senior living component, and more apartments are part of the mix, according to Steven Louw CEO of Steyn City Properties.

Kirsty de Sousa of law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Inc highlights the essential intricacies and need-to-knows of secure property registration at the Deeds Office.

With the interest rate-cutting cycle having commenced, Thabani Ndwandwe, chief risk officer for personal and private banking at Standard Bank, shares insight on home loan lending, the residential property market and rate expectations.

Rob Kane, chair of the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID), shares his insights on why there are around 20 construction tower cranes in the city centre, and the other achievements of arguably SA’s most successful city improvement district.

Rahgib Davids, an analyst at M&G Investments, shares his insights on the listed property sector’s performance in 2022 and his expectations for the year ahead.

Gavin Strydom, co-developer and partner of the 815 000m2 commercial and industrial property project, says the new park forms a key part of the broader Dube aerotropolis development precinct, which he believes ‘is the future of Durban’.

While last year we had a strengthening industrial property market, that market cannot defy economic gravity forever, says John Loos, senior economist and property strategist at FNB Commercial Property Finance.

A wrap of Moneyweb’s most listened to Property Pods of the year.

Ahmed Kazi, head of retail at Old Mutual Property, shares his industry insights on the performance and recovery of landmark shopping centres like Gateway, Cavendish Square and The Zone @ Rosebank, along with what the group is doing to keep these malls relevant.

Despite SA interest rates now being above pre-Covid levels, the CEO of Pam Golding Property Group believes that there are ‘underlying fundamentals’ which are good for the market, regardless of interest-rate cycles.

But will it continue? Mieke Purnell, research manager for sub-Saharan Africa at commercial real-estate services company JLL, shares some insight on the group’s latest report into this burgeoning part of the market.

‘I think it's really about looking at the green economy, taking this concept of the green recovery even further. That's my vision’: Lisa Reynolds – GBCSA CEO.

Rhys Dyer, CEO of ooba, explores what surging interest rates mean for homeowners with bonds, first-time home buyers and the residential property market.

Nkuli Bogopa, chief operating officer of Broll Property Management, talks shopping centres trends in the South African and US markets, which have rebounded strongly following the Covid-19 lockdown lows.

The CEO of the Property Sector Charter Council says despite improvement to Level 4 in terms of the Broad-based BEE scorecard, much still needs to be done to transform the industry both on the BEE and women's empowerment fronts.

The tell-tale sign of a genuine market opportunity is very often when there is no hard data available on a particular sector, says Gavin Lucas, CEO of Stor-Age Property REIT – the only pure-play self-storage property fund listed on the JSE.

Mariska Auret, director at the Cape Town-based property group, talks about Rabie’s latest mixed-use developments, which include upmarket apartment blocks alongside the water’s edge on the old Ratanga Junction theme park site.

Hosted by Moneyweb's deputy editor Suren Naidoo, The Property Pod is South Africa's premier property investor podcast, with insights from industry executives. This podcast offers in-depth coverage of the South African property industry. The sectors covered include the commercial (office, retail and industrial/logistics) residential, and specialist sectors such as storage and healthcare. Each episode will cover industry developments, sector performance, trends as well as new policies/ laws affecting the sector from both local government and national government level. This podcast is published weekly.

Ahmed Motara, portfolio manager for listed property at Stanlib, speaks about the performance of the real estate investment trust (Reit) sector locally and internationally in the first half of 2022, with the global listed property market down some 20%, while SA’s All Property Index is down around 10%.

Jeffrey Wapnick, managing director of the JSE-listed real estate investment trust, talks about how the residential property market has recovered from the Covid-19 fallout and why he still sees commercial property opportunities in Gauteng’s two biggest city centres.

‘We've gone to school and university and done our doctorate in unforeseen events over the past two-and-a-half years, so I'm looking forward to what we can do going forward’ – Jason McCormick, CEO of JSE-listed Exemplar REITail.

Reddy – who’s leading the ambitious R4 billion mixed-use property project with joint venture partner Rob Alexander – speaks about the new hotel and gives an update on the overall development, which will include a luxury mall, supercar showroom and two residential towers.

Thomas Reilly, managing director of the Growthpoint and International Finance Corporation-backed property fund, talks about Lango’s next phase of expansion that includes an IPO in the next three years and entering the Kenyan market.

Property pundit Kevin Teeroovengadum speaks about the dollarisation of African real estate assets, why he believes it’s important for the continent to transition to local currencies when investing in the sector; and, on the need for African countries to develop their own capital markets.

‘There has been a lot of interest from listed and private property entities, landlords and property owners, as well as a couple of international developers and investors’ – Wes Cowan, associate director at Galetti.

Anton de Goede, portfolio manager covering listed property at Coronation Fund Managers, discusses the sector’s Q1 performance and shares his views on Reits that published results during the recent February/March reporting season.

Stefano Contardo – CEO of the R9bn Africa-focused unlisted warehousing, distribution and logistics-focused property developer and investor – speaks about the group’s latest project in Midrand, Johannesburg.

CEO Andrew König speaks about the group’s R7.2bn takeover of the Polish property counter and why Redefine sees greener pastures in the commercial property market of the central European nation.

'If the economy doesn’t grow, then the commercial real estate environment will probably still suffer from oversupply issues,’ posits the SA Reit Association chairperson and CEO of Growthpoint Properties SA.

Hamza Farooqui, CEO of Joburg-based Millat Investments, speaks about the group’s hotel industry investment plans as it prepares to take advantage of an expected post-Covid tourism sector recovery.

That’s the call from Giles Pendleton, chief development officer of JSE-listed Attacq Limited, master developer of the new ‘smart city’ rising from the ground in the middle of Gauteng.

Olympic champion swimmer-turned property developer speaks about his involvement as a shareholder and marketing director of the landmark Val de Vie Estate in Western Cape’s Paarl valley.

‘Estates have been big in SA for quite a long time – since the early 1990s – whereas in places like the UAE and New Zealand and other parts of the world they’ve started to take off only in the last five years or so,’ says Andrew Amoils, wealth analyst at New World Wealth.

Murray Collins, founding director of Collins Residential, talks about the group's latest developments in KwaZulu-Natal and why he remains confident and is continuing to invest in the province despite the recent unrest in July.

Nesi Chetty, fund manager and head of property at Stanlib, discusses the sector’s performance, highlighting winners, losers and his hot stock-picks.

Kobus Lamprecht, head of research and publications at Rode & Associates, chats about the findings of the latest Rode Report on the South African Property Market.

Can SA expect a bounce-back in prime office space – and when? Malcolm Horne, Group CEO of Broll Property Group, and organisational psychologist Dr Natasha Winkler-Titus weigh in...

Marcel von Aulock talks about developments at SA’s largest hotel group in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, about the broader tourism industry’s recovery and how the vaccination drive is crucial for the sector.

CEO David Green says besides the current multi-billon-rand Canal District expansion, SA’s top tourist attraction is drawing up plans for Granger Bay that could include hotels, residential, destination retail and other attractions.

Hosted by Moneyweb's deputy editor Suren Naidoo, The Property Pod is South Africa's premier property investor podcast, with insights from industry executives. This podcast offers in-depth coverage of the South African property industry. The sectors covered include the commercial (office, retail and industrial/logistics) residential, and specialist sectors such as storage and healthcare. Each episode will cover industry developments, sector performance, trends as well as new policies/ laws affecting the sector from both local government and national government level. This podcast is published weekly.

The CEO of South African founded but now Mauritian-based and London-listed Grit Real Estate Income Group, talks about taking the pan-African property company to global investors.

A former teacher-turned entrepreneur, she started her own real estate business in Soweto 23 years ago and today has six branches and over 40 staff.

A former president of the South African Property Owner’s Association, she has played a pioneering role in the early transformation of the property sector.

With over a quarter of a century of property experience, she’s one of the behind the scenes stalwarts in the industry.

MC du Toit, CEO of auctions and sales at BidX1 South Africa, explains the convenience and process of placing bids digitally from any location.

Will the bull run extend to the end of the year or could we see Covid-19 curb the gains? Craig Smith, head of research at Anchor Stockbrokers, gives some insight and foresight.

ho co-founded the Youth in Property Association to help drive transformation in SA’s broader property industry.

Sandton City had its best March in five years, showing shoppers are back and that not all mega malls are struggling. The CEO of Liberty Two Degrees shares her views…

Neil Gopal, CEO of the SA Property Owners Association, wades into this hot button issue for the commercial and listed property industry.

CEO Hamish Erskine gives the lowdown on the launch of TradeZone 2, a new 45-hectare site now open for investment next to Durban’s King Shaka International Airport

JSE-listed Dipula Income Fund has benefited from this Covid-19 trend. But will it last post-pandemic? The fund’s CEO Izak Petersen shares his views…

South Africa’s listed property sector has been one of the hardest-hit industries during the pandemic. The sector, represented by the SA Real Estate Investment Trust Association (SA Reit), has nevertheless risen to the challenge by offering rental relief to thousands of embattled tenants. Joanne Solomon, CEO of SA Reit, tells us more….

For the first time in years, following a bullish performance in September and for the third quarter. Garreth Elston, managing director of Golden Section Capital, shares insights on the sector being the top-performing asset class this year.

Sentinel Homes CEO Renier Kriek weighs in on recent comments by Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi on government looking at possibly changing the law to force banks to explain home loan rejections related to people from previously disadvantaged backgrounds.

James Wilson, CEO of private property developer and investor Amdec Group gives an update on the biggest single development currently underway in the city centre, as well as the group’s other development nodes in SA such as Joburg’s Melrose Arch, Westbrook in Gqeberha, and Zimbali in KZN.

CEO Marcel von Aulock says the share price hit its highest point last week since the group listed separately in 2019. He believes it's largely due to optimism around SA's new government of national unity, and shares insights on expansion plans for Cape Town and Umhlanga, challenges in Durban, and expectations for the upcoming summer season.

South African property owners were out in force at Sun City last week, and The Property Pod was there – with Neil Gopal, Itumeleng Mothibeli and Palesa Phili joining us in our mobile studio.

The property entrepreneur who brought us the innovative Maboneng Precinct shares insights on the new BlackBrick hotels venture, which has emerged as Africa's fastest-growing apartment hotel network.

A strong proponent of women having a career, Pfaff-Karg discusses her journey in becoming a property valuations specialist and ultimately joining the Cape Town-based group.

Pam Naidu, director of sales and marketing at Durban-based Devmco Group, talks about the growth of the company, which is now playing a key role in the development of the multi-billion rand Sibaya Coastal Precinct in KZN, and is also looking to expand into the Western Cape. >>>>

‘If you can ... pick a topic that not only interests you but also has future relevance, it's really going to open doors for you,’ counsels passionate cyclist, multi-skilled engineer, property expert, lifelong student, and newly appointed director for strategy and research at Cushman & Wakefield Broll.

There is a business case and a sustainability case for the different elements women bring, but we are underrepresented, particularly in leadership roles, says the chair of the Women’s Property Network.

‘I see a lot of South African investors who were very successful in Romania and around CEE, so I was thinking this is a good idea to raise awareness about our company and also more awareness about Romania,’ says Victor Căpitanu, co-CEO and co-founder of Bucharest-based One United Properties.

Dr Dirk Prinsloo shares insights on the new Urban Studies Shopper Index, which measures and compares shopper experiences in SA’s mega malls based on an analysis of Google Review ratings.

‘The IFC has never previously partnered with a bank on green finance beyond commercial properties. It's the first time we have the support for end-user finance, or simplistically for the customer opting to purchase an eco-friendly property’ – Kamini Ramsamy, head of credit at Absa Home Loans.

There has been an escalation in property sales, says Broll Auctions and Sales CEO Norman Raad, adding that ‘if the GNU works out and interest rates come down, there could be a tremendous uptick in investors looking at SA as a good place to invest’.

Evan Robins, listed property portfolio manager at Old Mutual Investment Group, weighs in...

Don't just be influenced by what's put in front of you. Make sure that you read the documents’: Jackie Smith – head of Buyers Trust.

The Mother City's first citizen shares insights into property investment, other major developments in the metro, talks about infrastructure plans, service delivery, and the city as an investment destination.

‘It's not all plain sailing. It is a big shopping centre to fix and to fill. But I think that by the end of the year, you'll notice significant changes, both in customer experience and tenant mix when you arrive’ – Paul Gerard, managing director of Flanagan & Gerard, which has been appointed to help turn around the massive mall.

‘Unfortunately, it's unlikely to be in the US, as much as it would be logical… We are looking at other offshore jurisdictions. We will not share that destination or that particular deal until we have it confirmed’ – Geoff Jennett, CEO of Emira Property Fund.

‘We do have our challenges, but I think more than anything else we are an attractive city in terms of investment by virtue of our location – both from a tourist point of view and the fact that we are a port city, meaning that from a logistics point of view we are the gateway to Africa through the Port of Durban,’ he says.

The first citizen of South Africa’s capital city shares insights into property investment and other major developments in the metro, talks about infrastructure plans, service delivery, the city as an investment destination, and what’s happening in the Pretoria CBD on the urban renewal front.

Clive Bredenkamp, IT executive at proptech specialist e4, explains home owners can consolidate their debt with their favourite bank, or simply look for a better interest rate.

‘I do think we are in a little bit of a bubble here in what’s going on from a tourism perspective, also from foreigners moving here’: Alexa Horne, managing director of DG Properties.

The SA CEO of JSE-listed Vukile Property Fund shares insight on why the group purchased the Eastern Cape mall in an R800m deal together with Flanagan & Gerard from Sisa Ngebulana’s Billion Group, expanding its presence in the thriving rural and township retail property market.

Bryce O'Donnell, managing director of Abcon Developments, speaks about the next phase of the new 70 000m2 mixed-use precinct that’s rising at one of the ‘gateway’ entry points into Sandton – SA’s financial hub that is seeing a ‘big return to the office’.

Wayne Krambeck, vice president of operations at Zimbali Lakes, speaks about the ‘Big Easy’ becoming involved in developing an Ernie Els Signature Golf Course within the landmark new KZN North Coast development, which is being led by Kuwait Stock Exchange-listed IFA Hotels and Resorts.

‘Edge certification is effectively green building certification, and banks traditionally do not provide a role like this. The Nexus 1 building – Attacq’s first net-zero carbon Level 1 development – now also meets a global benchmark set by the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation’: Genevieve Naidoo of Nedbank CIB.

Steven Brown, CEO of JSE-listed property fund Fortress, talks about the significance of the group securing shareholder approval for a single share structure, which saw it resume paying dividends, but Reit status is not on the radar just yet.

Commercial property professional Kura Chihota from eXp South Africa is the guest on Moneyweb’s milestone 100th episode of The Property Pod, which goes regional this week, as we look at what’s bubbling in the Zimbabwe and broader SADC real estate markets.

The head of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in South Africa discusses the organisation’s drive for greater professionalism, accountability and ethics in the broader property sector. He also weighs in on the ‘sad’ fortunes of Tongaat Hulett.

Khosi Sibiya, joint-licensee of Seeff Soweto, says South Africa's biggest township saw over 2 000 property transactions worth over R1.1bn last year, and talks about being a role model for aspirant estate agents.

Rob Kelso, CEO of SA Home Loans, says while it has almost been ‘the perfect storm’ for property – where transactions have fallen ‘quite precipitously’ – with interest rates expected to be cut later this year, 2025 is likely to see a pick-up in the residential market.

Conformity is required by May this year to help get South Africa off the grey list: Rawson compliance manager Charmaine Truter.

South African Real Estate Investment Trust Association chair Estienne de Klerk shares his latest insights on the listed property sector following the industry’s 2024 conference, noting: ‘If you were an investor last year in Reits, you would've been rewarded with the best performance of all investment classes … So, albeit marginal, number one is number one’.

Kobus Lamprecht, head of research at Rode & Associates, says besides the return of workers back to the office, the Mother City is benefiting from companies expanding or opening offices due to the city’s better power-supply situation, in addition to growth in tourism and semigration on the back of good governance in the metro.

Myles Kritzinger, CEO of the newly established South African Multifamily Residential Rental Association (Samrra) shares his insights on why this specialist sub-sector of real estate is booming in the US and Australia, and Samrra’s aim to “further institutionalise” multifamily as a property investment class locally.

Mikayla Benkenstein talks about the group’s growth locally and elsewhere in Africa, and shares insights on property construction activity in SA, considering the country’s lingering poor economic conditions.

André Gouws, managing director of Intaprop, which is leading the Oxford Parks mega mixed-used development in the trendy Johannesburg precinct, says there’s still big interest in the area, even for new office space.

With expectations of interest rate cuts this year, will 2024, an election year, see a flat market? Siphamandla Mkhwanazi – property economist at FNB, shares his insights and expectations.

Mohamed Kalla, Executive Director and Portfolio Manager at Sesfikile Capital, shares insights on the sector’s performance and outlook for 2024.

Mohammed Amra of Pam Golding Properties, who is the area principal for Port Shepstone and Margate, shares his local market insights and says this part of the KwaZulu-Natal coast should not be overshadowed by the North Coast.

Following the launch of its first R300m residential property project in the Mother City, Divercity Urban Property Fund CEO Carel Kleynhans says that with the city seeing a significant influx of new people and “good-quality affordable accommodation being quite hard to come by” – he hopes to be announcing more developments in Cape Town over the next few years.

‘For me, the immediate challenge now that we've built a good base, is to make sure that trajectory actually begins in terms of how we are maintaining our properties; that speaks to facilities. How we manage the costs, speaks to our capex. Are we doing what we're supposed to do at the time that we're supposed to do it? Are we reactive or proactive in how we treat our tenants?’ she says.

Andrew Dewey, managing director of Swindon Property, shares his insights on the country's retail property industry.

You will still see us and you will still experience what we do in our assets and some of the good thingsthat we bring to market’: CEO Amelia Beattie

Chris Tyson, founder and chairperson of fast-growing real estate agency group Tyson Properties, shares his insights on the market, noting that while ‘conditions will improve based on supply and demand’, with 2024 being an election year, ‘historically nothing much happens in the property market in an election year’.