Property & Real Estate South Africa weekly newsletter - 17 Sep 2013

Avoid bad BEE practices

Whether one likes it or not, laws applicable to BEE are in place, and in this article Deon Oberholzer shows you the 10 bad BEE practices that could result in you losing your business.

This must be the only country in the world with a so-called "strike season" - so it's no surprise to learn that the new tyre manufacturing industry negotiations deadlocked.

Doesn't anyone seem to realise that a strike is the last resort, not among the first?

Some might think, with good reason, that this country is becoming a nanny state, and others might be in total agreement with the proposed ban, but in the meantime, the alcohol industry is demanding a say on the bill banning alcohol advertising.

Come on, admit it... our taxis are among our favourite road-users... NOT! So here's a heady little tale of the taxi that shocked police officers.

Rod Baker, Content Director

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Understanding real estate sales commission

In previous decades, when the property market was booming, people became estate agents because they thought it was an easy way to earn money by selling property as a pastime. This negatively impacted on the image of the real estate industry as service levels were low and homeowners saw an agent as someone who made a lot of money for minimal work, and because these types of agents were truly only interested in quick income. Read more >>

New auction boss fills Rael Levitt's shoes

Mother City high-end retailers positioned for growth

Open for business

New country lifestyle estate south of Windhoek

For South Africans with family ties or connections with Namibia, perhaps from having spent memorable holidays there, a new 856 hectare country lifestyle estate, just 35km south of Windhoek provides an opportunity to acquire their own piece of the Namibian bushveld. Read more >>

New auction boss fills Rael Levitt's shoes

[Tina Weavind] It is no accident that few people have ever heard of Rayhaan Hassim, the driving force behind Aucor, one of South Africa's biggest auction houses and a ream of other businesses. He is obsessively private. No photographs of him appear on any of his companies websites and he refused to be photographed by Business Times. Read more >>

Mother City high-end retailers positioned for growth

Boasting 60% of Africa's total of millionaires, South Africa is the only country on the continent with a developed luxury sector. This is according to global management consultancy firm, Bain & Company, which predicts that the local luxury goods market will grow between 20% and 30% over the next five years. Read more >>

V&A contributes R198 billion to SA's GDP

According to the results of an economic impact study conducted by economists Economics Information Services (EiS) led by Barry Standish, the V&A Waterfront should be viewed as an economic hub that has contributed some R198 billion to the South African economy over the last ten years alone. Read more >>

Cornubia Industrial and Business Estate 80% sold

Investors seeking opportunities within the multi-billion-rand Cornubia Industrial and Business Estate have only a handful of sites available for maximising their potential in the booming commercial property sector as only 20% of the original 70 hectares of serviced development land remains on the market. Read more >>

Spire Property Management appoints new MD

Spire Property Management has appointed Sean Paul as its new managing director as of 1 September 2013. Paul took over from Marc Edwards, who has now become the CEO of the Tower Property Fund, launched by Spire Property Management. Read more >>

ECDC sells vacant properties

Development financier the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) has announced it had approved and accepted bids totalling some R17.9 million for its 21 vacant residential properties located in Butterworth and Mthatha through a public process. Read more >>

Advice for first-time home buyers

So you've been earning a steady income for the past few years and your recent promotion convinced you that it was time to make your mark on the world of property by buying your first home. Bond originator ooba notes that 51.7% of its bond applications in June were from first timers and a survey by FNB reveals that first-time buyers were estimated to make up 22% of total buying in the second quarter of 2013. Read more >>

Housing market at its healthiest since 2009

The South African housing market is in the healthiest position since 2009, said Seeff's chairman, Samuel Seeff. We are in a much healthier position than in 2009 and even 2010 when market activity was buoyed by the positive sentiment of the FIFA World Cup. Read more >>

Avoid bad BEE practices

Weekly top stories

SA credit amnesty: Consumer liabilities [Michelle Dickens]

Quick meals for Africa [Zeenat Moorad]

Absa's brand journey [Donvay Wegierski]

Grain prices lower after USDA crop report surprise [Helmo Preuss]

R1bn cement project to create more than 2,000 jobs [Sydney Masinga]

Dti trade initiative pays off for Limpopo company [Siphiwe Nyathi]

Practical approaches on how to tackle the global waste problem [Alan Kahn]

[BizCareers] Interview follow-ups and working in PR [Juliette Attwell]

Hidden entitlements: rights of trade unions under Companies Act [Mohsina Chenia and Nicholas Preston]

Cautious optimism among manufacturers [Ntsakisi Maswanganyi]

Survey shows clothing, footwear sales lose momentum [Zeenat Moorad]

What to look for when working with travel bloggers [Andre Van Kets]

The dark side of Cloud [Rudie Raath]

Can your business continue to deliver, no matter the size of the event? [Kerry Evans]

Madama Butterfly spreads its wings [Eugene Yiga]

Second strike in motor industry stalls vehicle makers' recovery [Alexander Parker]