Bizcommunity.com and Private Property Listing join the OPA

Bizcommunity.com - one of the major internet news websites in South Africa and one of the only daily news services to the creative industries, including the media, marketing and advertising sectors - says it is "very pleased" to be part of the OPA stable.

"A major benefit we see is that traffic and readership data are measured by independent measurement specialists Nielsen//NetRatings Market Intelligence, to provide an online standard for South African internet measurement by the OPA," says Andre Rademan, MD and creator of Bizcommunity.com.

"Now marketers and media strategists have access to accurate and trusted readership and demographic data on all the major websites in South Africa, which is indispensable when planning an online campaign," says Rademan. "It is so important to the credibility of the industry that standards of excellence are adopted by the web publishers in measurement and content."

Private Property Listings, which runs the successful www.privateproperty.co.za, is the OPA's newest member. It is South Africa's only 'direct' property sales website and boasts more than 100 000 registered buyers. More than 600 new clients advertise their property on the site each month.

According to Justin Clarke, Private Property Listings CEO, the site's success can be attributed to conditions in the current property market where buyers outnumber sellers, as well as the company's appeal to a new generation of consumers who are comfortable and adept at using the internet to undertake transactions ranging from grocery shopping to banking.

"Many of our clients, buyers and sellers, are under 36 years old, busy professionals who value the time-saving benefits offered, and follow the international trend of looking for property online. The commission saving offered by Private Property Listings is an added incentive for selling online, and this has led a lot of people on to the net for the first time in the search for property.

"Our world-class systems and current growth rate means that as leaders in the online property sales market, Private Property Listings is poised to turn the conventional real-estate industry on its head," says Clarke.

OPA members to date include:

365 Digital Publishing, 5fm, Ananzi, BDFM Publishers, Business in Africa, CareerJunction, CreamerMedia, iafrica.com, Independent Online, ITWeb Limited, JHBLive, Johnnic Communications, Mail & Guardian Online, Moneymax, M-Web, Media24, Moneyweb Holdings, Ramsay, Son & Parker, SABCnews.com, Supersport Zone, Tiscali, Private Property, Bizcommunity.

OPA executive:

Chairperson: Russel Hanly (GM Media24 Digital); Deputy chairperson: Mark Buwalda (GM Ananzi); Marketing: Matthew Buckland (editor & manager of Mail & Guardian Online); Monitoring: Mark Buwalda (MD of Ananzi); Measurement: JP Farinha (GM of M-Web Studios); Finance: Leon Lategan (Independent Online sales and marketing director)

About the OPA:

The OPA is a grouping of South Africa's most prominent online publishers. Its aim is to promote the growth and profitability of the online publishing industry, by setting the highest standards and meeting the needs of marketing and advertising professionals.

Find out more about the OPA at www.opa.org.za..