SAPOA Convention and Property Exhibition: Making a Difference
This year's annual SAPOA Convention and Property Exhibition, sponsored by Liberty Properties, will be held at the CTICC on 10-12 June 2014. "Under the theme 'Making a Difference', the association has ensured the convention provides something new for everyone who attends," says SAPOA CEO Neil Gopal. "That could be a new perspective, an international case study, a fresh approach or even an evolving best practice."
Neil Gopal, CEO of SAPOA
Kicking off the proceedings will be Master of Ceremonies, Eusebius McKaiser, a political analyst, broadcaster, lecturer and writer based in Johannesburg. He has an academic background in moral philosophy - including a stint as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University.
The first day of presentations and panel sessions promises to unpack not only political lessons for property, but spotlight Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) as an investment vehicle both globally and in SA.
A hard-hitting session entitled 'Lessons for SA from the Soviet Union on the Savagery of Socialism' by former economics advisor to Russian President Gorbachev, Yuri Maltsev is followed by the five-year view of respected scenario strategist Clem Sunter
The two then sit down together for a panel discussion about the next half decade.
For delegates with REITs on their minds, the day's schedule offers deep insight from experts including Professor Brian Kantor, non-executive director at listed property fund Acucap, as well as Momentum Asset Management fund manager and head of property Nesi Chetty and Sam Leon, chief executive of the Investec Property Group.
Economics, municipal rates
Economics comes into the spotlight on the second day, with STANLIB chief economist Kevin Lings and the University of Pretoria's Douw Boshoff analysing the property sector in SA. They will be joined by Simon Freemantle, senior analyst at Standard Bank Research, for a lively discussion on property in the SA economy.
The afternoon focuses on a highly controversial issue in SA property: the question of municipal rates and taxes.
Rates Watch valuations director Ben Espach will be joined by Izak Petersen, chief executive officer of Dipula Income Fund; Redefine Properties CEO Mach Wainer; and Douw Boshoff.
The two-day programme ends with a look at 'The Real Estate Landscape in 2020', a global long view of the retail sector presented by Luxembourg-based Kees Hage, global real estate leader and partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Journalism, Excellence awards
Annual highlights of the Convention include the SAPOA Property Journalism Awards 2014 and the SAPOA Innovative Excellence Awards, which spotlight exceptional contributions to property journalism and property development, respectively.
SAPOA is a member-driven organisation formed to promote the collective interests of its members as well as the commercial and industrial property sector as a whole and the convention is a key part of its annual program of networking and professional development.
"The organisation was founded in 1966 with 20 members and has now grown to 1200 of the industry's most powerful property owners, investors, lenders, developers and service-providers and the SAPOA convention is our premier gathering-place for these leaders," concludes Gopal.
