Newly formed property council to tackle impact of Covid-19

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The NPPC is the result of industry-wide consultation to create the most appropriate representative body aimed at successfully formulating, developing and implementing credible industry-wide strategies capable of addressing national key imperatives and industry objectives including, but not limited to, industry regulation, transformation and education priorities.

In response to the Property Practitioners Act, the newly formed National Property Practitioners Council is open to all organised formations and stakeholders who fall within the definitions of the Act. Collectively, the NPPC represents the interests of over 40,000 agents, brokers, professionals, consultants, developers, managing agents, and financing institutions falling within the Act’s ambit.

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Founding members of the NPPC are:

• South African Institute of Black Property Practitioners (SAIBPP)
  
• South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA)
  
• Real Estate Business Owners of South Africa (REBOSA)
  
• National Property Forum (NPF)
  
• National Association of Managing Agents (NAMA)
  
• Institute of Certified Business Brokers
  
• South African Institute of Auctioneers (SAIA)
  
• Institute of Estate Agents of South Africa (IEASA)
  
• South African Business Broking Association (SABBA)

The NPPC is chaired by Vuyiswa Mutshekwane, current CEO of SAIBPP, with the support of industry stalwarts Jan le Roux, Neil Gopal, Coenie Groenewald, Leo Mlambo, Mike Hindle, Bill Hartard, Edgar Blomeyer, and Ferdie van Greunen.

The first business of the new council is to address the economic impact of Covid-19 on the sector and to pursue relief measures to mitigate some of the challenges. These include appeals to government to relax certain lockdown restrictions to ensure the continuation of the sector's economic supply chain. Proposed interventions include opening the Deeds Office with a skeleton staff to register properties and a call for local councils to issue rates clearance certificates.

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Policies and interventions

The industry regulator, Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB), has also been approached to waive certain fees and penalties. In the weeks ahead, the NPPC aims to formulate policies and interventions that will address the challenges the sector currently faces.

A high priority on the NPPC agenda also are the draft regulations which will give effect to the new Property Practitioners Act; fast-tracking transformation initiatives; addressing industry growth opportunities and streamlining and building relations between the industry, government and all relevant stakeholders. The NPPC also aims to work closely with the regulatory authority to facilitate industry-wide consultation going forward.