21 May 2013

Property & Real Estate

Cloaks without daggers?

Minister of State Security Siyabonga Cwele says that a solid case is being built against South Africans suspected of having links with terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab; arrests can be expected soon. In passing, however, he also mentioned that the government wants to recruit more spies. That begs the question for some: what for? It also makes some people wonder... given the fact that we have an air force that cannot fly many of its aircraft, and an army that ... well ... hasn't fared too well recently, and a navy that has its subs up on blocks, will our budding 007s be properly trained and equipped to do the job? Or will it be a case of cloaks without daggers.

Durban says, "Yes, we iCANN!" and the city's exclusive internet namespace .durban is on its way after passing its first ICANN hurdle.

One wedding and a whitewash? Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Jeff Radebe has said that the probe into the Waterkloof incident is to continue. However, a number of commentators believe that the so-called "probe" is little more than a whitewash to protect Jacob Zuma and an assortment of cabinet ministers, with officials taking the heat in their stead.

There's nothing like trying to get the message across... the WWF and TRAFFIC are targeting rhino horn consumers, particularly in Vietnam, as part of their global campaign against illegal wildlife trade. The bodies have developed a series of advertisements to discourage Vietnamese citizens from buying or consuming rhino horn.

Well, good luck and we hope it works, but in the meantime, efforts to stop the poaching must be stepped up, the kingpins be arrested and sentenced to rot in jail, and perhaps local communities around our game reserves be involved in some sort of system that rewards them for reporting suspect activities and people in their areas.

Rod Baker, Content Director

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Weekly top stories

Lower crime rates make southern peninsula homes popular
In recent years, Cape Town estate agents have repeatedly advised potential home buyers to consider the security situation in the areas in which they wish to live - but have often been unable to identify exactly which these are. Read more >>
New property trend emerging in Africa
Hospitality industry needs equity - Arthur Gillis


Editorial news

Property & Real Estate
Hospitality industry needs equity - Arthur Gillis
South Africa needs equity in order to build hotels, says Protea Hospitality Group CEO Arthur Gillis. Gillis warned delegates attending the Hospitality Investment Conference Africa (HICA) in Durban that for the foreseeable future, investors may need to provide at least 50% equity to finance hotels. Read more >>

Rawson cautions property investors on 'experts'
Bill Rawson, chairman of the Rawson Property Group, has warned investors to beware of 'experts' and advisors who downgrade the value of property investments. Read more >>


Commercial
Government leases not too risky
Investors may still be wary of exposure to government-tenanted buildings after a number of public works leasing scandals struck the department last year. Read more >>

KZN office block aims for five-star green building rating
One of KwaZulu-Natal's most innovative property investors and owners is going ahead with a multi-million rand 8860m2 industrial warehouse and office development in Durban's upmarket River Horse Valley. Read more >>

Hilton plans to boost African presence
Hilton Worldwide has expanded its product offering in SA over the past six months and the US-based group intends to increase its presence in Africa‚ according to vice-president of operations for Africa and the Indian Ocean‚ Jan van der Putten. Read more >>

Warehouse profits reach R243,3m
[Zeenat Moorad] Holdsport‚ which owns the Sportsmans Warehouse and Outdoor Warehouse on Wednesday (15 May) said the current retail environment is challenging and the group does not envisage any improvement in its performance during the remainder of the year. Read more >>

New property trend emerging in Africa
In a presentation to a recent global retail conference in London, organised by the International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC) and Thompson Reuters, Belinda Clur, managing director of Clur Research International, identified a new property sector opening up in African markets as retailers growing their presence there need or build their own distribution warehouses. Read more >>

Fines, payments choke Stefanutti Stocks
[Alistair Anderson] Construction company Stefanutti Stocks said on Tuesday (14 May) that late payments by debtors and provision for a hefty fine for anti-competitive behaviour were to blame for the company reporting a record R162m loss for the year to February. Read more >>


Property Management
Bricks and mortar for PIC's boss
The Public Invesment Corporation's (PIC) R62bn real estate portfolio, may be one of the most commanding jobs in the SA property sector. Read more >>


Rental
Landlord and tenant rights and obligations
[Issued by Private Property] Tenants and landlords should enter into agreements with the intention of giving as well as getting reasonable value. In many cases, the attitude with which one approaches a deal will determine its viability and success. Read more >>  visit press office >>


Residential
Omwieco to redevelop Onverwacht Estate as secure environment
Omwieco has been approached by Investec Private Bank to take over the development of a liquidated estate and has agreed to embark on this venture as the project developer for the Onverwacht Estate. Its vision for the estate is for it to become the catalyst in integrating the Eastern Growth Region of the Helderberg Basin. Read more >>

Rats, rats as big as bloomin' cats
City of Johannesburg spokesman Nthatisi Modingoane said the environmental directorate conducts rodent control blitzes regularly. Read more >>

South African house price growth gives reason for optimism
Although there is as yet 'nothing to write home about' when looking at house price trends in South Africa, there are now clear indications that residential property has regained some of its traditional appeal for investors, said Mike van Alphen, national manager of the Rawson Property Group's bond origination division, Rawson Finance. Read more >>

Lower crime rates make southern peninsula homes popular
In recent years, Cape Town estate agents have repeatedly advised potential home buyers to consider the security situation in the areas in which they wish to live - but have often been unable to identify exactly which these are. Read more >>


International
Deadly Oklahoma tornado kills hundreds
WASHINGTON, USA: A powerful tornado with winds of up to 320km/h pulverised an Oklahoma City suburb on Monday (20 May), hitting at least two schools and wiping out blocks of homes. Up to 100 people were reportedly killed. Read more >>

More International...


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2013 Biz Trends Report

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