Construction and property

Student accommodation is on trend.

One of the fastest-growing segments of the property market is student accommodation. Ambitions to keep making tertiary education more accessible to a broader range of students, already hugely successful since South Africa became a democracy in 1994, will create a need for even more accommodation. As it is, the Department of Higher Education and Training estimates that there is a need across South Africa for 250 000 beds for university students.

Several companies are responding to this need. A famous landmark in Rondebosch lives on in the name given to a new block of flats for students next to the old fountain in Main Road, Fountain Rez. The building (pictured) is developed by FPG Property Group, a company that grew out of supermarket and wholesale company that initially focussed on the retail property sector.

Respublica has just one student building in Cape Town, on Main Road near Cavendish Square in Claremont, but it has nine properties in Gauteng: Roscommon House is a short walk from a UCT bus-stop.

Another popular suburb for student accommodation is Observatory. UCT has developed several buildings in the area Sector Insight Commercial space in the V&A Waterfront has risen to 25%.

but recent blocks of flats built by private developers include Obs Court and several projects by Rawson Developers, Madison Place, The Winchester and The Paragon. The 64flat The Westwood will be complete in 2020.

STAG African has student projects in the Western Cape (at Stellenbosch University) and in the Eastern Cape. STAG has also spotted opportunity

elsewhere in Africa, with 34 000 beds being developed at universities in Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Lesotho.

The brief of A-MSquared is to “own, manage and operate premium student accommodation near UCT and Stellenbosch universities”. These are student houses (what used to be called “digs”) rather than residences but they are centrally administered.

Outside of student-land, research shows that the demand for housing is as strong as ever. Cape Town has adopted a long-term Transport Oriented Development (TOD) plan which looks at housing density in conjunction with transport patterns. It is estimated that greater Cape Town will need 500 000 new homes by 2023, in addition to 3.5-million square metres of office space, onemillion square metres of retail space and 4.5-million square metres of industrial development.

Cape Town has established the Transport and Urban Development Authority (TDA). The TDA is charged with getting the right mix of urban development and travel patterns. With responsibility for transport, urban planning, public housing and environmental sustainability in one place, there is a better chance of “joined-up” thinking.

Part of this strategy can be seen in plans for mixed housing on 13 sites in Salt River and Woodstock that the City of Cape Town has made available at 10% of market value. Social housing non-profit company Communicare has been working with the city on the project which envisages 30% of the housing stock being available for low-income households, 14% for the gap market and the rest of the houses being available on the open market

The province’s “Better Living Model” aims to deliver 3 602 residential units in an affordable, mixed-use and residential-led development on the site of the old Conradie Hospital on the edge of Pinelands. With the state (provincial or city government) putting in the bulk infrastructure, costs for developers would be significantly reduced – the quid pro quo is that the developer must then set aside a certain number of housing units (49%) to grant-funded housing.

Commercial

The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront has been one of the most successful property developments and it continues to generate good returns for its tenants, according to a report issued by the management of the V&A Waterfront in 2019.

New districts added to the footprint of the Waterfront such as the Canal and Silo areas have expanded the economic impact to the point where the Waterfront contributes R31.5-billion to provincial GDP (almost 2%). Commercial office space has grown as a percentage of gross lettable space and now stands at 25%. Several regional head offices have relocated recently, including British American Tobacco.

A new suite of offices has been developed by the Amdec Group. The Yacht Club (pictured on the next page) is near the berth for luxury cruise ships and in front of the Cape Town International Convention Centre, has 170 flats, 6 000m2 of office space spanning on levels, and Africa’s first AC Hotel by Marriott.

Amdec is also developing the huge Harbour Arch precinct on the western edge of the Foreshore. This will comprise six towers on a 5.8ha site that will house two hotels and residential and office space. The City of Cape Town has given its approval for the development to go ahead.

Among the winners in the 2019 SAPOA Property Development Awards for Innovative Excellence was Sable Park, a part of Century City, which won in the Commercial Office Developments category. Developed by Rabie Property Group, the building has a five-star rating from Green Star SA and houses the offices of Discovery and MTN, among others.

A Cape Town CBD landmark is being redeveloped into a mixed-use building to be known as Foreshore Place. What was built as the Trust Bank building and became the Absa building on the corner of Adderley Street, Riebeek Street and St George’s Mall, now has 15 floors of commercial space with the ground floor occupied by retail shops. The residential component takes up 11 floors comprising 63 studio apartments, 99 one-bedroom apartments and nine two-bedroom apartments. The developer of the project is HBW Group, it was designed by KMH Architects and marketed by Dogon Group Properties.

Growth areas

Voortrekker Road is the subject of several interventions to encourage bulking up (businesses and residential). The Greater Tygerberg Partnership is working to provide a catalyst for new developments that will build on the area’s existing strengths: transport links, medical facilities, retail, motor dealerships and residential.

Possible construction projects could respond to the need for student accommodation: 100 000 students are in the area. The Greater Tygerberg Partnership has done a study on students’ accommodation needs and is encouraging building owners to cater to this need.

The Voortrekker Road Corridor already has services and an established built environment, but it also has some dilapidated structures and it also has lots of open spaces. In other words, it has lots of potential.

An area that continues to grow in terms of residential property is the West Coast. With mountains to the east, it is logical that areas north of Cape Town will grow: the only constraint is access to water. Blouberg, Parklands and Sunningdale continue to grow and attract good houses for residential property. The MiCiti bus route now serving the West Coast makes commuting to town much easier.

George on the Southern Cape coast has seen some substantial new developments, including a private hospital built for Mediclinic, some new malls and a number of estates. Fancourt in George was

Online Resources

Cape Town Transport and Urban Development Authority: www.tda.gov.za Construction Industry Development Board: www.cidb.org.za SA Estate Agency Affairs Board: www.eaab.org.za SA Institute of Architects: www.saia.org.za SA Institute of Valuers: www.saiv.org.za one of the first golf estates in South Africa. In 2017 a set of new plots were offered for sale on what was described as its “prized northern slopes”.

A large gas discovery off the coast of Mossel Bay has caused some speculation that it might have a (long-term) effect on property prices in the area. The Knysna-Plett Herald quoted a Seeff Property spokesperson saying that Mossel Bay had seen sales grow year-on-year by 20%, with January 2019 the best sales month in four years. Seeff is developing two gated communities of more than 300 units in the R900 000 to R1.4-million price range.

Although prices in George are higher, Seeff reports that older sectional-title property can be found from R650 00 and houses from R900 000. Family and golf estate homes mostly range from R2-million to R6-million but can go up to R8-million for a seaview. The George rental market is strong with luxury homes achieving up to R30 000 per month. ■

Large area and sports lighting specialists.

From commercial electrical applications to high-end floodlights and sports stadiums and spotlights using state-of-the-art products, Maritz Electrical delivers end-to-end electrical solutions tailored to clients’ needs.

Delivering service excellence and exceptional quality are key differentiators for Maritz Electrical and what clients have come to expect.

Maritz Electrical is an empowerment company established by Kurt Maritz in January 2000. Maritz Electrical is BBBEE compliant (Level 1 contributor). It is ISO 9001 certified and fully compliant with the Occupational Health and Safety Act with a full-time, trained safety representative.

Maritz Electrical occupies a newly renovated 3 000-square-metre factory and office facility in Athlone. The company employs full-time, licensed installation and master electricians. Artisans working at Maritz have completed the ORHVS.

Maritz Electrical places great emphasis on its relationship with clients, private or commercial, and prides itself on the ability to respond to any contracting requirements in an efficient and cost-effective way. Maritz Electrical works closely with its customers, ensuring that projects are completed on time and on budget, using the highest-quality products available.

Maritz Electrical aims to contribute positively to the South African economy, provide excellent workmanship and be a leader in quality service provision.

Flagship projects

In 2017, St George’s Park became the world’s first International Cricket Council-compliant, LED-lit stadium and the first such stadium to be fitted with theatrics. Maritz Electrical was part of the R40-million revamp of Coetzenburg Athletics Stadium in Stellenbosch and installed new LED lighting at the hockey field of Western Province Cricket Club in 2019. The lights comply with the latest FIH standard.

Other projects include the electrification of large housing projects for municipalities, rural security lighting, lighting for passenger areas and runway lighting at airports, Cape Town’s Grand Parade and security lighting for waste-water treatment plants.

Key areas of expertise

Public lighting, high masts and sports lighting Commercial installations and maintenance Industrial installations and maintenance Domestic installations and maintenance Reticulation Substations

Professional memberships

BBBEE Level 1. ISO 9001 certified. Electrical Contractors Association. Master Builder Association Member. Member of South African Institute of Lighting (SAIL). ■

Physical address: 11 Noll Avenue, Athlone, Cape Town, 7764 Tel: +27 21 703 0867 Email: tenders@maritzelectrical.co.za Website: www.maritzelectrical.co.za

LED lighting is a game-changer and Maritz Electrical is leading the way in its introduction at South African sporting venues.

LED refers to “Light-Emitting Diode”, a device that is both brighter and more energy efficient when electrical current is passed through it than a conventional light bulb.

In a short space of time, Maritz Electrical has achieved three significant landmarks in the LED sports field lighting landscape: • the world’s first International Cricket Councilcompliant LED-lit stadium with theatrics,

St George’s Park, Port Elizabeth, 2017 • installation of new LED lights at internationally recognised athletics stadium, Coetzenburg,

Stellenbosch, 2018 • first South African club hockey field to install

LED lighting to the standard of the FIH (the inter national hockey body), Western Province Cricket

Club, 2019.

The installation at the WPCC hockey field is a Musco lighting system, similar to the system used at international stadiums such as Twickenham Rugby Stadium, Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and at baseball and football fields in the US, where Musco is based.

The R27-million St George’s Park project was completed on time and on budget, despite installing lights on top of the Duckpond Pavilion at night in high winds. The Musco solution is good at controlling spill and glare and typically comes with a 10-year warranty.

The response has been enthusiastic, helping Maritz Electrical on its goal to becoming the “goto” company for stadium lighting installations. For company MD Kurt Maritz, the television experts provided the really important feedback. “We cared about SuperSport the most and they have been raving. If there are light and dark spots on the field the cameraman must remember to change the aperture. They said that the lighting was excellent.” Large-area lighting Stadium lighting falls within the broader category of large-area lighting. The global move to LED lighting has been a positive thing for Maritz Electrical. In South Africa, however, Kurt notes that there is difference between the indoor and outdoor scenarios. For indoors, “everybody is going that route” but that return on investment (ROI) is somewhat different in the outdoor setting.

Maritz Electrical is active in large areas such as Cape Town’s Grand Parade, rural mast lighting in Buffalo City, airport runway lighting and security lighting for city municipal facilities. The company operates in the commercial, industrial and public sectors and offers a wide range of services. ■

Maritz Electrical is expanding.

Having established a loyal customer base in the private and public sectors in the Western Cape, Maritz Electrical has expanded its horizons, showing that it is ready to tackle projects anywhere in South Africa.

Recent projects that indicate the versatility that the company brings to lighting projects, in particular in LED lighting and in large-area lighting, include: a world-first LED stadium lighting project in Port Elizabeth, another stadium in the Free State, East London airport building lighting and mast lighting for informal settlements for the Buffalo City Municipality.

With an expanding workload, Maritz Electrical made a move in 2018 to new premises in Athlone. Founder and Managing Director Kurt Maritz explains, “We have moved 150 staff from three branches into one customised 3 000-square-metre facility. It is designed in such a way that we have enough space for 50% expansion. Half of the massive space we dry-walled so that we have a suite of offices.”

There are no specific targets, but Kurt is clearly looking forward with anticipation. “We don’t have any ceiling we want to hit. Our engine is our sales department. As much work as they bring in, that’s how we will grow.”

Kaizer Sebothelo Stadium was built as a multi-use venue but mainly used to host football matches in the township of Botshabelo east of Bloemfontein. The 20 000-seater stadium is the home ground for Botshabelo Football Club and Tower United FC.

Maritz Electrical replaced the existing, outdated lighting, as their output intensity was too low to cater for high-definition camera equipment. Mangaung Municipality’s tender stipulated that the lighting needed an up-

grade to HD quality using a local lighting brand. The Maritz solution not only saved close to R3-million, but provided a 10-year warranty, resulting in further savings for the client.

Musco 1500w metal halide luminaries were installed for field lighting and LED luminaries for emergency lighting. The stadium’s generator was upgraded to 110KVa. Using any other system would have required the upgrade of the power supply, but this was not necessary as the Musco system uses approximately 25% less power than conventional systems Eastern Cape In 2017, St George’s Park became the world’s first International Cricket Council-compliant, LED-lit stadium and the first such stadium to be fitted with theatrics. Over four days in December 2017, the famous ground celebrated the landmark of being the first South African venue to host a day-night Test match, against Zimbabwe. The R27-million contract was completed on time and on budget by a team from Maritz Electrical led by Warren Williams. Two project managers from Musco Lighting supported the installation. The lights on top of the Duckpond Pavilion were hoisted at night, the process being illuminated by floodlight.

Project Manager Diketso Kumalo reports that the six-month contract to install LED energy-saving lights at East London Airport was completed on time and on budget. Says Kumalo, “One of our goals for all projects that we do is to satisfy the client and leave them with a happy face.”

LED lighting can significantly reduce power consumption. Maritz Lighting’s pre-installation and post-installation testing confirmed that East London Airport will be saving on electricity costs.

The Maritz contract with the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality entails providing mast lighting to informal settlements across the municipality. “We are providing them with 20m-high masts with LED luminaires,” says Kumalo. “LED consumes much less power compared to high-pressure sodium or metal halide although the LED the lux level is better.” Costs will be reduced and the power of illumination will be better for residents.

Kumalo says that there is a possibility that Maritz Electrical might open an Eastern Cape office. “Our presence is growing,” he notes. “Depending on the amount of work we receive from the province, we might be looking at opening another office in the Eastern Cape.” Kumalo points out that Maritz Electrical’s expertise extends beyond lighting. “We do a variety of electrical works. We also offer project management, consulting, compliance and hazardous area classification and MV and LV maintenance.”

Western Cape The municipal authorities of Overstrand and Stellenbosch have contracted Maritz Electrical to work on low-cost housing projects. This is a big market and Maritz Electrical is building its skills set in this area. Aspects of this market include reticulation, electrification, street lights, road-side furniture and mini-substations. ■