8 minute read
The year that was – a letter from the editor
A YEAR ago, I sat down to write a letter to our readers. A national state of disaster had just been declared and we were packing up our office to work from home for three weeks.
The gist of the letter was to stretch out a hand of kindness, where you could, to those in your neighbourhoods or beyond who would be most hard hit by a lockdown.
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We also did a 180 degree turn on our regular Insider Area pages and turned them into a “Lockdown In ....” feature where, from Langa to Hillbrow to Khayelitsha, we highlighted the impact of lockdown on South Africans and called on you, our readers, to help if they could with certain charities in these areas. As always you rose to the occasion.
When we packed up our offices for three weeks, little did we realise that many of us would never return to our places of work, that the jobs we had would change and that, when the schools closed, parents would begin months of home schooling.
The lockdown also meant those who had bought homes or who were about to move were forced to stay put. Relocation was not allowed.
Everyone thought: “Okay, it’s three weeks – we can do this.” Estate agencies shut their doors and closed down their businesses as they were not allowed to operate. And the deeds office closed.
But as the three weeks became five and then the weeks became months, the property industry – which in the meantime had formed the new National Property Practitioners Council, headed by Vuyiswa Mutshekwane – went to war to try and get estate agents classified as professionals and able to work.
We all know the many agency bosses who worked day and night to secure the opportunity for agents to go back to work. This huge effort saw the real estate industry re-open in Level 3 instead of 2.
Property business has certainly been boosted by the low interest rates, which have been a blessing for the industry and for the many people who have taken advantage of the rates to consider becoming homeowners.
Here at Property360, we took our media business to full-on digital, sending out weekly newsletters, weekly property digital magazines and breaking news daily on our social media and online platforms. Our website tripled its users as we tried everything to keep you informed.
When we were able to get back to print we did so with gusto. Meanwhile our thriving digital arm continues its upward trajectory.
We have been so fortunate in this time to have formed even stronger bonds with industry heads, with emerging leaders in the industry and with our beloved readers and followers, exchanging emails, calls and doing all we can to ensure we continue to serve our readers and property community.
But the fact is it’s been a hard year for all. Tens of thousands of people have lost their jobs, many have had their salaries slashed and it is not business as usual, even in level 1.
We have all been through a dramatic year of trauma. How we fare going forward, I believe, will largely depend on how we take care of each other during these tough times.
Warm regards
vivian.warby@inl.co.za
Industrial sector came out best
The pandemic has had a severe impact on the commercial market, with the office and retail sectors particularly hard hit
BONNY FOURIE bronwyn.fourie@inl.co.za
THE COMMERCIAL property market has been heavily affected by the coronavirus lockdown, with each sector fighting its own battle against economic conditions and consumer confidence.
The economy might have opened up more under Level 1 but a lot of damage has been done over the past 12 months.
Many businesses have closed, downsized or struggled for survival and this has had a knock-on effect on those who own the properties they operate from. Some properties are even being re-purposed in a desperate attempt to keep them viable.
So, how has each commercial property sector held up in these unprecedented conditions? And what lies in store in the post-Covid world?
OFFICE PROPERTY
The office property sector has faced tough challenges. Not only have businesses had the difficult task of keeping afloat from a financial perspective but the work-fromhome trend has shown those that are still in business do not need to operate from a traditional office.
In the last quarter of 2020, the overall office vacancy rate in South Africa was 13.3%, the highest since 2004, according to the latest Office Vacancy Report report from the SA Property Owners Association (Sapoa).
“The curve has steepened dramatically since March as tenants’ financial positions have come under pressure, forcing occupiers to reconsider the extent of their physical offices.”
The fact that the country entered the Covid era with an oversupply of offices exacerbated the situation, the report states.
The FNB Property Broker Survey for Q4 reveals that 95% of respondents perceive office property supply to exceed demand –the highest of all three property sectors, says the bank’s commercial property economist John Loos.
“The forced remote working ‘experiment’ was successful, and recent quarters’ broker surveys point to many companies re-assessing their office space needs, and many planning to reduce the amount of office space leased or owned.
“This process may well gather momentum in 2021.”
However, John Jack, chief executive of Galetti Corporate Real Estate, points out low interest rates, coupled with excess commercial property supply, makes for a dynamic investment landscape.
“We are seeing quite significant international interest in the commercial property sector and, while the listed market may still be fairly mercurial, longterm lease covenants offer far more certainty, provided the underlying tenant is secure.”
While last year saw many moving away from business hubs, a new trend is bringing people back to the city as a result of excess office properties being converted in to residential developments.
Many offices are also being redesigned to accommodate flexible and co-working spaces. This means that there is probably no looming “death of the office” on the horizon but rather a trend for re-purposing of workplaces into spaces that will enable workers to interact, engage and collaborate face to face.
Already many companies are adopting a hybrid approach – working remotely some days and in the office on others. This model is delivering “spectacular benefits” for employees and employers alike, says Joanne Bushell, IWG managing director, South Africa.
The industrial property sector continues to fare better than office and retail property.
INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY
This sector has been the star performer of all commercial property over the past few years and, even in a world still impacted by Covid and the lockdowns, industrial property remains a hot commodity, Jack says.
“We’ve seen a demand for industrial real estate since mid-last year and this is set to continue. It’s largely driven by the need for on-site manufacturing and a rise in e-commerce.”
Loos says the FNB broker survey showed this market is still perceived to be the strongest, with the market strength lying in the three coastal metros of eThekwini, Nelson Mandela Bay and Cape Town. Some positive elements even emerged through the lockdown, such as the fact that industrial property is the most affordable of the three major property classes.
Loos adds that 24% of the survey respondents believe it to be appealing to smaller businesses. Investors also still find value in this property class.
“Eight percent of respondents see positives from online retail, perceiving more warehouse space to be required as a result.”
Tony Bales of Epping Property says the economic conditions will remain tough this year, even for industrial property, but agrees that it will fare better than the retail, office and leisure sectors. But companies using industrial property will continue to push for enhanced efficiencies, while modernisation across all business processes will continue.
“This includes further mechanisation of processes, where possible, as well as far greater utilisation of computerisation and cloud-based solutions. In addition, access to buildings with fibre/ 5G will be critical.”
The ratio of offices to warehouses and factories will continue to decrease and the demand for environmentally friendly buildings will increase.
RETAIL PROPERTY
The strict lockdown last year hit the retail property market hardest and this class lost the most income in the first six months. TPN’s Q3 Commercial Rental Monitor states that the percentage of retail tenants in good standing dropped to 41% in April, in the middle of the lockdown. By October, this figure had increased to 55%.
“We believe that this relative underperformance of retail tenants was partly about the lockdown’s severe impact on sales, and thus tenants’ finances, but also in part about retail property rents and operating costs being high relative to that of industrial property,” says managing director Michelle Dickens.
Large shopping centres were under the most pressure, with community centres taking the market share of trading. Food retailers fared best as at December, reveals Sapoa’s Retail Trends Report.
“In the third quarter of 2020, food retailers traded only 0.8% below the levels of Q3 2019. However, the food service category was still 28.2% down with lower discretionary spend and the reintroduction of the alcohol ban among the factors weighing in on the sector. Apparel retailers were also still trading 10% below their trading density of Q3 2019.”
Categories which performed well were electronics, homeware, furniture and interiors.
However, Loos says the retail property sector is no longer the weakest link and property brokers are slightly more optimistic about the retail market over the next few months. The emergence of online retail is the only “minor issue”.
“The broker respondents still see the Covid-19 impact, and the recessionary impact of the lockdowns as, by far, the main issue that the retail property sector faces...
