From the Editor’s desk

As 2019 draws to a close…

Next year, GDP growth will likely be closer to 1% y/y than 1,5% y/y, as structural reforms lag. On 25 November, the IMF warned that it projects South Africa’s “economic growth to remain sluggish in 2020 – below population growth for the sixth consecutive year,” says Investec Chief Economist Annabel Bishop. “With low growth and low job creation, the increasing labour force is projected to exacerbate unemployment pressures, poverty and inequality…”

The big news about South African Property Review is that, from February 2020, we will be going bi-monthly – not because there is less information, but because we will be bringing you more in-depth reporting.

Being online only, we are no longer constrained by page count, so we will be able to redesign the magazine to make it easier to navigate, and to include more interactive elements, such as video links and soundbites.

Furthermore, we have reduced the cost of advertising to reflect the magazine being an online-only product. However, the most important event on SAPOA’s calendar, the Annual Convention (which will be held at Sun City from 3 to 5 June), will feature a printed copy as part of each delegate’s goodie bag.

For advertising opportunities and for our new rate card, please contact Pieter Schoeman at pieter@mpdps.com.

Our themes for the year have also changed a bit: in line with giving each region an opportunity to feature in an overview, each of the six editions will carry a Regional Roundup:

February 2020 will kick off with a Western Cape overview; April will feature Limpopo/Mpumalanga; and June will focus on Gauteng, to coincide with the host region of the SAPOA Convention.

In August, in addition to a KwaZuluNatal roundup, we will be giving SAPOA members an opportunity to recognise the women in their company structures by including a special Women’s Monthoriented section in the magazine.

For October, I’ll heading back to East London to pick up from where we left off this year.

And, last but not least, the December edition will carry the Port Elizabeth round up.

There are a number of other themes for each issue of the magazine. These can be found on our 2020 rate card, so please contact me at mark@mpdps.com so that we can begin planning editorial insertions for 2020.

In this issue, SAPOA President David Green speaks to us about his views and experiences of the property industry, and we highlight some of the activities that the organisation has undertaken during the first part of his tenure.

We also met with Dr Andrew Golding, CEO of Pam Golding Properties, who provided us with an in-depth overview of the country’s residential market. While there seems to be a certain amount of stabilisation, it remains a buyer’s market – but if you’re a Gauteng resident, it may take you longer to sell your property than elsewhere in the country. On the other hand, KZN seems to be attracting the most semi-gration as a result of the proximity of King Shaka International Airport to areas such as Umhlanga, Sibaya and Umdloti.

We know how import reports and analysis are to our readers, so this edition carries the SAPOA Cost Report as well as our final instalment of the South African Cities Network’s State of City Finances. We also look at Howmuch.net’s representation of the world’s wealth inequality.

As usual, we included a number of legal articles, highlighting the Property Practitioners Bill (which we touched on in the November issue of Property Review); amendments to JSE listing regulations; and an analysis of arbitration in the construction industry courtesy of our regular contributor, Fasken.

This year we had a great response from members who undertake various CSI activities, and I thank you all for your contributions. Featured members include Abcon, Amdec, CDH, Growthpoint, the JSE, Redefine and the SA REIT Association. Going into next year, I’ll remain the magazine’s editor, as SAPOA has again renewed my tenure. I look forward to engaging with you on important issues in 2020.

Thank you all for your continued support in the past year. The magazine’s Google Analytics tells me that our page views have increased steadily, and our read time remains constant at just over 10 minutes per read. Thank you for your loyal readership, and thanks for staying online with us.

I wish you all a refreshing festive break and a prosperous New Year.