Business Day HomeFront 25 August 2017

HOMEFRONT 13 OCTOBER 2016 WWW.BDLIVE.CO.ZA 25 AUGUST 2017 WWW.BUSINESSLIVE.CO.ZA

MUST READ

V&A Silo District a hot design hive PAGE 2

Recession drives rental demand PAGE 4

Food followers: malls step up PAGE 12

Ubuntu House Stag African Residence, Tygerberg, Cape Town

Student living space As the student population booms and accommodation needs

Luxury Joburg home sales surge change, developers are adapting to suit modern priorities PAGE 18

PAGE 8

HOMEFRONT LIFESTYLE AND DÉCOR

Silo District hots up The V&A Waterfront’s new precinct is shaping up as an inspiring hive of art, design and cultural history

WORDS: HILARY PRENDINI TOFFOLI :: PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

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Kat Van Duinen

ape Town’s grain silos have been brilliantly reimagined as the iconic heart of a R2.5bn Waterfront development. This latest venture in the Waterfront’s valuable 123 hectares is on the East Quay side, near the Cape Grace Hotel and the Clock Tower — historic turf where the cannons of the Chavonnes Battery were placed in the 1700s to protect the little town.

The imposing 42 silos were built in 1924 to store thousands of tonnes of grain for transport elsewhere, so they were located close to ships berthed at the Victoria Basin. Disused since 2001, the beautifully weathered maize-coloured columns are now the dramatic focal point of a complex of six new office and residential buildings that surround it, known as the Silo District.

Big business has moved into the new block known as Silo 5, in the shape of Werksmans Attorneys and international accounting conglomerate PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Across the square is the head office of Allan Gray investment company in Silo 1, a building whose sustainability feats include the ingenious use of icy Atlantic seawater in the cooling system.

SILOS

Southern Guild gallery

Silos 2 and 3 are residential and Silo 4 houses Virgin Active. Silo 6 will house a Radisson Red hotel when it is completed in September.

The Silo Hotel is already here, in the boxy grain lift section on top of the silos themselves.

Its rooms are alive with designer colour and lined with pillowed floor-toceiling windows that have extraordinary views.

But what is really making waves is now housed inside the silos — the biggest collection of post2000 African art on the continent. It is the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art, a nonprofit public museum that opens on September 22.

Collected by former Puma CEO Jochen Zeitz and displayed in nine floors of about 80 galleries, this is 21st century African art at its most progressive: installations, conceptualism, performances, films, photography and multimedia sculptural structures. It is aimed at challenging the viewer and all created by artists born in Africa or the diaspora — a platform for a previously neglected area that is now exploding and fetching high prices globally.

TRICKY The silos revamp was tricky. It took four years and involved British design genius Thomas Heatherwick and his team, working with local partners. The huge, densely packed cylinders had none of the grand central spaces you find in most historic buildings. For the main museum hall they had to cleverly carve into these concrete tubes a central atrium that stretches up to a remote glass roof. It is an architectural masterpiece.

As CEO of the V&A Waterfront David Green puts it: “Thomas Heatherwick understood how to interpret the industrial narrative of the building. His design respects its heritage.

By preserving the silos as a centrepiece for the District and as a cultural institution, its character and personality will be honoured.”

“The Silo Hotel is already here, in the boxy grain lift section on top of the silos themselves”

HOMEFRONT HIGH-END SILO DESIGN STORES GUILD Design is what GUILD at the base of Silo 5 is all about. This generous concept space includes a design store, an in-house range of furniture and the Southern Guild gallery, showcasing the work of major local names such as Gregor Jenkin, Cheick Diallo, Meyer von Wielligh, Conrad Hicks, John Vogel, Porky Hefer and the duo behind Dokter and Misses Adriaan Hugo and Katy Taplin.

Southern Guild gallery founders Trevyn and Julian McGowan handpick their creatives. “When designers are deeply involved in what they make — hands-on, immersed — a different kind of work emerges,” says Trevyn. “The distance becomes greater between what is a result of process, intimacy and narrative and what is rapidly made, massproduced or machine-led.”

She regards the Silo District as “an incredible hub — residential, commercial, cultural, historical, architectural — centred around a monumental museum championing African creativity”.

Kirsten Goss This busy South African jewellery designer didn’t want to miss the

opportunity either. “Zeitz Mocaa is a seminal bit ofarchitecture,” she says.

The store in Silo 5 is her fifth in SA. Its luminous space-age decor created by Johannesburg-based HK Studio is as stylishly playful as the necklaces, earrings and new range of diamond rings Goss produces with her Durban-based team.

Kat van Duinen Another chic dynamo in Silo 5 is Polish-born fashion designer Kat van Duinen.

She calls it “a dream come true”. Known since 2010 for her signature leather handbags and evening designs in sensuous satiny fabrics and jewelled colours, she and interior designer Ivan Peens have created an elegant feel for her boutique. Drapes are velvet, while covering the wall behind Kat’s flirty ruffles a striking oil by her artist husband John Kelly Gough depicts a glowing nude figure stretching out of the dark.

Glasshouse Rejuvenation Men are catered for here.

A grooming emporium in Silo 5 titillatingly titled Glasshouse Rejuvenation for Men takes the concept of metrosexuality to

heroic new levels. In reassuringly masculine but luxurious surroundings — black leather and Nguni cowhide — guys can have their faces wet-shaved, their teeth whitened, and their bodies waxed, bronzed and massaged, all while watching sport and drinking beer.

Lindt chocolate Lindt’s shop in Silo 2 is the place to indulge your chocolate obsessions.

Lindt’s studio workshops are great places for team building or birthday parties.

Opus flower shop Specialising in botanical installations, Marissa Pretorius is behind the Opus flower shop in Silo 3. Visitors can browse her signature potless gardens inspired by kokedama (Japanese moss balls) suspended from the ceiling, or select fresh flowers and gifts.

UpCycles rentals Work off all those chocolate truffles by renting a bicycle at UpCycles in Silo 5, Cape Town’s first drop-and-go bike rental company. It now has stations at the Sea Point Pavilion, the Promenade and Mandela Rhodes Place in the CBD.

Kirsten Goss PRODUCED BY BLACKSTAR PROPERTY PUBLISHING Unit G4, Old Castle Brewery, 6 Beach Road, Woodstock, 7925 021 447 7130

“When designers are deeply involved in what they make — hands-on, immersed — a different kind of work emerges” Trevyn McGowan, co-founder, Southern Guild gallery

Wangechi Mutu, Second Born, 2013, at Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art A EDITORIAL TEAM Editor: Kim Maxwell Creative Director: Mark Peddle Designer: Samantha Durand

PUBLICATION

Copy Editor: Michael van Olst Content Business Manager: Catherine Davis Production: Joanne Le Roux

ADVERTISING SALES Michèle Jones Susan Erwee

michele.jones@thecreativegroup.info susan.erwee@thecreativegroup.info

084 246 8105 083 556 9848

HOMEFRONT RENTALS

Rental surge

As the recession grips, the demand for rental property has risen WORDS: GEORGINA GUEDES :: PHOTOS: SEEF PROPERTIES & ISTOCK

I

ncreasingly low confidence levels and mounting affordability pressures among South Africans indicate rising demand for rental properties across the country. The PayProp Rental Index (which outlines trends on a quarterly basis in the residential rental market) reported that in the past quarter the weighted average national rental exceeded R7,000 for the first time.

“Consumers will stay in the rental market because financially they cannot afford to buy a property that offers them the same features as a rental property,” says Adrian Goslett, regional director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa.

“With the increased cost of living that consumers have endured over the past while many prospective buyers have been forced to stay in the rental market until their financial situation improves,” he says.

UNEMPLOYMENT PayProp’s Johette Smuts says that SA is in a technical recession for the first time since 2009.

“And it doesn’t help that our unemployment rate is at its highest level in 12 years. The truth is, living standards can’t improve

without economic growth.”

The spike in rental growth noted toward the end of 2016 was temporary, most likely as a result of holiday rentals.

“The weighted average year-on-year growth rate in Q2 2017 (6.87%) is lower than in Q1 (7.62%) and more in line with previous growth rates.”

The weighted national rental average for Q2 2017 was R7,080.

The Western Cape is the only province with a (slight) upward trend over the past four quarters, she says. It is the most expensive province to live in as it attracts the highest rent. It is seeing a “semigratory” influx of people from other provinces, especially Gauteng, which has increased demand in the region.

TREND Smuts says: “We expect this trend to continue and Western Cape rents to continue their doubledigit growth, at least in the short term.”

Samuel Seeff, chairman of the Seeff Property Group, says the rentals sector of the Cape metro remains the strongest performer in the country.

Recent reports from TPN credit bureau have also pointed to the Cape as having the strongest

rentals market. However, Dinis Martins, chief operating officer of Seeff Atlantic Seaboard and City Bowl, says it is likely that top-end rates (R150,000 to R170,000 a month in Clifton) will come under increasing pressure in a weak economic climate.

In Gauteng, Pretoria East has one of the most dynamic rental markets with the area attracting excellent rates given its rising status among wealthier buyers and tenants which include foreign consulate residents. PG van der Linde, rental manager for Seeff Pretoria East, says there is always high demand for rentals. There is also a high concentration of luxury security estates.

Rentals can now range to R80,000, easily matching that of Sandton. Leapfrog Property Group Pretoria East manager Silvana dos Reis Marques agrees.

“Properties of less than R2m are selling quickly, yet properties of more than R5m, in secure estates, are not standing still either.”

OVERSUPPLY On the flip side, a downward trend has been tracked in the Eastern Cape, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal. This could indicate an

“Many prospective buyers have been forced to stay in the rental market” Adrian Goslett, regional director and CEO, RE/MAX of Southern Africa

oversupply in rental properties in those areas.

Goslett says that irrespective of whether a consumer continues to stay in the rental market or decides to purchase a home, there are advantages and disadvantages to both options.

“Each consumer needs to evaluate their circumstances and make the best decision that meets their personal needs. Renting offers the tenant a certain amount of flexibility before making a long-term commitment, while buying a home can provide the owner with an asset to their name that will certainly show good returns in time to come,” he says.

THE GENDER COMPARISON The PayProp Rental Index revealed the following differences between men and women in the rental market: Men have a 30% higher net income than women.

The Eastern Cape reports the lowest difference in income, but also the lowest income for both men and women.

Men spend on average 11% more on rent than women. This means that in relative rental values, men rent properties priced slightly above the national average while properties rented by women are in line with the national average.

Women have lower average incomes, but slightly better debt-toincome ratios — 41% for men and 40.4% for women.

YOUR PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT PARTNER

HOMEFRONT HOUSING

Student living space As the student population booms and accommodation needs change, developers are adapting to suit modern priorities WORDS: MIRIAM MANNAK :: PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

CampusKey

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he student population in SA has grown from 490,000 in 1994 to more than a million in 2015. The government expects numbers to rise to 1.5-million by 2030 as more universities open their doors. This, aided by societal and practical trends, is changing students’ accommodation priorities.

Here are five key trends:

1. Luxury digs Studios on Park, Stellenbosch

Studentathome, Cape Town

These days, students are seeking more than a bed and a desk, says CampusKey MD Leon Howell. “We’re breaking ground for Africa as the first luxury student housing company and are setting the standard for secure student living in SA.” For completion in November, CampusKey will add a central Bloemfontein property offering 112 luxury, fully furnished bedrooms. Many of the luxury rooms will have en-suite bathrooms, equipped kitchens, gym facilities and pool tables as standard features.

Its all-inclusive model is popular. “Our six residences in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth, Cape

Town, Stellenbosch and Potchefstroom are allinclusive in terms of water, electricity, laundry, a weekly cleaning service, parking, furniture and a fully equipped kitchen,” he says. Average rental fees range about R60,000 a year. “This is all-in. All students need to bring is their own linen. We don’t do meal services, though.”

Emily Whitefield, CEO of Cape Town-based student accommodation rental company Studentathome, agrees. “We offer students single or shared units with a fully equipped kitchen, a bathroom, curtains, furniture and a weekly cleaning service,” she says.

Units go from R5,000 to R7,500 a month. “We offer a linen service for an additional fee.”

2. Technology Technology has become a key demand among students with internet connectivity on top of the list. “We have put in internet in all the residences we have built so far,” says John Schooling, CEO of Stag African. The company has developed student accommodation across SA catering for about 2,000 people.

CampusKey residents can also expect internet

connectivity. “Our six existing campuses come with unlimited Wi-Fi and DStv. All our rooms come with a television, too,” Howell says. These amenities will apply to all CampusKey residences.

“We are working on three other campuses, in Pretoria (160 beds), Bloemfontein (114 beds) and Port Elizabeth (296 beds).

All will be completed by the end of October this year and ready for intake for January 2018.”

3. Communal v private Besides laundry, cleaning services and technology, students look for a sense of community, says Schooling.

“They want to live somewhere where they feel at home and near people.

We break a hostel into apartments for eight people — with bedrooms, kitchen facilities, a communal room, showers and toilets.”

While students like sharing their living space with peers, they also demand their own space.

“Students will share twobedroom apartments like the ones found at Unicrest in Hatfield, Pretoria as long as they have their own bedroom,” says Kari-Mari Erasmus, real estate agent at Seeff Pretoria East. The preference is for flats, she

HOMEFRONT STUDENT PROPERTY INVESTMENT Pretoria, home to the University of Pretoria, Unisa, the Tshwane University of Technology, fashion school Lisof and other tertiary education institutions, is one of SA’s most vibrant student cities — also from an accommodation point of view.

“Popular student areas include Hatfield and Hillcrest which will always have a high demand as accommodation is stunningly located near the University of Pretoria,” Erasmus says. “Areas close to LC de Villiers sports complex will also continue to be in demand because of the sports grounds and sports campus. Lynnwood, Brooklyn and Menlo Park are popular among thirdand fourth-year students.”

Ubuntu House Stag African Residence, Tygerberg, Cape Town

In Johannesburg, areas like Brixton, Auckland Park, Melville, Westdene and Yeoville take the student property cake. “The demand is strong as there is an undersupply. Many investors have capitalised on this by converting residential dwellings into student accommodation,” says Chris Hajec, MD of Seeff Randburg.

says. “If students share a house as a commune, they tend to do so as a group of friends who know each other well.”

That said, there is a demand for furnished one-bedroomed flats and bachelors, particularly among older students.

“Units like those at Campus Terrace and Unilofts in Hatfield, both in Pretoria, are popular,” Erasmus says.

Rental rates in Pretoria are about R5,500 a month for a student bachelor flat, R6,000 for a one-bedroom flat and R8,500 to R10,500 for a two-bedroom flat.

“Student housing can definitely be a feasible investment, but rather buy an apartment to rent out to students than buying a house. Communal homes have more management, admin and maintenance issues than flats.”

BIG MARKET Johannesburg will, therefore, be CampusKey’s next big market, Howell says. “We have already acquired land across from the University of Johannesburg which we will start developing next year.”

The demand for student accommodation in Stellenbosch is enormous across the board. “Students prefer being central and close to campus rather than right on campus, and they like blocks that are not just students, but a bit of a mix of occupants,” says Pam Golding Properties Stellenbosch agent Vanessa Johnson.

4. Sustainability Soeteweide, Stellenbosch

Like the overall property

industry, SA’s student accommodation sector is becoming more aware of sustainability issues, particularly in the light of water shortages and energy insecurity.

“Students like innovative buildings that feature technology that underpins a level of sustainability, including solar panels, water harvesting systems and other green innovations like shower meters,” says Schooling.

The demand for sustainable student digs is likely to grow.

“The use of innovative building technology as opposed to bricks and mortar will continue to grow,” he says.

CampusKey, too, is moving into that market.

Says Howell: “In our new buildings, sustainability is a focus area. We mainly look at how we manage our electricity and water efficiently.”

5. Safety and security

The student accommodation demand in Stellenbosch is expected to grow. Stellenbosch had about 31,000 students enrolled in 2016, with residences able to accommodate 6,500.

“It is definitely worth buying to rent out to students as you’ll have the peace of mind of always having a tenant.”

“In our new buildings, sustainability is a focus area” Leon Howell, CampusKey MD CampusKey, Bloemfontein

Safety is another priority among students and parents. Both CampusKey and Stag African residences feature access control systems. “Access to the premises, each floor and each room is biometrically controlled with fingerprint scans,” Howell says. Doors open automatically if there is a fire.

Stag African residences operate similarly, says Schooling, noting that the thermal qualities of the building materials his company uses are high.

“They have been tested to 2,000˚C before they catch fire. Smoke and heat detectors are installed in all residences, which are connected to a central panel to help determine where a fire started.”

D E V E LO P M E N T S

HOMEFRONT TREND

Food is the destination Eating out is coming to the fore as a reason people visit shopping malls — and food courts are no longer just an added attraction. How are local malls evolving their food and beverage offering?

WORDS: GEORGINA GUEDES :: PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

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vonne Court, partner and head of International at global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield, says global food trends are impacting South African retail. The co-head of a dedicated cross-border retail and leisure team was speaking at the South African Council for Shopping Centres Conference earlier this year.

“Gone are the days when people shared news of a music festival or a new CD. Now it’s all about the latest dining experience, shared on social media. Malls will have to adapt to this and by doing so will bring new customers to their malls.”

The Mojo Market, Sea Point Court says malls are already adapting to a global obsession with food, with more space dedicated to food and beverages. “It still varies from 5% of total space to centres where as much as 30% to 35% of the total gross lettable area of the shopping mall is dedicated to food and beverages. And food is not just concentrated in the food court, but distributed throughout the mall.”

APPEAL She says while fast food operators might be found in food courts, there are many ways to appeal to customers seeking food that is healthy or delivers a cultural or fine dining experience.

“The benefits of food and

FOOD HALL SANS MALL Food halls don’t need to be inside malls to flourish and become destinations.

The Mojo Market, Sea Point The Sea Point market opened in April, with an inward area facing a central bar and an outward area opening on to the pavement. Although it is called a “market” it has a number of permanent tenants in formal spaces.

The Mojo Coffee Collective offers a 24-hour service.

Traders include Manga Sushi, Kubu African Grill, The Mussel Monger & Oyster Bar, Argies Grill, TeAwesome Tea & Juice Bar, The Candy Shoppe, Inside & You’re Out burgers, Chilo Mexican fare and Hokey Poke. Cape Point Bakery bakes on site and fresh health juices and salads are served by Beet Box. American ice-cream brand Baskin-Robins has opened a shop too.

The City Central Food Hall, Johannesburg In a renovated building on Commissioner Street the City Central Food Hall threw open its doors in September last year.

Providing food market vendors with a permanent weekday home, the CBD’s banking and mining house crowd are served with a delicious range of fresh and exciting food. A busker outside the front door encourages passers-by to pop in and have a look.

For seafood, visitors can sample Olosh Fish, Chips & Grill, or for a regular grill with unusual burgers and other meats, they can visit Cookingsoulsa or the Good to Go Eatery. My Kitchen Vibes offers hearty café fare and Sisterhood African Cuisine offers genuine local food, while Confectionary Breeze Cakes has delicious cakes to finish off a rounded meal.

beverage occupancy are well documented as one of the best ways to introduce diversity and vitality to shopping centres around the world. And it helps to differentiate the centres away from the internet.”

The increasing presence of food and beverage options in shopping centres is being driven by rapid global growth in consumer spending on eating out, says a report by Cushman & Wakefield. “Once ubiquitous food courts, made up of common seating areas surrounded by fast food outlets, are a dying breed,” says the report.

Instead, landlords are recognising the need for diversity and the food hall concept has evolved.

It describes the rise of food halls and restaurants as “the biggest US retail growth story”.

Says Nomzano Radebe,

V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

CEO of JHI Properties: “SA has the most developed food and beverage market in Africa, with international brands continuing to make inroads into the country.”

Radebe says growth in sales of 5.6% in the sector is expected in SA between 2017 and 2020.

SA is no stranger to the food court. As a mall-loving country (for reasons of convenienceand security) food courts — and other food attractions — are a compelling aspect of our engagement with retail spaces.

This is how some leading or emerging food court operators in SA are evolving in line with this global trend:

Sandton City, Johannesburg “The importance of food courts shouldn’t be underestimated,” says

TECH CHANGING MALLS

“SA has the most developed food and beverage market in Africa” Nomzamo Radebe, CEO, JHI Properties

Food isn’t the only thing that’s evolving shopping malls. Retail technologies and increased integration with online services are also making big changes in retail spaces.

Some changes: Menlyn Park has dedicated charging stations for electric and hybrid vehicles and is developing an analytical parking app for mobile devices to help people locate their vehicles.

The V&A Waterfront has launched voice-guided location screens to guide customers to the location they want to visit in real time, as well as telling them about their current location.

HOMEFRONT

V&A Waterfront, Cape Town Preston Gaddy, GM of the Sandton Precinct for JHI Retail. “They are often not only areas to eat, but for shoppers to pause and relax.”

Gaddy says that while the Sandton City food court has recently welcomed new outlets including Popeyes and Krispy Kreme, there is a need to upgrade the area and “create a more welcoming environment”.

“We are in the planning stages of a significant revamp and facelift of the Food Court at Sandton City. This will include an improved seating area, additional tenancies and other interactive elements,” he says.

V&A Waterfront, Cape Town V&A Waterfront communications head Donald Kau says that when selecting tenants for the food and beverage spaces within their mall, they try to “apply as much science as possible”.

He says shopping malls look at tenant offerings they lack and try to avoid duplication. They analyse what customers have been asking for, review new and emerging local and international trends, take into account the customer demographic visiting an area, or that they are trying to attract.

He says food, being at the heart of what the V&A offers, is a key differentiator for the mall.

“In comparison with most other shopping malls in the country we dedicate a far greater proportion of our gross leasing area (GLA) to food and beverage — not just in food courts.”

He puts the V&A Waterfront’s food and

A planned food court at Westgate Shopping Centre, Johannesburg beverage offerings at 22% of GLA. “We cater for a range of customers from fast food to fine dining and we have multiple destinations across the V&A, not just in the mall.”

Ballito Junction, Ballito In March this year, Ballito Junction Regional Mall opened its newly expanded premises — the existing 10,000m 2 shopping centre was enlarged to 80,000m 2, with the Ballito Junction Urban Eatery as a destination in its own right. Designed

by MDS Architecture to create a sense of openness with fresh, airy spaces letting in natural light, a six-metre-high feature window looks over the undeveloped parklands of a neighbouring eco-estate.

It contains a number of chain restaurants, including Simply Asia, Tashas, Turn ’n Tender, Jooma Coffee, Beluga, Piccadeli Café and Mama G’s, as well as an Exclusive Books Café and a Woolworths Café which has front-row seats of the view.

Says Paul Gerard, MD of Flanagan & Gerard Property Development and Investment: “As a new regional mall, Ballito Junction was designed to cater for modern consumer preferences and to match the lifestyles of its shoppers. Because it is a super-regional mall, it caters for a diverse pool of shoppers with a selection of family-focused, wellknown, quality food brands with wide-ranging likes.”

All in all, pure-play food (which does not include supermarkets) takes about 7% of the mall’s space.

Taken with the mall’s entertainment and leisure

options, this doubles to nearly 15% of Ballito Junction, Gerard says.

Westgate Shopping Centre, Roodepoort Westgate Shopping Centre in Roodepoort will soon be home to “fresh dining options” in a refurbished food court. Malose Kekana, Pareto Group CEO, says R130m will be spent on the revamp.

STRATEGY While most food courts in SA malls may not yet have aligned with the global trend of becoming destinations in their own right, these mall management companies have shown the strategy and intention is there.

South Africans who haven’t been spending time at food courts may find this is set to change — and they may end up Instagramming their experience as well.

Ballito Junction, Ballito

V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

“The importance of food courts shouldn’t be underestimated” Preston Gaddy, GM, Sandton Precinct, JHI Retail

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HOMEFRONT PROPERTY NEWS

Upmarket developments R284m in luxury go for green power Joburg home sales

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SE-listed Balwin Properties has partnered with SolarAfrica to introduce solar energy to its upmarket developments.

Kikuyu, in Waterfall, and The Whisken, in Kyalami, will be the first Balwin developments to make use of solar energy, in conjunction with an automated load management system, as a considerable portion of daily electricity usage.

SolarAfrica specialises in clean energy solutions for the residential sectional title market.

Steve Brookes, CEO of Balwin Properties, says: “We are continually tailoring our developments to match market demands, offering innovations in lifestyle, convenience and energy efficiency.

“While we already offer prepaid meters, allowing residents to actively

manage their electricity consumption, the addition of solar power will save residents on their monthly electricity bill, which is of the utmost importance considering the rising cost of living.”

SolarAfrica’s latest advancement combines effective geyser load management with solar, allowing for up to 40% of a development’s total energy requirements to be supplied by solar energy.

App aims to sort out sectional title niggles

L

iving in a community housing scheme such as a sectional title complex or an estate can be problematic unless residents have fast channels of communication with the trustees and their managing agent.

After-hours events can be a challenge — what to do, for example, if you notice on a Sunday afternoon that the electric security fence is not working? Or if your geyser has burst at 4am and you don’t want to wait until office hours to find which plumber is accredited to work in your complex?

Now there’s an app for that. EstateMate is a

South African-developed platform successfully piloted by national property company Trafalgar.

MD Andrew Schaefer says the app makes for faster, cost-efficient and more effective reporting of issues for swifter responses and quick access to preferred service providers. Schaefer says it is especially useful in larger complexes where many residents don’t know one another or the trustees.

The app began to roll out in August to Trafalgar schemes round the country.

EstateMate director Jens Hiestermann says it can be used to send residents cellphone notifications.

“We have also built in

functions that enable residents to use their smartphones to request trustee approval for keeping a pet, for example, or guidance as regards to making additions or alterations to their homes.

The app can also be used to obtain multiple inputs on various issues, although it is not a chat forum.”

The app has a panicbutton facility, he says, that enables residents to send alerts to a security control room or to that of an accredited security company.

EstateMate works on Android and iPhones and there will soon be a web app available for PC or laptop users.

B

uyers are cashing in on lower house prices in Johannesburg’s upmarket suburbs, which Deeds Office records show have dropped 10% and more, says a high-profile agency.

Chas Everitt Luxury Portfolio division CEO Rory O’Hagan, buoyed

by R284m of luxury home sales over the past few months in Hyde Park, Sandurst, Melrose and other sought-after suburbs, is confident the market will continue to expand, in line with the growing number of wealthy people living in SA. “There are 40,000 dollar millionaires here and almost half of them live in Johannesburg, according to research by

Knight Frank and New World Wealth,” he says.

Most choose to live in suburbs around Sandton, he says, an increasingly important banking and financial capital in the global context, “even though our own economy is in the doldrums”.

This makes for a large pool of potential buyers for luxury homes in Johannesburg, O’Hagan says, especially in the R10m-R15m price range.

Sales include 12 cluster homes in Hyde Park and surrounds and several strategically positioned luxury apartments in areas such as Dunkeld, Hyde Park and Rosebank.

O’Hagan says buyers are snapping up luxury apartments away from heavy traffic congestion

and construction noise in central Sandton and Sandhurst.

This has begun to lift sale prices in the most sought-after complexes.

“There is also particularly high demand now for luxury cluster homes in areas such as Hyde Park, Atholl, Inanda, Illovo, Dunkeld, Bryanston and Morningside.”

Meanwhile, O’Hagan says, existing home owners in upmarket areas are more ready to sell — and to drop asking prices since the cabinet reshuffle and ratings agency downgrades. Most want to sell quickly so they can buy more expensive homes for discounted prices that they expect will show exceptional value growth.

Décor trends on show

T

en homes and apartments featuring the latest décor trends will be on display at the 2017 Homeshow, Hills Game Reserve Estate, Pretoria East, on August 26 and 27.

The show will also run on September 2 and 3.

Visitors are invited to walk through completed, fully furnished homes and flats decorated by top interior furnishing companies. There will

be a food market and a landscape display.

Children’s entertainment will be provided.

Show times are 9am to 5pm. Entrance is free and there will be secure parking. is provided.

PRETORIA EAST

. . .

D R N U A !

O T Y E S M D A L O I H U B BUY M A AND DRE Stand: R589 000 up to R650 000 Building: R1 225 000

Stand: R589 000 up to R650 000 Building: From R1 150 000

FAR = 120% of stand size Stand: R589 000 up to R650 000 Building: From R1 100 000 WERNER EKSTEEN

RE/MAX Jowic - Team Werner Eksteen

082 411 3089

082 577 4531 (Office) werner@wernereksteen.com

When

luxury & style is a

prerequisite Live the five-star life you deserve in one of our three bedroom, en-suite apartments, starting from only R7.9m S TA R T I N G F R O M R 7 . 9 M

INVEST WITH A PROVEN AND ESTABLISHED RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPER

SELECTED HOTEL SUITES ARE NOW AVAILABLE S TA R T I N G F R O M R 4 . 4 M

OSBORN RD

M1

Come and view our luxury apartment 12029.

Available daily for viewings

HOUGHTON GOLF CLUB

2 ND A VE

WARREN BECKER 082 302 3004 | warren@thehoughton.com ALAN BECKER 082 718 8100 | alan@thehoughton.com Houghton on 12th, 53 Second Ave, Houghton | Show apartment 12029