News

Canada voted expats' favourite destination

Sarah Kendell — 20/04/2011 09:47:00

It might not have the glamour or the year-round mild climate associated with many popular European relocation destinations, but Canada's high standards of living and beautiful natural scenery have made it a hit with British expats. The North American nation beat out Australia, New Zealand and even France to be voted the best country to relocate to in a recent survey among Britons living abroad.

According to the survey, conducted by NatWest International Personal Banking, the majority of expats chose Canada as the best place to live outside Britain because its banking, healthcare and education systems were exemplary, and the abundance of natural scenery available to visit was an added bonus. The peaceful lifestyle afforded in the country was also rated highly amongst Britons.

"Canada's excellent working conditions, financial security and peaceful reputation have pushed it into this year's pole position", said head of International Personal Banking at Natwest, Dave Isley. "It seems the pull of the beautiful Rockies, the Mounties and the taste of maple syrup is a real sticking point for British expats."

Similarly peaceful and scenic New Zealand came in second on the list, followed by Australia and South Africa. Hong Kong presented the highest earning potential for expats - 47% of those surveyed in the country were earning over £100,000 a year - although it failed to make the top 10 when other lifestyle factors were considered.

Interested in property in Canada?
Browse our listings of apartments, houses and other properties for sale in Canada here: http://canada.themovechannel.com/property/all/

SA Govt: your country needs you

Catherine Deshayes — 22/02/2010 10:57:00

The South African government should make large tracts of state owned land available to developers free of charge to speed up the recovery of the country's real estate market, it is claimed...

Property Wire has revealed the South African property industry's disappointment at a lack of enthusiasm in government circles to help the property market which has been hit by the global economic downturn.

Although Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan's first Budget could boost sales in the form of R6.5 billion of tax relief for property buyers, that alone is not enough, they claim.

‘The Budget does not contain many direct benefits for the real estate industry although a largely positive outlook could have a spin-off for the property market,' said Berry Everitt, of the Chas Everitt International property group.

Young Carr, chief executive officer of Aida National Franchises, said some measures such as a commitment to sit down with banks and address the issues of charges will help. ‘Every small saving that will put more money in consumers' pockets will contribute to kick starting an economic revival,' he said.

But many had hoped for more. Gerhard Kotz, of the ERA SA property group, said the minister had failed to stimulate the property market. ‘The Budget was disappointing, given what's happening to stimulate property markets globally and taking into account property's generous contribution to our overall GDP,' said Kotze.

He would have liked to have seen broad tax incentives for home buyers, greater clarity on interest rates and improved investment incentives for developers as has been done in overseas markets. ‘House price affordability is the key and in the UK, for example, various incentives mean that more people with average earnings can now afford to buy their first house and the house price-to-earnings ratio is at its lowest level in more than six years, making it easier to get on the property ladder,' he said.

‘The latest Absa house price index, for example, shows that the upward trend in nominal house price growth evident since the middle of 2009 continued in January, although real prices continued to decline up to December last year,' he added.

Tjaart van der Walt, chief executive officer the RealNet estate agency group, said more should have done to help more people buy their own home. ‘The R1 billion allocated to speeding up housing provision is disappointing. The figure is a drop in the ocean. A large percentage of South Africans have low incomes and need help to gain secure tenure,' he said.

‘Not only is it a basic human right, but large-scale housing incentives will create many jobs, which in turn will contribute significantly to reducing unacceptable crime levels,. To speed up housing delivery the government make large tracts of state land available to developers free of charge,' he added.

Climate change heating up

Business Report also revealed that South Africa needs to prepare to access its fair share of the tens of billions of US dollars in global finance that will become available each year for climate change by 2020.

Joanne Yawitch, senior South African climate negotiator and policy-maker, said, "It's important that countries start to evolve a business plan to access that money."

The Copenhagen Climate Change summit pledged £64.6 billion (R75.1 billion) in public and private money would be available each year by 2020 for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Yawitch cautioned that South Africa risked losing its competitive edge if it continued putting the same quantity of carbon into the air.

Acknowledging that South Africa had a "big set of problems" in the energy sector, chief among them a poor financial situation but also policy and regulatory issues, she said sources of finance would increasingly start to converge in the future.

Over the long term, South Africa would have to ensure it could access funding coherently and had a "global picture" of how to use this finance, she said.

South Africa secured £323 million (R3.8 billion) last year from the World Bank's Clean Technology Fund, via which it was able to leverage additional finance of £1 billion.

The first-phase of this investment plan is to focus on scaling up grid-connected solar thermal power and wind power, and rolling out solar water heaters.

Check out homes for sale all across South Africa at http://south-africa.themovechannel.com/

Written by http://www.propertywire.com/

Picture of Table Mountain by everystock

Luxury is back

Catherine Deshayes — 22/12/2009 12:30:00

What credit crunch - luxury still has its place in the economic downturn - the super-rich are not prepared to trade in their gold-plated travels just because of a pesky economic downturn - as proved by the winner of the World's Best Hotel 2009 award - a luxury retreat in South Africa...

Excess is back - the luxury travel market is bouncing back after a tough spell.

Nick Perry, Chairman of the magazine Ultratravel said, "2009 has been a challenging year for the luxury travel industry but we are seeing a recovery in 2010."

But there has been a shift in the kind of holidays that the super-rich are after in today's economic climate. Instead of champagne binges aboard private yachts or visiting far-flung spas for a fortnight of sheer indulgence, instead well-heeled travellers are seeking ‘authentic experiences.'

"The bling has gone. It's all about the quality of the experience and the feeling of space," underlined award-winning hotel and restaurant designer Glenn Pushelberg.

Sustainable eco trips to Africa, experience-driven visits to Cambodia and Vietnam and visits to see vanishing natural wonders- such as polar bears and polar ice caps - are becoming increasingly popular. Some of the superrich want to give something back and are booking trips to volunteer for community work in local villages.

Space travel also looks poised to take off, with no shortage of people willing to pay astronomical sums to float weightless like an astronaut in specially-modified planes.

If you fancy staying here on earth, check out the world's best hotel...

South Africa's Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve was voted the world's best hotel in 2009 in a survey by travel website ‘Travel+Leisure.'

Ranking the top 500 places to stay, the survey was compiled based on the opinions of the website's experts and readers.

The reserve is located in the stunning Cederberg Mountains area, three hours drive from Cape Town. Rooms at the reserve start at £445 a night.

The award of world's best hotel went to South Africa last year aswell- to Singita Sabi Sand in South Africa's Kruger National Park.

India's Oberoi Vanyavilas in Rajasthan took second place, and in the third spot was Jade Mountain in the Caribbean island of St. Lucia.

Earth Lodge at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve in South Africa and Canada's Inn at Manitou, McKellar, Ontario, rounded out the top five.

Why not check out some homes for sale in South Africa at http://south-africa.themovechannel.com/

Picture by jessicafm

Worm hotel

Catherine Deshayes — 09/10/2009 13:03:00

It's a well known fact that us Brits are obsessed with our pets - and the Americans aren't far behind, with doggy day care and even doga (dog yoga) becoming increasingly common sights - so when we go away on holiday of course we want our four legged friends to be looked after by the kennels or cattery well - but here's a brand new idea- the world's first worm hotel has opened its doors...

Apparently, the trend for keeping worms at home for composting reasons is a fast growing trend. I seem to have missed out on this one. It's got something to do with us all desperately trying to lead a greener existence - and the worms can contribute towards that.

But these slithery little mites aren't exactly what spring to mind when I hear the word ‘pet.'

Who knew that worms were on the rise as ‘eco-pets,' and that owners worry about them so much when they go away on holiday that one woman has seized upon this gap in the market and opened the world's first worm hotel, to cater for worms left home alone.

Michelle Hattingh welcomes holidaying worms to her organic nursery in her hometown of East London on South Africa's Eastern Cape.

She said, "Cats have catteries and dogs have kennels, but there was nowhere for people to leave their worms when they went on holiday.

"Owning worm farms is a trend that has grown really quickly. It may sound odd, but you do get to know your worms over time.

"For some people, the thought of leaving them by themselves is too much to bear - especially if they were going away for an extended holiday," she added.

Worms eat food waste including leftover vegetable scraps, dust and even old clothes, making them the perfect alternative to a clothes recycling bank.

And the best bit? The worm hotel is free, with the only ‘payment' Michelle takes is draining their urine, which is an organic plant hormone. I don't want to delve any deeper into how that works.

I have just one question - how on earth do the owners identify their own worms when it's time to go and collect them?

Picture by merfam

Gandhi's home up for sale

Catherine Deshayes — 30/07/2009 13:04:00

If you fancy snapping up a piece of history, it doesn't come much better than this - the home of Indian Leader Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa is up for sale on the open market after its current owner failed to find a museum to preserve its legacy...

Current owner Nancy Ball has lived in the house in Johannesburg, South Africa, for 25 years and had been trying to find an institution to preserve its legacy.

Gandhi called South Africa home for 21 years, and lived in the house for three years from 1907 and it is widely thought that it is here that he formulated his theory about anti-violent resistance.

He is famous for hunger strikes and peaceful protests in his quest for freedom and civil rights across the world. He also worked as a lawyer. Gandhi's biggest coup was fighting for the right of Indians to be treated as citizens in South Africa, a feat he did achieve.

The house is in Orchards, north of central Johannesburg, and was designed by the Architect and friend of Gandhi, Hermann Kallenbach. It has thatched roofs and a distinctive architectural style.

Ms Ball said, "We believe he left a lot of his peace here. It's a very special place." She is now retiring to Cape Town.

Originally, Ms Ball tried to find a historical institution to buy it or turn it into a home for visiting academics to the Centre of Indian studies. But there were no takers, despite lots of keen visitors.

The house in Orchards in Johannesburg is one of several legacies left behind by Gandhi in South Africa.

Also in Johannesburg, there is another area known as Gandhi Farm, where Gandhi and his followers stayed and practised their philosophy of Satyagraha- a philosophy and practice of nonviolent resistance.

To the north of Durban in South Africa lies the Mahatma Gandhi Settlement in Phoenix, where Gandhi initially devised his Satyagraha philosophy.

Picture of the Dhandi statue in Union Square Park, NYC by mvhargan

South African housing market faces a bleak outlook

admin — 14/11/2011 09:05:00

South Africa is facing a bleak outlook for house prices according to new research by Wilhelm Hertzog, an equity analyst at fund manager RE:CM. The report suggests that house prices will struggle to grow because they are still high compared with their historical average.

“The unfortunate news is that it does not look to us like now is a good time to buy South African residential property yet,” Hertzog told OPP this week.

"Working with data available to us, we can make certain inferences about residential property rental yields," said Hertzog. "To us, direct property ownership comes across as somewhat less risky than owning equity in a business, but somewhat more risky than lending money to a creditworthy borrower.”

Source: OPP

Weak rand moves RSA up on overseas buyers' shopping list

admin — 07/11/2011 08:08:00

South Africa is returning to the radar of overseas property buyers as the Rand becomes devalued significantly against other countries.

Berry Everitt, managing director of the Chas Everitt International property group, said: “Since May, the value of the rand has shown a sharp decline that was bound to catch the attention of overseas investors, especially in the light of the economic distress in Europe.”

Everitt added that this is reflected in the fact that nearly 30% of enquiries are now coming form outside South Africa.

Source: OPP

Video: Interview: South African at the World Travel Market London

admin — 07/11/2011 06:51:00

South Africa is still seeing a growth in tourism following the World Cup last year.

Speaking at the World Travel Market London, Fiona Buchner, Regional Director of Europe for the South African Tourist Board, commented:

"I think the biggest thing the World Cup did was shift the perceptions that people have of South Africa and open their mind to us being a completely welcoming, friendly destination with more to offer than previously thought," noting that the country's increase was "ahead of the world tourism growth curve".

"We are really making the most of the awareness generated by the World Cup to sustain arrivals into the future," Buchner added.

Watch the full interview at TheMoveChannel.tv:

http://www.themovechannel.tv/2011/11/south-african-tourism-at-the-world-travel-market-london-exposure-tv/

Developer joy as South Africa announces VAT relief

admin — 25/10/2011 07:54:00

South African is set to provide temporary relief from VAT payments for residential property developers who lease units before intended sale.

David Honeyball, tax partner at Grant Thornton, said: "This change is communicated by section 18A of the VAT Act as inserted by the Taxation laws Amendment Bill of 2011, which allows for residential property developers to lease their units without being liable for VAT payments.”

"They have introduced temporary relief to developers that rent residential fixed properties before intended sale,” he added.

The amendment will see developers obtain a grace period of 36 months to rent a property before sale, starting when it is first rented. After this period if the developer is still renting the property then the VAT tax will be triggered on the market value of the property at that date.

Source: OPP.org.uk

Airports Will Hurt Tourism

admin — 20/10/2011 08:18:00

The huge increases in airport tariffs will hurt the tourism industry and damage a range of specialist export industries that bring much needed new money into the country, says the Cape Chamber of Commerce.

Airport tariffs are set to rise by 161 percent in the next five years and the result, according to the International Air Transport Association, would be the highest airport tariffs in the world.

“What makes the situation even worse is that the highest fees are applied to international flights and those are the ones that are critical for the growth of our economy,” said Mr Michael Bagraim, president of the Chamber.

He pointed out that tariffs for an international passenger arriving in Cape Town would be R262.28 while a passenger on a domestic flights would pay only R96.46.

Source: CBN.co.za

Cape Town proves popular with Brit investors

admin — 30/08/2011 10:40:00

Cape Town is proving popular with overseas property hunters, especially Brits, according to reports from Cluttons South Africa.

The market is a traditional buyer’s market with properties taking 19 weeks on average to sell and only 15% achieving their full asking price. This is good news for the 7% of buyers who come from overseas, a large proportion of whom are Brits, who are able to pick up a great investment property.

The area is increasingly popular with British property buyers as English is widely spoken, there is a large availability of flights, there is only a one hour time difference and property is often up to 50% less than prime Mediterranean destinations.

Brits can also benefit from being able to borrow money for property in South Africa using a mortgage in Britain at far lower rates than are available in South Africa, thanks to the loosening of bank’s lending criteria here. As a result they are flocking to areas such as the Atlantic Seaboard and the Constantia Valley areas, which have recently become more affordable as properties are redeveloped as blocks to encourage increasing levels of investment.

Source: A Place in the Sun

Nigeria to surpass South Africa by 2025

admin — 29/06/2011 09:42:00

Nigeria’s economy may overtake South Africa’s by 2025 to become the biggest on the continent as oil prices climb and consumer spending in Africa’s most populous nation expands, Morgan Stanley said.

Gross domestic product, which will probably reach $400 billion by the end of the decade, is forecast to increase 8.4 percent in 2011 and 8.5 percent in 2012, Andrea Masia and Michael Kafe, economists at Morgan Stanley in Johannesburg, wrote in an e-mailed report today.

Crude output in Africa’s biggest oil producer is estimated to climb 9.5 percent to 2.3 million barrels a day by 2012 from last year, while oil prices may average $113 a barrel over the next year, Morgan Stanley said. Rising wages and an increase in borrowing is also helping to boost consumer spending in a country of 150 million people, the bank said.

“The sources of output growth are broadening and accelerating, retail trade is vibrant and its financial markets are deepening,” Masia and Kafe wrote. “The economy is on a growth charge.”

Source: Bloomberg Business Week

Urban development in Cape Town offers buyer tax incentives

admin — 09/06/2011 07:25:00

Property buyers interested in real estate in Cape Town can benefit from a number of incentives including tax advantages in the city’s Urban Development Zone, it is claimed.

Cape Town is popular with travellers and buy to let property investors are seeing it as having potential. The city was recently voted the number one Metropole in a Traveller’s Choice survey alongside Sydney, Machu Picchu in Peru, Paris, Rio de Janiero, New York, Italy London, Barcelona and Hong Kong.

In the UDZ, the purchaser can benefit from substantial tax incentives on income, subject to conditions, and developers are promising guaranteed 7% returns for 12 months.

They are also predicting good capital appreciation as the bustling area is attracting well-known brands such as The Hilton hotel group.

Source: PropertyCommunity.com

The 10 best places to retire overseas

admin — 09/05/2011 11:51:00

There are parts of the world where riding out the economic storm in retirement is going to be a lot more enjoyable than in Britain. Savills estate agents’ latest Global Residential Review reveals that an increasing number of those in their more prosperous fifties and sixties are looking for a foreign retirement bolt-hole where the living is easier than in Britain.

Here are 10 hot spots for anyone looking to buy and retire overseas:

America

Florida, really. On average the climate’s a lot warmer than Britain’s, so you’re guaranteed sunshine. Property prices have fallen by 30-70 per cent over the past four years.

Barbados

Britons are the biggest expat community in Barbados. Celebrity owners include Sirs Cliff Richard and Andrew Lloyd Webber, as well as Cilla Black and Simon Cowell. Estate agents Cluttons (www.cluttons.com) report a 70 per cent increase in sales in 2010, compared to 2009.

Cyprus

It’s not just the sunshine that makes the Greek part of Cyprus a haven for Britons. Spend more than 183 days on the island, in one financial year, and you become a tax resident, liable for as little as five per cent income tax.

France

Brits tend to opt for coastal properties (39 per cent), rural (37 per cent) and mountainous (19 per cent), which means the likes of Aquitaine, the Dordogne and the Languedoc remain popular. But the prospect of spending a year (or longer) in Provence, à la Peter Mayle, is as attractive as ever. Overall, prices in France are eight per cent down on their 2007 peak.

Italy

You won’t find stacks of cheap, soulless, little modern apartments in Tuscany and Umbria. But you will find lots of rural residences with character.

Prices are between 5-20 per cent lower than September 2008, so for £150,000 you can buy a pretty, stone-built Town house in the village of Collodi Castello.

Mauritius

Picture postcard beaches, and an expat-friendly Integrated Resort Scheme, whereby you, your spouse and offspring enjoy not only residency status, but freedom from inheritance and capital gains tax. This is provided you buy a top-end property such as at the (288-villa) Valraiche development next to two golf courses (with another planned). Prices start from £500,000 for a two-bedroom villa (www.cluttons.com)

South Africa

Cape Town is where most Brits gravitate, with its equable climate and fine beaches. Prices can be 50 per cent less than the most expensive parts of Europe, too.

Spain

Murcia, in south-east Spain, was the original star of Spanish golfing properties. It now has more links-Side homes for sale, at below-par prices. Property sales in Majorca are also up (by 14.5 per cent in 2010), as is the number of Monarch Airlines flights from Britain. You can buy an (as yet unbuilt) two-bedroom beachside villa at Cala Anguilla for £180,900 (www.taylorwimpeyspain.com).

Switzerland

“Switzerland was generally unaffected by the recession and the property market remained buoyant,” reports Hannah Coppersmith, managing director of Pure International (www.pureintl.com). The company organises free seminars to help with the laws on purchase in the cantons.

Turkey

During 2010, property sales to foreigners rose by 40 per cent on the year before, totalling £2.5 billion. Not quite as good as the 3 billion of the boom years (2006-08), but enough to persuade accountants Price Waterhouse Coopers to name Istanbul the best European city for investing in property during 2011.

Source: Telegraph Online

South Africa aims to double foreign tourist numbers

admin — 26/04/2011 13:06:00

South Africa aims to boost foreign tourists to 15 million annual visitors and will target new markets in Asia, Africa and South America, the tourism minister said Wednesday.

"We aim to increase the number of foreign tourist arrivals to South Africa from seven million in 2009 to 15 million by 2020," Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk told lawmakers. "We will also be fostering new growth by accessing markets unlocked by the World Cup."

By 2020, the government wants tourism to contribute 499 billion rands ($74 billion, 51 billion euros) up from 189 billion rands in 2009, to create 225,000 new jobs, with domestic tourists to reach 18 million.

"Our traditional markets in North America and Europe will remain important, particularly in terms of arrivals and spend, and these markets will certainly not be neglected," said Van Schalkwyk.

Source: AFP/The Independent

BRIC countries to overtake the US economy by 2015

admin — 11/04/2011 12:33:00

Estimated on the basis of current market exchange rates, the BRIC grouping would make up about 22 % of the world economy by then, said the Annual Report on BRICS' Social-Economic Development (2011), a blue book released this week by the Social Sciences Academic Press of China.

BRIC formally became BRICS this year with the admission of South Africa into its fold. This year's BRICS summit is scheduled to be held in China's Sanya resort next week, April 13-14.

The report predicted that the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, Indian, China and South Africa) countries would have a stable and fairly rapid growth momentum in the next 15 years due to a favourable external environment brought on by the steady growth in major developed economies.

Lin Yueqin, the book's executive editor, noted that the purpose of the study was to reveal the underlying rules of development in emerging economies and the tendencies of global development and governance, Xinhua news agency reported Friday.

Source: MercoPress

Air France to fly Paris-Cape Town direct

admin — 11/04/2011 11:57:00

Air France will begin flying direct from Paris to Cape Town three times a week starting in November, an official said Thursday.

The flights from Roissy-Charles de Gaulle will begin on November 3, with a Boeing 777-200 carrying up to 309 passengers on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Air France currently serves only Johannesburg with daily flights from Paris on the Airbus A380 superjumbo.

"We still see the demand for South Africa growing very rapidly," Ralf Karsenbarg, Air France-KLM's Johannesburg commercial director, told AFP. "The research shows a very positive outlook," he said. "The French community is very strong in the Western Cape."

Source: AFP/The Independent

South Africa moves to ban foreign property ownership

admin — 01/03/2011 11:20:00

This one is bound to have sent a few shivers down the overseas property industry’s spine. South African President Jacob Zuma is thought to be coming nearer to banning foreign ownership of land in the country. However, the ban may not be as alarming as the headlines read.

“Land reform will now be based on the `deracialisation` of the rural economy,” Zuma told a rally in the northern town of Polokwane today on the 99th anniversary of the founding of the ruling African National Congress.

“In order to have more land available for reform and restitution, the government is looking at three forms of land holding,” he said. These are state land, which can only be leasehold, limited freehold on private land and land leases for foreigners, though ownership will revert to South Africans, he said.

South Africa’s apartheid rule of fascism, racism, persecution, and prejudice against the majority black population, who were also kept from voting by the ruling minority white population ended in 1994. Since then subsequent governments have been faced with the problem of bringing restitution for the years of mistreatment, one arm of which is give back any land illegally claimed during the abusive era; a target has been set to increase the amount of farmland owned by black farmers to 30% by 2014. The government doesn’t have the 11 billion it needs to meet this target, and a ban on sales to foreigners is looking likely.

Source: Overseas Property Mall

Luxury homes on the rise once more

admin — 23/02/2011 12:58:00

The move away from obvious displays of wealth to pared-down simplicity in home-buying patterns – so-called wealth whispering – appears to have been short-lived. Real estate players worldwide say the super rich have regained their appetite for trophy properties, with increasingly more buyers returning to opulent real estate hot spots.

British-based property group Knight Frank says it has over recent months seen a marked uptick in demand from high net worth investors looking to bag a trophy holiday home or investment property while prices are still below 2007/2008 peaks.

“Wealthy residents from a growing number of countries are investing more of their investment portfolios in luxury residential property across a widening range of locations,” says Liam Bailey, head of residential research at Knight Frank.

Bailey singles out St Moritz (Switzerland), Cap Ferrat (France), Paris, London, Monaco and Portugal’s Algarve as favoured playgrounds for those seeking top end lifestyle buys. Interestingly, Cape Town is currently ranked alongside Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Sydney and London as the world’s most popular destinations for big ticket buyers motivated primarily by investment returns.

Source: Fin24

Foreign property investment falls in South Africa

admin — 21/02/2011 13:50:00

The number of foreign investors active in the South African property market has fallen compared to last year, according to the fourth-quarter 2010 FNB Estate Agent Survey.

It follows the release of the January 2011 FNB House Price Index report which revealed that there has been an average decline in home values of 1.3 per cent over the course of the month.

Overseas investors made up just 3.5 per cent of the overall Cape Town real estate market during the final quarter of 2010 and 4.75 per cent of the market over the year as a whole. This is significantly down on the estimated 10.75 per cent average share of buyers for 2008 and 7.75 per cent in 2009.

"The absolute amount of foreign buyers may not have declined as much as the percentages suggest, because the market was thinner in 2008 than in 2010," the survey said. "But that magnitude of decline in percentage would suggest some sort of absolute decline in foreign buying in our region."

Source: Property Showrooms

SA market witnesses world cup effect

Catherine Deshayes — 14/10/2010 07:18:00

It was marketed as South Africa's opportunity to sell itself to the world - now it seems that UK property hunters looking to move overseas like what they saw during this summer's World Cup, as interest in South African properties is up 48% on a year ago according to Primelocation.com...

The rise meant South Africa was a bigger emigration hotspot than destinations traditionally popular with Brits such as Canada, New Zealand, Ireland or Thailand.

25,000 Britons are believed to have travelled to South Africa to cheer on England at the World Cup. During a typical off-season month South Africa receives around 30,000 British visitors, so this is equivalent to almost an extra month's worth of British tourists visiting the country.

Primelocation, which tracks enquiries about international properties via its website, revealed the finding in its latest Primelocation International Search Index.

Ann Wright, International Development Manager of Primelocation International said: "In recent years South Africa has suffered somewhat from worries about crime, and indeed this was still a concern for many football fans visiting in the summer. But those who did go to the World Cup got a chance to see the beauty of the country for themselves, and the smooth-running of the tournament has helped change people's attitudes."

Wannabe migrants warned that SA healthcare is 'diverse'

Catherine Deshayes — 03/09/2010 12:39:00

Interest in living and working in South Africa has increased on the back of the country's successful hosting of the football World Cup but potential expats are being warned that the health care can be diverse...

Too many people assume wrongly that the healthcare system in South Africa is on par with the NHS in the UK or the healthcare in other European countries, according to MediCare International.

Some parts of the country have a high degree of provision and South Africa's plastic and general surgery is of such a high standard that is has see a rise in so called health tourism. But the country is not without its problems with a rocketing AIDS epidemic and little or no healthcare provision in remote and rural areas.

The result is an enormous country with a diverse combination of state of the art healthcare facilities on one hand and only very basic healthcare servicing many poorer communities.

To try and assist those with less money, the government runs a scheme for local nationals which charges them an amount for public sector healthcare based on their income and the number of dependents they have. But the vast majority of immigrants and expats will not have access to public sector healthcare and so must ensure they have adequate healthcare cover.

Visitors and those residing in the country should also ensure their vaccinations are up to date, as well as taking precautions to avoid infections such as AIDS and Malaria.

According to the NHS, if you are travelling to South Africa you should have vaccinations against Tetanus, Hepatitis A, Cholera and TB. The Yellow Fever vaccination is only needed if you are travelling to a high-risk rural area, and Diphtheria and Hepatitis B are needed if you are working in unhygienic, high-risk sectors, such as health workers. Anti-Malaria tablets are needed in the summer months in Kruger National Park, Limpopo and KwaZulu Natal.

The experts also point out that most tap water is safe, but if you are not 100% sure it is best to drink mineral water, which is widely available across South Africa.

When looking for health insurance it is always best to look for a provider that covers repatriation costs, ancillary services and surgery costs to cover the risk of having to be evacuated to a larger town or even abroad. Although such costs are cheaper in South Africa than in the US for example, it may be that finding a suitable healthcare centre involves far more complications and travel, given the real possibility of exposure to serious disease and poor sanitation.

‘Anyone who has visited South Africa will understand straight away why people would like to visit and or relocate there. Its fabulous climate and scenery needs to be enjoyed with the confidence of a healthcare policy that covers every eventuality,' said David Pryor, senior executive director at MediCare International.

‘Although South Africa has some world-class health facilities, they are not easily accessible. That's why it is key that your policy should enable you to be transported quickly and safely to the nearest healthcare centre, ensuring your medical attention is the best on offer,' he added.

Source: www.expatforum.com

'Changing lives' of UK expats in SA examined

Catherine Deshayes — 25/08/2010 07:32:00

The changing lives of British expats in South Africa are to be examined by two university academics that wanted to find out the effects of recent political and social change...

Dr Daniel Conway of Loughborough University and Dr Pauline Leonard of the University of Southampton want some of the estimated 212,000 British expats in South Africa to get in touch.

There are more British expats in South Africa than in France and only slightly less than in New Zealand but there is not much understanding of what motivated them to move and what kind of lifestyle they now lead.

Those who moved in the last few years have witnessed dramatic political and social changes in the country. Conway believes that many people now look upon South Africa as an option on a par with Canada, Australia or New Zealand as an English speaking country with lots of opportunities.

The report, which is to be funded by the British Academy, will examine what life is like for the people who live there and how life has changed in South Africa since it became a democracy in 1994.

This project aims to explore the extent to which continued British expatriate presence in South Africa's changing political context has been accompanied by a meaningful shift in political and social positions, in accordance with the country's aim to construct an egalitarian and multicultural Rainbow Nation.

‘British immigration has been a longstanding feature of South Africa's history, being a key tenet of the Union Government of South Africa, formed in 1910 after the Boer Wars. South Africa has consistently been a very popular destination for British expats. The turbulence of the economic and political circumstances of South Africa and its relations with the UK over the 20th century has meant that the extent of migration has fluctuated considerably. Of all the white immigrant nationalities, British immigrants were consistently and by far the largest community, comprising between 45.6% and 30.2% of annual immigrant arrivals between 1946 and 1987,' the academics point out.

 ‘During apartheid, British migrants' whiteness had profound legal, political, social and economic significance. However, their privileged status was mediated by the dynamics of the broader white society, politically and linguistically fractured as it was between Afrikaans-speaking and English-speaking whites. The ambiguity of British born residents' political status and the National Party's suspicion of English speaking whites more generally underpinned governmental decision making during apartheid,' they point out.

‘Whilst the majority of British migrants in South Africa were typical in their tacit acceptance of apartheid, some British residents, a broader number of English speaking whites, and a smaller number of Afrikaans-speaking whites did openly defy apartheid. Apartheid'[s eventual ending brought significant economic, political and social implications for British migrants of all political positions and those who stayed on in the new non-racial democracy have had to construct anew the racial configuration of their identities, relations and attitudes,' they added.

After 1994, a new generation of British people has made South Africa their home so the research is needed to look at what is happening now, they believe.

Source: www.expatforum.com

SA icon shows deadly side

Catherine Deshayes — 30/06/2010 11:05:00

With its famous flat peak towering over Cape Town, Table Mountain is drawing thousands of World Cup fans but has already shown its underestimated deadly side...

Tragedy struck just one day after the World Cup kick-off when an American teenager fell to his death at the World Heritage site, which claimed most of the 15 lives lost on the region's mountains last year.

"Because it's in the city, people think it's like this huge jungle gym. It's not. It's a wilderness area," said physician Cleeve Robertson, director of Cape Town's emergency services.

"It's 1000 metres high and it gets freezing cold on top when the weather gets bad. And the weather can change very quickly, you can go from being quite comfortable to being really uncomfortable in a very short period of time."

Within days of the teenager's death, emergency choppers rescued an elderly British tourist and an Austrian tour guide off the mountain. But others have also gone astray atop or missed the last cable car off the peak.

"There are lots of those minor calls where people are just lost and you have to say 'stay where you are and we'll come and fetch you'," said Robertson.

Six times older than the Himalayas, the mountain can feature a misty "tablecloth" that brings visibility to zero.

The peak is one of the region's top drawcards alongside Nelson Mandela's former prison Robben Island, the dockside shops and restaurants at the V&A Waterfront, and the Cape winelands.

A cable car service, running since 1929, ferries some 800,000 people annually up the sheer front of the slope with breathtaking city and sea views.

World Cup numbers have sky-rocketed with about 30,000 visitors in the first 12 days of the tournament, said Table Mountain Aerial Cableway spokeswoman Collette Van Aswegen.

"Normally for this time of the year, our visitor numbers range between 40 and 50,000 for the month of June. It's quite an increase."

The World Cup influx comes over the traditional low tourist season of June and July -- Cape Town's wettest when the average rainfall is more than three inches (8.2 to 9.3 centimetres).

Calls for help are usually from people lost on top of the mountain or visitors who decided to hike down after taking the cable car up but were not kitted out in right shoes or warm clothes.

"They didn't plan to climb a mountain. They're not well prepared, then they slip and fall," said Robertson.

He recommends visitors either return by cable car or hire a guide to hike down and not leave it until late in the day -- with winter throwing miserable, cold weather, slippery conditions and darkness by 6:00 pm into the mix.

"It's not an easy walk. You only have a fall a metre or so to get seriously hurt."

The landmark is part of the 25,000 hectare Table Mountain National Park which stretches down to Africa's southernmost tip Cape Point and attracts 4.3 million visitors per year.

The entire park was awarded World Heritage status in 2004 as part of the Cape Floristic Region -- the smallest and richest of the world's six floral kingdoms with 8,200 plant species.

Roy White, search and rescue co-convenor at the Mountain Club of South Africa, said even experienced hikers had been unlucky on the hugely popular iconic peak.

"It's very easy to underestimate how big it is and it's not a simple mountain at all," he said.

"We end up with 10 to 20 fatalities on it a year," he said.

"Very few people seem to appreciate how dangerous the mountain can be. There's only a few easy ways on the mountain and everything else can quite literally kill you."

Source: AFP

World Cup brings economic windfall

Catherine Deshayes — 28/06/2010 12:38:00

Halfway through the World Cup, tourism officials say football fans have already brought an economic windfall that looks set to keep rolling as a raft of big countries play in the second round...

Business is booming with foreign fans at bars and restaurants, which are also boosted by plenty of local support for big guns like England, Portugal and Brazil after hosts South Africa bowed out.

Cape Town's dockside V&A Waterfront shopping and entertainment complex has proved a magnet for fans ahead of every match at the nearby Green Point stadium, where Portugal plays Spain on Tuesday in a game sure to pack in fans of all stripes.

"On a daily basis it's more or less in the figure of 100,000 coming through with spikes on match day," said Waterfront spokeswoman Annemie Liebenberg.

"These loyal supporters travel with their teams. It's absolutely fantastic to have the big guys still."

South African Tourism head Thandiwe January-McLean admitted this week that the industry wanted the world's tourism giants to stay in the tournament.

"For us Germany and England and those countries are important because they have been core markets in which we have been working," she said.

"Seeing them qualify is, from a touristic point of view, in our interest, if truth be told."

Gillian Saunders of Grant Thornton consultancy said South Africa looked on track to earn about 8.8 billion rands ($A1.3 billion) from tourism during the World Cup.

That's just a slice of the 93 billion rands that the games are expected to have generated for the economy. Most of that amount was construction spending by government to build stadiums and overhaul the transport system over the last four years.

South Africa had to scale down its initially rosy expectations for 450,000 foreign visitors over the four weeks, lowering the number last month to 300,000.

But coming during the winter months that are normally low season for tourism, the football fans have given South Africa a second peak season with numbers that match its busy summer travel months.

The country spent about $US100 million on its World Cup marketing campaign, but January-McLean said the marketing benefits were invaluable from hosting one of the world's most-watched sporting events.

"From a touristic point of view this has been a fabulous opportunity, just given the exposure that South Africa has received all over the world."

Hotels are around 85 percent full in Johannesburg, the most convenient jumping-off point for most stadiums, according to SA Tourism.

Cape Town says on average its hotels have been at 40 per cent over the last two weeks, but accommodation closest to the stadium is booked solid and tour operators report a 20 per cent jump in business against last June.

For normally quiet towns like the central city of Bloemfontein, where England and Germany face off on Sunday, bars, restaurants and hotels have seen swarms of visitors around games.

Even Port Elizabeth, one of the most distant host cities, has reveled in the flood of visitors.

"It was absolute chaos! From 10 past six until quarter to four this morning, we were upside down, inside out," said Sandy Nel, owner of News Cafe in Port Elizabeth, where England secured its second round entry on Wednesday.

The outlet saw a 200 per cent turnover rise and sold 3135 units of beer, said Nel.

"We sold the most beer we've ever sold in the nine years we've been in existence."

Source: AFP

‘Protection' for World Cup travellers

Catherine Deshayes — 10/06/2010 14:04:00

A group of Cape Town hoteliers will distribute 160,000 free condoms to urge World Cup guests to "play it safe" in South Africa as part of a one million rubbers roll-out during the tournament...

The department of health condoms are being distributed in rooms at some 100 hotels countrywide to promote safe sex in one of the world's highest HIV positive populations. Instructions for use are included.

"We are distributing one million condoms across the country," said Kai Crooks-Chissano, 2010 project manager at the South African Business Coalition on HIV/ AIDS on Wednesday.

"We thought one of the best places for condom use might just be in the bedrooms. Good sex is safe sex."

The roll-out feeds into South Africa's boosted AIDS efforts with a massive counselling and testing drive targeting 15 million South African by next June.

The condom packaging has been branded in a partnership with hospitality and tourist associations and hotel chains.

Cape Town Tourism adopted the message "play it safe in Cape Town", while the Southern Sun chain will offer condoms branded "I am responsible" at 60 hotels.

Sergio Dreyer of The Grand Daddy hotel in Cape Town's vibey city centre took delivery of 2,900 rubber sheaths on Wednesday.

"We're basically going to be doing room drops every day," he said.

"It's more something to protect our guests and to create that awareness. We all have fun. It's just telling people to be responsible."

Last week, South African AIDS organisations accused football's governing body FIFA of blocking access to condoms and HIV education materials at World Cup stadiums and fan parks.

FIFA denied it had undermined activities of the country's HIV testing campaign.

An estimated 5.7 of 48 million South Africans are HIV positive, according to the UN AIDS agency, with South Africa now boasting the world's largest treatment program after years of failure to roll out life-saving drugs.

Source: AFP

SA tourists: 30% off booze

Catherine Deshayes — 04/06/2010 11:00:00

We may not be able to guarantee an English victory in the World Cup, but fans travelling to South Africa can certainly celebrate 30 per cent savings on beer and food while in the country...

Goods and services in South Africa cost around 27 per cent less than they do in the UK, making it a bargain destination for football fans.

A post-match bar bill will come to just 60 per cent of what you would expect to pay in the UK and fans nursing a sore head the next day can cure their hangover with half-price painkillers.

But while saving a third on everyday costs may seem too good to be true, it is really the Japanese fans that will get the best deal, according to HR applications provider ECA International.

They can expect to save 60 per cent on goods and services in the country, meaning everything will cost less than half price than at home.

Savings will also depend on which area of South Africa is staging the match in question.

England supporters watching their side's first Cape Town fixture will be pleased to learn that beers and a take away is 10 per cent cheaper than if the match had taken place in Pretoria.

However, fans have been warned to watch out for sky-high mobile phone costs while away watching their team.

Watchdog Consumer Focus warns fans could easily pay more than £100 to make calls and send texts and pictures on a match day - more than the price of a World Cup ticket.

Although mobile costs are capped within the EU, in South Africa it can cost up to £1.50 a minute to make calls and anything up to £8 per megabyte to use mobile internet.

So, uploading photos to Facebook in an attempt to make friends at home jealous could be a costly exercise.

'England fans need to be on the ball to make sure they don't get caught out by hundreds of pounds of hidden mobile phone costs at the World Cup,' said Consumer Focus telecommunications expert Nick Hutton.

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Cash and South Africa don't mix?

Catherine Deshayes — 02/06/2010 10:33:00

Football fans and tourists heading to the World Cup in South Africa were warned today not to take excess cash after research revealed many do not trust plastic...

The survey found that card fraud ranks as the second most feared holiday mishap, with flight delays at the top of the list.

As a result around seven out of 10 people stuff their pockets full of cash to minimise their chances of falling foul of credit card fraudsters.

Food poisoning, lost luggage and getting arrested also featured highly among the concerns of travellers.

Tens of thousands of Britons are expected to travel to South Africa during the month-long tournament, which kicks off on June 11.

David Divitt of electronic payments company ACI Worldwide, which commissioned the YouGov poll, warned that wads of banknotes can attract trouble.

He said: "Taking South Africa as a topical destination of choice, the use of cash as a bank card replacement defies all logic.

"There are numerous risks in carrying sums of banknotes around and the fact that more than two-thirds of consumers using their cards overseas take this course of preventative action is very concerning.

"Our advice to people is to use cards but use them sensibly, taking the appropriate precautions."

Jim Oakes, of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, said fake card scams were the most costly type of fraud in South Africa last year.

He said: "There are still a worrying number of people who are failing to do enough to protect themselves.

"While the banks themselves are continually updating fraud detection solutions, the survey results demonstrate that the individual still has a role to play in keeping their bank card safe and stopping it from getting into the hands of a criminal."

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Watch World Cup on water

Catherine Deshayes — 21/05/2010 10:04:00

You want to go to the spa and he wants to watch the Socceroos take on the Germans. It could be the perfect "his and hers" cruise if you're cruising with Royal Caribbean or MSC Cruises this winter, with both lines having secured the rights to broadcast the 2010 FIFA World Cup...

From the opening ceremony on June 11 to the final on July 11, games will be shown on board both cruise lines in special World Cup areas and lounges. Royal Caribbean guests will also have the luxury of being able to cheer on their favourite team from their own stateroom.

This feast of footy isn't just limited to game-day action, either. Royal Caribbean will hold training sessions for kids and World Cup trivia competitions, while MSC will have themed cocktails to help guests cheer the teams in action. royalcaribbean.com.au, msccruises.com.au.

300,000 World Cup visitors

Catherine Deshayes — 20/05/2010 09:50:00

South Africa expects 300,000 visitors for the World Cup next month, down from an initial forecast of 450,000, but the country remains confident of full stadiums, the tourism minister says...

"We will probably see around 300,000 international arrivals for the World Cup - just under or just more than that," tourism minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk told lawmakers in a World Cup readiness briefing.

"It may be a little bit less than what we expected... but four years ago nobody expected the global recession," he said, quickly adding: "But it is still a lot of people. Our stadiums are going to be full, it is going to an exceptionally good World Cup."

Of the 230,000 foreign fans who have bought tickets, Van Schalkwyk said just 11,300 are African - 76 per cent less than originally forecast for the first World Cup on African soil.

"Only two per cent of those tickets are to Africans. Originally we expected around 48,000," he said.

"There are two reasons. It is the distribution channels. People in Africa don't buy tickets on the internet. It was a huge mistake that I think FIFA-MATCH made and also I believe the unaffordable pricing."

Van Schalkwyk offered FIFA advice for hosting the tournament in developing countries where internet availability is low. The next World Cup will be hosted by Brazil in 2014.

"Look at the way that you sell tickets. It does not work in developing countries and on continents such as Africa. People don't buy tickets through the internet, (not) large numbers of people," Van Schalkwyk said.

South Africa has invested 33 billion rand ($A5 billion) in the first World Cup on the African continent, with FIFA having sold more than 2.5 million of some three million tickets just over three weeks from the June 11 kick-off.

The cheapest World Cup tickets of 140 rands were reserved for South Africans or legal residents in the country.

Source: AFP

World Cup skycar grounded again

Catherine Deshayes — 28/04/2010 10:55:00

The Sky Car that takes visitors to the top of the 106-metre arch over Durban's new World Cup stadium has been grounded for the second time in two months, officials said yesterday...

The Sky Car has repeatedly left visitors stuck at the top of the arch, a problem the city's World Cup organisers blame on a faulty data cable that was transferring inaccurate error messages and engaging the car's automated emergency brake.

"Unfortunately this data cable is specialised and purpose-made for the SkyCar and hence we have had to order a replacement cable from overseas," organisers said in a statement, adding that the car was expected to reopen by May 7.

The World Cup kicks off on June 11.

Officials closed the car in late March after about 150 people were stuck on the arch.

Some visitors have been stuck for up to two hours due to the emergency stop system. Local media reported that a 63-year-old woman collapsed while trying to walk down the 550 steps to the ground.

More than 80,000 visitors have taken the ride to the viewing platform at the top of the arch, which offers 360-degree views over the city's beaches and a bungee jump over the field.

Source: AFP

Airlines raided over World Cup fixing

Catherine Deshayes — 12/04/2010 10:02:00

South Africa's Competition Commission said it raided the offices of national airline SAA and its low cost carrier in a probe into possible World Cup price-fixing...

"The searches form part of the Commission's investigation into collusion in the airlines industry around the soccer World Cup period," the antitrust body said in a statement.

"We were prompted by the Commission's suspicion SAA (South African Airways) and Mango might have withheld information having a bearing on the investigation.

"During the search, the commission seized documents and electronic data, which will now be analysed together with other information gathered to determine whether a contravention of the Competition Act has taken place."

In March, SAA and its partners SA Airlink and SA Express denied that they had colluded with other airlines to hike prices during the football World Cup.

High airfares during the World Cup period have sparked public uproar for several months.

South African Airways in December filed a leniency application, offering to cooperate with the investigation in exchange for being spared prosecution.

Apart from SAA and its partners, other airlines being investigated include British Airways and its local partner Comair and discount carrier 1Time.

The raid also targeted offices of the Airlines Association of South Africa.

Source: AFP

IMF: Global decline 'may not be over'

Catherine Deshayes — 12/03/2010 11:35:00

House prices in the world's major economies, which in 2009 were down an average of 5 percent from 2007, may keep dropping, said Prakash Loungani, an adviser to the International Monetary Fund's research department.

"The corrections thus far have not erased all of the excesses generated by the house price increases," Loungani wrote in the March issue of the IMF's "Finance and Development" magazine. "That leads to an uncomfortable conclusion: house prices in many countries still have room to fall."

Loungani didn't single out individual countries where homes may be overvalued. The article said prices will probably decline further because they remain "well above" levels seen at the start of the housing boom around 2000, and also because values are higher than rents and income, which "serve as long-run anchors" on the cost of residential real estate.

Loungani said that between 1970 and the mid-1990s, increases in home prices in 18 nations lasted about five years on average, and values climbed 40 percent after adjusting for inflation. During that same 25-year span, declines lasted an average of about four-and-a-half years and prices fell about half as much as they rose, the article said.

In contrast, the most recent global housing expansion lasted 41 quarters, almost twice as long as average, and prices rose three times as much.

"Because prices rose much more sharply than in earlier upturns, their decline might eclipse those observed in the past," Loungani wrote

Source: www.businessweek.com

Carriers cash in on World Cup

Catherine Deshayes — 25/02/2010 10:42:00

South Africa's World Cup will be played over dizzying distances, but high airfares could complicate fans' travels across a country three times larger than Germany...

The southern city of Port Elizabeth, illustrates the problem, lying nearly 700 kilometres from the next closest host city.

That means after South Korea plays its first World Cup match in Port Elizabeth, the team then go 1000 kilometres away to Johannesburg for its second match -- a distance roughly twice the length of South Korea.

South Africa has poured 1.7 billion rand ($A244 million) into modernising its railways, while the transport ministry is putting 1000 extra buses on the roads, but the sheer scale of the country makes air travel essential.

"The flights are quite full during the World Cup, which put up the price, but people still prefer to fly rather than to take the train," said STA travel agent Kristy Leroux.

But domestic carriers are under scrutiny over their prices during the June 11-July 11 tournament, with anti-trust authorities looking into claims of price-fixing.

"Prices are higher, as they would be for any major events, but the airlines have been heavy with the prices," said Michael Tatalias, director of Southern Africa Tourism Services.

The investigation targets British Airways local partner Comair, South African Airways, SA Airlink and SA Express, as well as low-cost carries 1Time and Mango.

The airlines say that their prices are set according to the demand, which soars on game days.

A single ticket on South African from Johannesburg to Cape Town costs 2560 rands ($A368) on June 11 -- but just 810 rands for a flight two days earlier.

South African says the increases are needed to offset the costs of expanding its operations during the World Cup, when it will run 24 hours a day and boost flights between the main cities of Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

Other airlines are also increasing their service -- Mango plans to boost its capacity by 25 percent. Key airports have received major upgrades to cope with the traffic.

Johannesburg and Cape Town's international airports have been remodeled to streamline check-ins and smooth immigration lines.

Durban's new King Shaka airport is set to open in May. Smaller venues are finding other solutions. Port Elizabeth will install a temporary terminal for the World Cup, and has built new roads as well as a hotel.

"We will be adding a temporary terminal in April, to be completed in May. The cost is much lower, so that it doesn't become a white elephant," said the airport's manager Azad Cassim.

"We are looking at welcoming 18,000 additional passengers," said Cassim.

In addition to the 450,000 foreigners expected to visit South Africa, many locals will also be looking to travel because schools have declared a special holiday during the World Cup.

Dianne Zimmerman, a pharmaceutical saleswoman with two children in Port Elizabeth, said she's decided to stay put during the tournament.

"We're staying in Port Elizabeth during the World Cup because it is too expensive to travel," she said.

Economists fear higher travel costs may prompt others to make a similar decision.

"We will get less visitors since it is too expensive to come here and the global recession means that people won't spend their money like they would have done two years ago," said economist Mike Schussler.

"People think they're going to make a lot of money during the World Cup. They look at short term. There's a feeling among the business owners that they are expecting too much."

Source: AFP

Camping out at 2010 World Cup

Catherine Deshayes — 18/02/2010 11:06:00

World Cup 2010: Johannesburg campsite will offer cheap accommodation to supporters..

Fancy making that once-in-a-lifetime trip to South Africa for the football this summer, but don't fancy leaving your wallet open to the 400 per cent hike in hotel prices that has been reported across the host country in the build up to this summer's World Cup?

Then there is always the cheaper option of a few nights sleeping outdoors, staring at the stars and listening to the whisper of the wind in the trees - with just 1500 others.

Such will be the possibility available to the more price-conscious football fan when a vast campsite appears in Johannesburg in time for this summer's big sporting event.

Large enough to host 1480 people - 1280 in rented tents, with a further 200 able to pitch their own canvas - Tent City will open its ‘doors' in the Waverley Park enclave of South Africa's biggest metropolis on June 4th - a week before the tournament begins - and close on July 16th - five days after the final at the nearby Soccer City stadium.

Rented ‘accommodation' will cost 530 Rand (£44) per night, while those who want to pitch their own tent will be charged a lesser fee of 330 Rand (£27).

Tent City consultant Barry Mackay says that the camp will be ‘high-quality but affordable' - and ideally placed for football fans hoping to catch the action.

‘We considered a lot of other spots around Johannesburg,' he explains. ‘But Waverley Park is close to the main highways, and fans can access the Gautrain [a new high-speed rail link between Johannesburg and Pretoria, still under construction], the airport, and the four big host-city stadiums - Soccer City, Ellis Park, Loftus Versveld in Pretoria, and the Royal Bafokeng stadium in Rustenburg - easily.'

Mention of the latter stadium will be of interest to England fans. Fabio Capello's team begin their campaign for World Cup victory in Rustenburg, playing the USA in the northern city on June 12th. And should the team top their group, they will stay in Rustenburg for the second round, and a possible clash with Ghana or Australia.

However, the campsite is set to be more than a place to sleep. Facilities will include a shop, an internet café, a kitchen area, a laundrette, a medical station, fast food outlets, a barbecue area and, perhaps inevitably, a beer hall. An army of cleaners will be on hand to make sure that the site stays in shape, while electronic identification tags will ensure that only those who have paid will be able to enjoy some al-fresco slumber.

Plans are also afoot to help football fans see more than just the game. ‘There is a tour programme that we're working on to take fans to tourist spots like Sun City and the Cradle of Humankind,' Mackay continues. ‘But even if they need transport to the malls and other sporting arenas, drivers will be at hand.'

The World Cup kicks off in Johannesburg on June 11th, when the host nation tackles Mexico in the opening fixture.

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Weak World Cup prompts hotel sale

Catherine Deshayes — 11/02/2010 10:22:00

Nearly 8,000 hotel rooms for this summer's World Cup have been put back on the market by the organisers, due to low demand....

Match, the FIFA agency tasked with securing accommodation for the World Cup, has released 441,695 nights in hotel rooms - nearly a third of the total held by the organisation.

A spokesman for Match said that the 7,843 rooms are generally outside of the host cities and on either side of match days and claimed that their release is "in line with expectations".

"The move is good news for British football fans keen to see the action first hand and to take advantage of additional accommodation options at sensible prices," said Lebo Mokhesi, country manager for South African Tourism.

However some visitors are being put off by the high prices of hotel rooms in the host cities. Telegraph Travel reported in December that British visitors to South Africa during the World Cup in June could have to pay up to five times the usual rate for a hotel room, as hoteliers, accommodation agents and tour operators take advantage of the limited availability during the five-week tournament.

According to Hotels.com, the accommodation website, the four-star, centrally located Cape Town Lodge Hotel, was charging £68 per room per night from May 28 to June 5, but raised its rate on June 11, when the tournament gets under way, to £395 per night.

British-based South Africa travel specialists have expressed concern at the long-term damage that could be done to the country's image as a good-value destination.

Two thirds of the available match tickets have already been sold, including over 41,000 to British football supporters. The next ticketing phase will start on February 9 and April 7, when an additional 400,000 tickets will be made available.

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Mandela refuge to become hotel

Catherine Deshayes — 03/02/2010 11:36:00

Vacant land around the ANC refuge where Nelson Mandela spent the last days of freedom before his arrest and subsequent 27 years in prison is to be used to build a boutique hotel to complement a historical museum currently open there...

As South Africa prepares to celebrate 20 years since Mr Mandela's release on February 11th 1990, three acres of land on Liliesleaf Farm in Rivonia, north of Johannesburg, are set to be developed into a 75million rand hotel (around £6million).

Construction on the 48-room hotel is likely to begin in June and the property is scheduled to open in September 2011.

Guests will check into a building with a momentous history. As apartheid raged in South Africa, Liliesleaf Farm was purchased in 1961 on behalf of the South African Communist Party and was used as the headquarters of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the military arm of the African National Congress.

Mandela sought solace here in the days before his arrest and imprisonment on political charges. The property was the scene of the famous raid on July 11th 1963 when police, disguised in dry-cleaning and florist vans, burst into the buildings and arrested senior leaders of the resistance.

The subsequent trial, known as the Rivonia Trial, placed a global spotlight on South African politics.

In 2001, former president Thabo Mbeki created the Liliesleaf Trust to protect the buildings.

Nicholas Wolpe CEO of the Trust and son of lawyer Harold Wolpe who escaped after being arrested at Liliesleaf and spent 30 years in exile in the UK told TravelMail: "This is not a commercial venture, it's more about making Liliesleaf self-sustaining. We thought about the best way to do this and a hotel seemed to fit.

"Liliesleaf played a crucial, seminal role in the liberation struggle and it's important for the world to understand that role."

There will be historic exhibits in the hotel and suites will be named after key players in South Africa's struggle for racial equality, with each suite including individual biographies.

Liliesleaf reopened its doors in June 2008, as an interactive museum and tribute "to the prominent political leaders who once congregated on its property and the ideals, beliefs and ideologies these men represented against the face of Grand Apartheid".

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

World Cup flights: price fixing?

Catherine Deshayes — 02/02/2010 10:07:00

A British Airways franchisee is facing an investigation over allegations that it has been colluding with other airlines over the cost of flights within South Africa during this summer's World Cup...

Comair, is one of a number of airlines named by the South African Competition Commission.

The inquiry was triggered by South African Airways, one of the other carriers under investigation, which made an application for leniency in return for co-operating with the country's authorities.

Other airlines to be named as being under investigation are: 1 Time, SA Airlink, Mango and SA Express.

South African Competition Commissioner Shan Ramburuth said: "The Soccer World Cup tournament provides South African business with a good opportunity to showcase our international competitiveness, an opportunity which could have positive and lasting benefits. But it is also possible that some firms might want to exploit the situation by engaging in anti-competitive conduct.

"The Commission is obliged to investigate all legitimate complaints in such instances."

The investigation into allegations of price fixing on flights within South Africa come amid growing concern at the cost of getting to the World Cup in the first place.

"There is no question that airlines currently offering tickets to South Africa are very expensive," said Kevin Miles, the Football Supporters Federation's director of international affairs.

"In many cases they have more than doubled their normal rates to Johannesburg and Cape Town.

"Airlines have form in ratcheting up prices around football matches as well as other events. This seems well worthwhile investigating."

The investigation of a BA franchisee is further blow for to the airline which is currently facing huge losses and the threat of a strike by 13,000 cabin crew.

Two years ago BA was fined £270 million by the British and American authorities after it admitted "anti-competitive activity" involving fuel surcharges on long-haul flights.

A spokesman for British Airways said last night: "Comair, not not BA plc, is under investigation. Comair is an independent South African-based airline, it offers certain services in BA BA livery under a franchise agreement."

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

New luggage restrictions for S.A flights

Catherine Deshayes — 22/01/2010 11:08:00

As part of preparations for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, the Airports Company South Africa and domestic airlines have agreed to implement stricter hand luggage restrictions, in an effort to reduce unnecessary flight delays at the country's three main airports...

The new restrictions allow for one travel bag and one laptop per economy class passenger and two bags and a laptop for business and first class passengers. The weight of each bag may not exceed 7kg.

Total dimensions of each bag may not exceed 115cm (56cm + 36cm + 23cm). Compliance with these requirements will be verified at security checkpoints at O.R. Tambo, Cape Town and Durban international airports.

Implementation of these restrictions at O.R. Tambo International Airport will be with effect from 20 January 2010, with implementation at Cape Town and Durban international airports from 6 February 2010.

Increase in hand luggage

With passingers now being able to check-in at home or though the self-service kiosks, there has been a huge increase in hand luggage. In many instances the hand luggage cannot fit into the cabin, meaning it has to be manually loaded into the hold of the aircraft, resulting in flight delays.

"During the World Cup especially, we cannot afford to have flights departing late. Acsa and the airlines are of the view that introducing the hand luggage restrictions will significantly improve flight operations. Acsa will make additional resources available to assist the airlines," said Acsa communications manager Solomon Makgale in a statement this week.

"We fully understand that this will require an adjustment in passenger behaviour, however, we are confident that passengers will cooperate and give us the necessary support."

Improved travelling experience

According to the statement, recent surveys done locally and abroad showed passengers as indicating that on-time performance by airlines was one of the most important considerations when travelling - and that compliance with the new restrictions would enable more efficient processing of passengers to that flights can depart on time.

"In this way, the airports and airlines will operate more effectively for the benefit of passengers, with improved adherence to schedules," said Makgale. "The ultimate goal is to provide an improved and predictable experience for passengers using our airports."

Source: www.southafrica.info

Fifa mulls 'easier' tickets for locals

Catherine Deshayes — 22/01/2010 11:07:00

The 2010 Fifa World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC) confirmed this week that moves are afoot to change the way tickets are sold in South Africa in order to accommodate local fans...

Speaking to BuaNews, LOC chief executive Danny Jordaan said they had raised the matter with Fifa and that it would be discussed at the next executive meeting to be held in Zurich.

At the moment, tickets can be bought by filling in application forms at First National Bank (FNB) branches or fans can apply for tickets online.

The process has sparked an outcry from football fans, who complain that it is just too complicated to secure tickets for Africa's first world cup tournament.

Unfamiliar technology

Some soccer analysts have also pointed out that ordinary soccer supporters in South African may not be familiar with the internet and other technology used to apply for World Cup tickets.

"We are definitely in the process of changing this and as a member of the ticketing committee, I am confident that Fifa will understand our position," Jordaan said, adding that fans can expect to buy their tickets over the counter from April.

Jordaan cautioned though, that people should not wait for that time and should in the meantime use the current process to purchase their tickets: "If you wait for that time, there is danger that there will be few or no tickets at all," he said.

Around 50% of the three-million tickets made available by Fifa have been sold.

The move comes with only a week before the closing of the third ticket sales phase for the general public on 22 January.

New sales phase

Meanwhile, Fifa also announced the creation of a new sales phase between 9 February and 7 April, to ensure that fans from the qualified associations have more time and easier access to tickets to watch their teams.

The arrangement will only cater for supporters of the participating member associations and add to previously taken measures directed at South African residents.

"Only one such phase had previously been planned, starting on 5 December 2009 and closing on 13 January 2010. This sales phase will run at the same time as the fourth sales phase for the general public carried out via Fifa.com and the FNB branches (in South Africa only) and will operate on a first-come-first-served basis," said Fifa.

Source: www.southafrica.info

Stab -proof vests for World Cup tourists?

Catherine Deshayes — 19/01/2010 12:17:00

A British company is marketing stab-proof vests to football fans visiting South Africa for the World Cup, a move denounced as "scare tactics" to make money off crime fears...

"We think it's abominable ... it's not necessary. It's a money-making exercise using scare tactics," said Rich Mkhondo, spokesman for the organising committee.

Protektorvest company is marketing stab-proof vests to tourists who fear being mugged and stabbed during the World Cup at a cost of 510 rand ($74), also offering free delivery at a hotel in Johannesburg or Pretoria.

The company can also customise the vest with team or national emblems.

South Africa has one of the world's highest crime rates, with an average 50 people killed every day, but Mkhondo said fans would be safe as the country would have in place a comprehensive security plan.

South Africa's chief World Cup organiser Danny Jordaan said the country was spending 1.3 billion rand to beef up security.

That includes the 45,000 police officers deployed for the event, but also new equipment including helicopters, water cannon, body armour and 100 new patrol vehicles.

Source: AFP

Brits opt for long-haul in 2010

Catherine Deshayes — 18/12/2009 10:45:00

Travellers are throwing caution to the wind and making 2010 the year of the long-haul holiday according to new figures...

Cape Town, Honolulu and Miami Beach are leading the way in a list of the top 10 destinations for flight and hotel bookings compiled by online company ebookers.com.

In comparison to more modest destinations featured in the 2009 list, the 2010 list is far-flung and glamorous, including US hotspots, the predicted travel bargain of Dubai and next year's European Capital of Culture, Istanbul.

Along with Honolulu and Miami Beach, Las Vegas, New York and Orland also make it on to the top ten last, showing Britons are making teh most of the favourable ouund/dollar exchange rate.

Cape Town's appearance on the list can be put down to its important role as one of the host cities for the World Cup in South Africa next summer.

The Hawaiian destination of Honolulu is a new addition to the top ten and its sudden popularity could have something to do with ex Hawaii resident, Barack Obama, being voted into office. The exotic islands have apparently become a huge hit with families and honeymooners as well as the more traditional surfer visitors.

Ebookers.com marketing head Ben Reynolds said: 'The new list reveals that people are still visiting old favourites such as New York and Rome, but that travellers are keen to head further afield to the cultural hotspot of Istanbul and the sun-kissed beaches of the States.

'With England making it through to the World Cup we knew there would be an increase in flights heading to South Africa.

'But what the current 2010 bookings data shows is that people are waiting until nearer the event to book hotel accommodation - which could leave thousands of football fans short of somewhere to sleep.'

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

SA prices on the rise

Catherine Deshayes — 16/12/2009 12:04:00

Residential property prices in South Africa rose for a fourth month in November after the central bank cut interest rates and the recession ended, according to the country's biggest mortgage lender...

The average house price rose 4.7% to 1 million rand ($134,454) last month from a year ago, after gaining 3.4% in October, Johannesburg based Absa said.

The Reserve Bank cut its benchmark interest rate by 5 percentage points to 7% between December and August, helping to spur consumer spending and end the first recession in 17 years.
Experts at Absa now expect house prices to increase by at least 5% next year after an estimated contraction of less than 0.5% in 2009. ‘Housing market conditions are expected to improve further in 2010, but it is set to be a gradual process with nominal price growth forecast to remain in single digits over the next 12 months,' it said in a report.

Property prices in South Africa are now more than 50% up on the same time last year and expected to do well in 2010, according to the Chas Everitt International Property Group.
‘Although this year has been an extraordinarily difficult one we are really upbeat about the next 12 months, especially with all the economic promise inherent in the Soccer World Cup,' said Berry Everitt.

‘Indeed, homebuyers and investors seem to be gaining confidence by the day and the oversupply of stock that has plagued the market for many months is rapidly being absorbed, which will further underpin the price recovery,' he explained.

Because banks are keeping a tight rein on credit there are no signs that property will return to the boom years of 2003 and 2007 but prices are expected to follow an upward trend. ‘We do foresee that an improving economy and spreading empowerment will ensure that demand keeps expanding and having a positive effect on real estate values going forward,' said Berry.

‘At the same time, though, we believe that the events of 2009 and the new consumerism that has emerged as a result will permanently reshape the real estate industry. While technology will no doubt continue to enable better marketing campaigns and more informed decision making by property buyers, our research shows that the X-factor that will spell real estate success in future is high-level, old-fashioned personal service,' he added.

He believes that a return to basics where those buying and selling can talk to a real person and being able to build a relationship with an estate agent based on honesty, trust and accountability will make a difference.

Source: www.propertywire.com

Fears over World Cup accommodation

Catherine Deshayes — 09/12/2009 10:57:00

South Africa has enough hotel rooms for the football fans expected to descend on the country for the 2010 World Cup, tourism minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk has said...

"The more than 202,000 rooms countrywide should make ample provision for the 450,000 visitors we are expecting," Van Schalkwyk said, announcing the results of a national accommodation audit.

The announcement aims to allay fears over a shortage of accommodation for visitors attending the world's biggest sporting tournament, running June 11 to July 11.

Van Schalkwyk said the audit by his department found at least 100,000 rooms in the nine host cities within a 50 kilometre (30 mile) radius of stadiums.

Despite the audit, concerns remain over accommodation in smaller host cities like Nelspruit and Polokwane, where authorities are working on plans to shuttle fans to the stadiums from other cities.

Source: AFP

UAE developer hits South Africa

Catherine Deshayes — 26/11/2009 10:51:00

Abu Dhabi property developer, Royal Group, owned by royal Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan, plans to build thousands of affordable residential properties in South Africa, the country's ambassador to the UAE has announced...

The South Africa property projects are believed to be among many businesses that the Royal Group, which includes property developers Hydra properties and Global Investment House, is considering in the country.

It is understood that the company plans to build thousands of low-cost homes in South Africa, primarily for blacks living in poor conditions in townships, many of which are earmarked for redeveloped.

South Africa has already announced plans to spend around £60bn on new building infrastructure, improvement of roads, new homes and sports facilities between now and 2017.

Demand for South Africa properties to buy and rent is reportedly growing ahead of next year's FIFA World Cup, the largest sporting event in the world.

South Africa was last week named in the top 10 places to invest in property abroad in 2010 by HomesOverseas.co.uk.

Source: www.homesoverseas.co.uk/news

South Africa: met its match?

Catherine Deshayes — 19/11/2009 10:25:00

With 450,000 visitors expected in South Africa for the World Cup next year, organisers are at pains to reassure that fans will find enough hotel rooms -- but not always in smaller host cities on match days...

The surge in demand during the South African winter, typically low season for tourism, has also sent prices soaring up to six times the normal rates.

That's raised fears that South Africa could miss out on a chance to market itself as tourist spot if it scares away return visitors with high prices.

South Africa already receives more than nine million tourists a year, and the country has more than 200,000 rooms available, according Rich Mkhondo, spokesman for the World Cup organisers.

But many hotels are concentrated in major cities like Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, where no problems are expected.

Smaller host cities like the northern town of Polokwane and Nelspruit, a gateway to Kruger national park, won't have enough rooms, especially if they play host to big games.

Vivienne Bervoets, an accommodation manager at FIFA's hospitality scheme known as Match, says South Africa has enough rooms if they are used properly.

Match is still 8,000 short of the 55,000 rooms it wants to book, she said, and has even started working with a service that is booking private homes to rent out to fans, she said.

Organisers have known all along that fans would likely need to use bigger cities as a base and then shuttle to smaller venues, she added.

"Due to the demand on accommodation as a whole and the possibility of increased demand for peak matches, our strategy has always been to draw on accommodation nationally to support all host cities," she told AFP.

Match is broadening its reach by including guesthouses and bed and breakfasts for the first time, which South Africa hopes will help small entrepreneurs get into the game.

"This will be the legacy the tournament will leave behind," said Thembi Kunene, who works with the national tourism authority's hotel grading council.

"We are going to improve our small and medium enterprises sector," he said.

Many of those small guesthouses, and even large hotel chains like Hyatt, are choosing not to work with Match because they don't want to be forced to hand over large blocks of rooms.

Small businesses also say they don't want to go through the expense of having their establishments graded for a star ranking.

"We didn't sign because Match is trying to force it (grading) down our throats, which is meant to be voluntary," said Peter Hamm, a director at the Bed and Breakfast Association of South Africa, which has more than 4,000 members.

"We are doing our own marketing and most of our establishments are fully booked," though not always by football fans, he said.

Hoping to ease congestion on the streets, South Africa has changed its school calendar so that students will take their mid-year vacation during the World Cup, meaning many local families are also now scrambling for rooms.

Taken together, many airlines and hotels are advertising rates up to six times their prices. While mark-up during major events happens everywhere in the world, tourism officials worry that sky-high rates will damage South Africa's reputation as a reasonably priced destination.

"We had complaints about establishments and private homes charging and Exorbitant prices and we are concerned. We ask people to be reasonable and not to escalate prices," Mkhondo said.

"South Africa is a free market economy and its a supply and demand issue there is nothing we can do about it," Kunene said.

"We are appealing to people's capitalism instincts that please don't overcharge and create a bad name for our country and industry."

Source: AFP

Kicking off a new era in SA

Catherine Deshayes — 13/11/2009 11:34:00

Bafana Bafana's 2010 Fifa World Cup jersey has been unveiled - according to jersey sponsors Adidas, South African and German teams spent two years designing the jersey, which includes the South African flag on the front and an African art print on the collar...

The jersey is primarily yellow, with green trim, and includes 11 threads to symbolize diversity in unity, as well as modern interpretations of traditional South African artwork.

There are two versions of the jersey, known as "Techfit skin-tight" and "Formotion". Both include "climacool" technology, which helps to control sweating.

Speaking at the release of the new strip at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Bafana Bafana captain Aaron Mokoena said: "It's a beautiful jersey and we are quite comfortable in it.

"We are excited that we were involved in the process when they were designing it. They made 21 different [designs] that we had to choose from."

It is Bafana's 16th new jersey in the last 11 years, and the team and its fans are hoping it contains a little magic for football's biggest showpiece.

To help build the hype for the World Cup, and to get South African citizens behind the national team, Adidas have made a massive replica of the World Cup jersey, about 60 metres by 48 metres, which can be signed by the country's citizens. It is meant to reflect their allegiance, along with that of the players.

Mike Ntombela of Adidas says the replica jersey is already on sale throughout South Africa. It will retail for R599, while a t-shirt, similar in appearance to the jersey, will sell for R345.

The new jersey will be worn for the first time on Saturday, when South Africa and Japan meet in a friendly at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

Source: www.southafrica.info

South Africa 'to debate currency'

Catherine Deshayes — 13/11/2009 11:29:00

The South African government is to invite business, labour and civil society to have their say on how best to achieve a more competitive exchange rate, says Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel...

"We would like an open discussion," Patel told a media briefing by the Cabinet's economic and employment cluster in Cape Town on Tuesday.

"Business and labour have approached us and pointed to the dangers of volatility ... We cannot suppress the messages coming from the private sector."

Patel said the government was studying currency strategies adopted in Asia and lately in Latin America, but made no comment on whether any of these would provide a viable option for South Africa.

He said both government and business were acutely aware that the strength of the rand was making "exporting to other countries difficult" and pushing up imports.

Technological competitiveness

Patel said the government was concerned about how to recover the industrial foothold it has lost in recent years once the recession waned, saying he believed the answer lay in increased technological competitiveness.

"We need to ensure that at the end of the recession our manufacturing capacity has not been damaged."

Citing China as an example, Patel said South Africa should either acquire an edge in the speed through which it could deliver technology from the factory floor to first-world shop windows, or find a way of adding a particular value to the products.

He said the government would produce a detailed action plan in January on how to revitalise the country's manufacturing sector.

Patel refused to be drawn on the debate between the ruling party and its alliance partners on who controls economic policy, saying the Cabinet functioned as a collective.

Source: www.southafrica.info

SA climate conference 'must deliver'

Catherine Deshayes — 13/11/2009 11:26:00

It is crucial that ambitous, legally binding, two-track carbon emission reduction targets emerge from the United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in Copenhagen in December, says South African Environmental and Water Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica...

"It is clear to us that in Copenhagen, Annex I Parties to the Kyoto Protocol must commit to legally binding emission reduction targets for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, of at least 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020," Sonjica said in an address for delivery at a consultation session in Pretoria on Tuesday.

"Further, non-Kyoto Annex I Parties, such as the USA, must commit to legally binding targets comparable with those of Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol."

There had to be a global agreement to bolster access to scaled-up finance and technology, to reduce vulnerability and build resilience to the impacts of climate change, particularly in Africa, she said.

"Finally, developed countries must comply with their obligations under the Convention to provide finance, technology and capacity building support to enable developing countries to adapt to the impacts of climate change and to take mitigation actions."

Developed countries 'must lead the way'

Sonjica said the that developed countries had to "show the necessary leadership, take ambitious mitigation targets for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, and comply with their Convention obligations on adaptation, finance and technology."

She cautioned that the current dynamics indicated that it was unlikely "that the Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Meeting of the Parties of the Kyoto Protocol, will be able to adopt outcomes in Copenhagen ... that will result in the strengthening of the international climate change regime."

This was because few developed countries showed the political will to show leadership by taking on legally binding mitigation commitments.

Also, the United States insisted that its commitment would be taken in domestic law only and would not be subject to international compliance, and there were "few political signals" from developed countries on the finance required.

Excuses

"Instead of leadership from our developed country partners, we are hearing: 'that finance must be left to the markets and that developing countries must pay their way; that technology is simply a matter of co-operation on research, rather than real technology transfer and diffusion; that adaptation is a national responsibility that must be funded domestically by developing countries'," she said.

"[T]hese signals are taking us far away from South Africa's expectations and hope for an ambitious and legally binding two-track outcome that is inclusive, fair and effective."

She said South Africa would continue to deliberate in "good spirits" and do "everything in its power to broker a deal which results in a strengthened and durable international climate change regime".

South Africa would not accept a weak deal, she added, and would not be pressured into accepting weak outcomes at the December conference.

"We cannot accept the demise of the Kyoto Protocol; we cannot turn the clock back on more than a decade of progress in building the international climate regime; and we cannot start a process of renegotiation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change."

Source: www.southafrica.info

Cape Town: hotspot

Catherine Deshayes — 19/10/2009 11:19:00

The Cape Town property market has been tipped as a hot investment destination by a leading South African estate agent...

A report published by Halifax International, citing Chief executive of Durr Estates Julian Reynolds in an article for South Africa property site Real Estate Web, says that the South Africa property market is set to boom over the coming months.

Reynolds adds that he expects the greatest property price rises to be recorded in Cape Town, as the country starts to come out of recession and the FIFA football World Cup fast approaches.
He said: "With prices expected to bottom out over the next few months, the potential upside for the Cape property market exceeds that of other provinces."

Reynolds points to the fact that Cape Town is one of the most popular areas among tourists visiting the country, and the city will play a prominent role when the country hosts the World Cup next year.

South Africa property prices have dipped over the past year or so, but look now to at or near the bottom of the market.

Source: www.homesoverseas.co.uk/news

Huge SA auction

Catherine Deshayes — 21/09/2009 10:17:00

Over 600 homes will be auctioned at a whopping South Africa property auction to be held next month...

The auction, which will be held by the Alliance Group, will feature a staggering 611 South Africa properties for sale, according to the company's CEO Rael Levitt.

The South Africa property auction is being held following the collapse of Philken Building Construction, one the largest residential South African property developers on the West Rand and Roodepoort. The firm went into liquidation earlier this year.

Levitt projects that the one day auction will yield the highest value parcel of residential properties to hit the South Africa real estate market at one time.

The 611 South Africa homes are divided between three main property schemes: a 64 unit apartment block in Lakeview in Florida, 40 cluster units in Eagle Falls in Amarosa, Ruimsig and 507 two and three-bedroom sectional title units in Honeydew Gardens in Honeydew.

The South African property auction will take place on 30 October in Sandton.

Source: www.homesoverseas.co.uk/news

Euro forces long haul

Catherine Deshayes — 09/09/2009 10:32:00

Kenya, South Africa, China and Indonesia have experienced record increases in currency sales this summer as Britons look beyond the eurozone for good-value holidays...

The research by the Post Office this week confirms the trend of Britons increasingly to book breaks to long-haul destinations. Britons have returned to Kenya in growing numbers. Tourism had collapsed in the East African country because of the riots that followed the December 2007 elections. Consequently, sales of the Kenyan shilling are up by 73 per cent from June-August, compared with the same period last year.

Cut-price packages to Bali and Thailand have resulted in the sales of the relevant currencies increase by 54 per cent and 26 per cent respectively this summer. This week the travel operator Hayes & Jarvis was offering two weeks in a beachfront hotel in Cha-am, Thailand, for £549 (A$1050) including return flight.

China has begun to reap the benefits of its Olympic investment, with Britons buying 27 per cent more yuan than last summer - when the Games saw hotel rates rise to record highs in Beijing and beyond. Eight of the 10 biggest rises in currency sales were to long-haul destinations.

The biggest declines have been in Eastern Europe, with sales of the Hungarian, Czech and Bulgarian currencies falling by up to a third.

"The weakness of sales for the Eastern European currencies is part of a trend that the Post Office has been charting throughout 2009 and, in the case of Hungary and the Czech Republic, may have more to do with the weakness of the city breaks market," said Sarah Munro, head of travel at the Post Office.

Hoteliers on the Continent have reported falling occupancy levels, while travel operators, such as Inghams, have dropped their city-breaks programmes altogether.

Turkey and Croatia continue to benefit from the high cost of the euro, as Britons look to holiday in the resorts along the Turquoise and Dalmatian coasts instead of on the Balearics, Costas and Canaries. The rise in currency sales is mirrored by reports from tour operators and airlines of record numbers of visitors this summer.

"The tremendous summer increases recorded for the Turkish lira and Croatian kuna provide clear evidence that not all British holidaymakers deserted Europe or the Mediterranean for a 'staycation' this year," said Miss Munro. "The revelation has been the rise of the summer long-haul holiday, with winter package holidays still keenly priced to places like Thailand, Egypt and Kenya. This augurs well for the months ahead."

Source: www.theage.com.au

South Africa in new sales spike

Catherine Deshayes — 02/09/2009 10:12:00

Business is booming in some parts of the South African property market, it has been claimed.

Riëtte Oosthuizen of RealNet Centurion notes that there has been an increase in sales of 300% since the beginning of the year but ascribes the jump to refined marketing principles.

"There are still buyers in the current tough economic climate but the challenge is to find the right property for each buyer. We have refined our marketing approach to do just that and although it is still difficult to obtain bond finance, buyers are definitely showing more confidence in the market,"

Another RealNet franchise that has dramatically increased sales this year is the Garden Route office serving the greater George area. Owner Gerhard Roux reports an increase in sales of 200% since last November. "But this is because prices have declined sharply - in my opinion this is the first time in five years that local properties have been priced realistically," he says.

"The spike in sales is primarily due to a new realism in the market as sellers start realising that over-priced properties simply do not find buyers. And in spite of the increased activity, there is still some pent-up demand as many buyers are waiting for further price declines."

Sales at the RealNet Select office in the Western Cape have doubled since January and owner Astrid Smith says this is also largely due to discounted prices. "Sellers generally list at higher prices, but are willing to negotiate with buyers, leading to discounts of up to 20%.

"Speculators are active in the market and are buying properties at auctions at bargain prices. They then re-list such properties at a profit, but still at a price lower than general asking prices. First-time buyers are attracted by these discounts and are entering the market if they can obtain finance."

Rob Allan of the Randburg office also reports increased interest among buyers. "Three factors seem to contribute. In the first place prices seem to be bottoming out and buyers are targeting properties with market-related prices, of which there is a good supply.

"Secondly, the approaching Soccer World Cup has provided a sudden impetus and some investors have obviously decided now is the time to get into the market. And thirdly, buyers seem encouraged by signs that the banks, which clamped up in the face of the credit crunch, are slowly relaxing their strict lending criteria."

Source: Myproperty.co.za

SA looking strong

Catherine Deshayes — 28/08/2009 10:22:00

The residential property market in South Africa appears to be coping with the global downturn although concerns about a rising number of foreclosures are increasing...

The average price of a property in South Africa increased by 1.2per cent year-on-year in June, according to the latest property price index.

However, the figures from Ooba, the biggest mortgage company in the country, should not be taken as a sign that the real estate market has turned for the better, its chief executive is warning.

'Rather than suggesting a recovery in the market place, this may be attributed to a shift to higher priced properties in June, given affluent homebuyers' ability to better adapt to strict bank lending practices,' said Saul Geffen, chief executive of ooba.

The average purchase price according to the oobarometer was R784,427(£59,439) in June 2009, up from R774,449 (£58,683) in June 2008. The month-on-month average purchase price has also increased nominally by 1.4per cent from £58,657 in May of this year.

However, the average price of a home being purchased by a first time buyer has fallen by 14.1per cent year-on-year, a fall of 16.8per cent in comparison to May 2009.

'This is a clear indication of the pressure on first time buyers where banks strict credit criteria, particularly their deposit criteria, is making entry into the property market difficult and is having a knock-on effect on property prices at this level,' added Geffen.

Research shows that property purchasers now require an average deposit of 18.9per cent of their purchase price in order to secure a home, compared with an average deposit of 12.2per cent in June last year.

'Expectations are that the property market will continue to be hindered by the current economic conditions until the end of 2009, with recovery predicted by mid 2010,' Geffen concluded.

Real estate agents in South Africa are also joining a quick sale scheme that is aimed at helping property owners who need to sell urgently to avoid foreclosure. One agent said it is working incredibly well and his firm has sold more than 62 properties around the country worth R41 million.

Berry Everitt, chief executive officer of Chas Everitt International property group said that it make sense for agents to help struggling home owners avoid having their property repossessed by the banks.

'It helps both desperate sellers and serious buyers. Home owners who are in trouble can avoid repossession and damage to their credit rating which means that they can get on with their lives without having to carry a debt burden they cannot manage,' he added.

The Quick Sell Plan was introduced by FNB Home Loans to set up a way that property owners could sell quickly. A minimum reserve price is established on each Quick Sell property and buyers, introduced by the FNB partner agents, are offered mortgages up to 100per cent.

Such buyers also receive a 50per cent discount on transfer costs and loan registration, while the agent's commission is paid by FNB.

Source: www.propertywire.com

Kicking off new interest

Catherine Deshayes — 12/08/2009 10:10:00

A projected shortage of hotel rooms to accommodate visitors during the Football World Cup next will drive greater demand for property in South Africa to rent, according to Zorgvliet property group in South Africa...

FIFA, world football's governing body, estimates that 55,000 hotel rooms will be required to accommodate the visitors for the tournament - around 15,000 more than are currently available.

Last year FIFA was forced to accredit guest houses, private lodges and backpacker hostels to help make up the numbers.

FIFA's accommodation agency has even had to reserve thousands of rooms in neighbouring countries, including properties in Mauritius, a holiday island that takes four-and-a-half hours to reach by air.

Zorgvliet Vineyard Estate located near Stellenbosch, 40 minutes drive from the new Green Point Stadium in Cape Town and Ka'Ingo Private Game Reserve & Spa, an hour away from the Peter Mokaba Sports Complex in Polokwane, are both being geared up for the football tournament.

The Zorgvliet Group has decided to introduce a mixed-use element at all of its five star luxury hotel residences, and is launching unique usage or ownership options at its five-star resorts (including fractional ownership).

The Zorgvliet Group specialises in educational, authentic and sometimes life-changing experiences at each of its locations which will be of particular interest to those wanting to extend their trip, or for partners of football fans left to their own devices.

Source: www.homesoverseas.co.uk/news

SA prices on the up

Catherine Deshayes — 29/07/2009 11:17:00

The residential property market in South Africa appears to be coping with the global downturn although concerns about a rising number of foreclosures are increasing...

The average price of a property in South Africa increased by 1.2 per cent year-on-year in June, according to the latest property price index.

However, the figures from Ooba, the biggest mortgage company in the country, should not be taken as a sign that the real estate market has turned for the better, its chief executive is warning.

However, the average price of a home being purchased by a first time buyer has fallen by 14.1per cent year-on-year, a fall of 16.8per cent in comparison to May 2009.

'Expectations are that the property market will continue to be hindered by the current economic conditions until the end of 2009, with recovery predicted by mid 2010,' Geffen concluded.

Berry Everitt, Chief Executive Officer of Chas Everitt International property group said that it make sense for agents to help struggling home owners avoid having their property repossessed by the banks.

Such buyers also receive a 50per cent discount on transfer costs and loan registration, while the agent's commission is paid by FNB.

Source: www.propertywire.com

Strife for SA

Catherine Deshayes — 15/07/2009 09:57:00

South Africa property prices recorded their greatest fall for 23 years in June, with the average value of a home in South Africa falling 4.4 per cent year-on-year, according to the country's largest mortgage lender...

The Absa Group said that the average price of a residential property in South Africa dropped to £69,133, down 0.5 per cent month-on-month, amid the country's first recession for 17 years.

South Africa's Reserve Bank has already cut its benchmark interest rate five times since December, dropping it to 7.5 per cent.

"Nominal house price deflation is set to continue for the rest of 2009, starting to slow down towards the end of the year," Absa said.

"The lagged effect of lower interest rates and a gradual recovery in the economy from the second half of the year are factors which will contribute to an expected improvement in residential property market conditions from early 2010."

Source: www.homesoverseas.co.uk/news

What's next for S.Africa?

Catherine Deshayes — 08/07/2009 09:26:00

South African house prices fell the most in 23 years last month, dropping 4.4 per cent from the year-earlier period, says Absa Group, the country's biggest mortgage lender...

The average nominal house price dropped to £113,400 as prices fell 0.5 per cent in the month. South Africa is in its first recession in 17 years, pushing up unemployment, slowing consumer spending and depressing house prices.

The Reserve Bank has cut its benchmark interest rate five times since December, dropping it to 7.5 per cent.

"Nominal house price deflation is set to continue for the rest of 2009, starting to slow down towards the end of the year," Absa said yesterday.

House prices would probably decline about 3.5 per cent this year, and by more than 12 per cent after taking inflation into account, Absa said.

Absa's house-price index is based on the average cost of a home from the mortgage applications it receives. Standard Bank Group, which uses the median price in its survey, said house prices fell 4.9 per cent in June compared with a year earlier.

Source: Bloomberg

World Cup shortage

Catherine Deshayes — 01/07/2009 10:11:00

Sepp Blatter, President of FIFA, football's world governing body, fears that there could be a shortage of South Africa properties to accommodate the 450,000 overseas nationals expected to visit the country in June 2010 for the Football World Cup...

Jaime Byrom, the Executive Chairman of MATCH, the firm responsible for sourcing accommodation for FIFA VIPs, estimates that at least 55,000 residential properties in South Africa will be required to house those people attending the football tournament next year.

However, it is feared that this target will not be met. Consequently, MATCH is now expected to turn to the private housing sector to help overcome the housing shortage. This naturally presents short-term buy-to-let opportunities for those who own property in South Africa.

Emarie Campbell, general manager at Seeff Properties told Realestateweb.co.za that the rentals being achieved are expected to be in the range off 30 per cent to 40 per cent higher than normal rentals achieved for prime seasons over the Christmas period.

Source: www.homesoverseas.co.uk/news

Going for gold

Catherine Deshayes — 25/06/2009 10:52:00

Having just announced record pre-tax profits of £43.4 million, gold bullion mogul Mark Bristow is going on a spending spree...

He is selling his Johannesburg house and building one in Mauritius. He and his wife Noeleen are also looking for a swanky British base around Ascot or Virginia Water where six-bedroom mansions cost up to £10 million.

The burly KwaZulu-born boss of Randgold Resources, with mines in Mali, the Ivory Coast and Senegal, is currently on a 48-day motorbike safari from Cape Town to Cairo on a souped-up BMW 800 GS.

"I love the outdoor life," he says. "But I've taken a sat phone and laptop to stay in touch with the office."

Source: www.homesandproperty.co.uk

Uncovering Johannesburg

Catherine Deshayes — 15/05/2009 10:35:00

The largest and one of the most cosmopolitan cities in South Africa, Johannesburg's reputation as the ‘crime capital' of the country has ensured that the majority of tourists merely use it as a jumping-off point to the wild coasts and animals hundreds of miles away - but what does the city itself have to offer?..

The onetime gold mining town has grown up. Modern day Johannesburg is now South Africa's commercial centre and offers an eclectic range of theatres, restaurants and culture.

But, the city is also facing some well publicised demons - most prominently a reputation for crime that precedes it to such an extent that many visitors adopt a fly in-fly straight out approach and don't sample the city's offerings.

More than 5,000 murders are committed in Gauteng Province (Johannesburg and neighbouring Pretoria) each year, and there are at least twice as many rapes. Many residents exist behind razor wire fences, their homes turned into veritable fortresses. Car hijackings are also commonplace at traffic lights.

If Johannesburg is the crime capital of South Africa, then Hillbrow is the crime capital of Johannesburg. Notorious for murders and muggings, it should be avoided at night.

There are few hotels in the centre of the city and the vast majority of visitor accommodation is based in the satellite towns around the city.

You may well ask whether living in Jo'burg is really worth the hassle and it's a question Jo'burg locals, who adore the eclectic cultural pursuits and cosmopolitan vibe, would answer with a resounding yes.

The level of crime is also steadily improving thanks to the city's new Metro Police force and the security cameras on almost every street corner.

Nicknamed ‘Egoli' by the locals, which means the place of gold, the fear of crime had made the old city centre no longer desirable, so the real financial and business heart is now 20km to the north, in the gleaming new towers of Sandton.

However, Jo'burg is undergoing something of a renaissance -which is nothing new - since its foundation in 1886, the city has been completely rebuilt four times in just over a century.

One of the major attempts the city has made at revitalizing downtown is the Market Theatre Complex, which is home to the South African Breweries Museum, Workers Museum and MuseumAfrica - the latter charts the progress of the city from pre gold rush days through to the apartheid era.

The township experience, which allows visitors to experience what life is like in one of Johannesburg's many sprawling townships - once known as shanties or slums - is a popular tourist trail.

Probably the best known one is Soweto, which is a monument to the fall of apartheid and a growing vibrant Black South African scene. Soweto was originally designed as a place to house Black mine workers and Blacks that served the Whites as workers and domestic help.

Soweto and its encompassed regions cover 120 square kilometers and is home unofficially to four million people. Take an organized tour with guides rather than attempting to go it alone.

On the outskirts of the city, there are beautiful parks and nature reserves and the Cradle of Humankind, where the remains of the first humans were found, is well worth visiting.

Kicking off SA sales

Catherine Deshayes — 11/05/2009 10:17:00

The South Africa property market is expected to boom in the run-up to the 2010 Football World Cup, thanks to the extensive global exposure the host country will receive, according to the Pam Golding property group (PGP)...

Although South Africa has already hosted a number of top-end international sporting events, including the 1995 Rugby, and 2003 Cricket World Cups, the Women's Golf World Cup 2005, and the only street race for the A1 GP World Cup of 2006, the country has never held the FIFA World Cup.

The first ever football World Cup to be hosted on African soil has the potential to be the biggest sporting event of all time. The tournament is traditionally a big hit, and is the world's biggest single code sporting event in terms of audience - including billions of television viewers.

"As we start approaching the six-month build-up prior to the World Cup, it is likely that the hype and enthusiasm generated will have a positive effect on all segments of the market - supplemented by the favourable and significant infrastructural spend," Pam Golding Property group CE Andrew Golding told Business Day.

"The biggest impact of 2010 on the property market in Johannesburg will be the significant increase in the value added to homes in and around the huge infrastructural development that is being put in place for the event," says PGP's MD for Gauteng, Ronald Ennik.

There are various large-scale schemes taking place across the country, which are expected to bode well for residential values nationwide.

Source: www.homesoverseas.co.uk/news

SA prices stuck in ‘06

Catherine Deshayes — 08/05/2009 09:45:00

South Africa property prices have fallen back to levels last recorded in December 2006, according to First National Bank's (FNB's) house price index...

The bank's data shows that average values fell 10.2 per cent year-on-year taking prices to levels recorded two-and-a-half years ago.

Despite a series of interest-rate cuts, prices continued to fall, largely due to the ongoing economic slowdown.

Prices are expected to continue falling due to a "significant oversupply" of property on the market, said FNB.

FNB announced that the average price of a South African home in April stood at £53,628, just £5 more than the median price recorded in December 2006.

Property Strategist John Loos for FNB said, "The steady deterioration was the result of a sizable oversupply that has built up in the residential market, with selling due to financial pressure being a key driver of supply."

The bank said a marked and quick improvement in the housing market was "decidedly unlikely". Prices fell last month for the 11th month running, it said.

Source: www.homesoverseas.co.uk/news

SA's new President

Catherine Deshayes — 29/04/2009 08:20:00

South Africa's fourth democratically elected President will be inaugurated during a ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on 9th May, before giving his first State of the Nation address, outlining the new administration's programme of action, on 3rd June...

The inauguration ceremony will be attended by heads of state from around the world, as well as representatives of international organisations such as the United Nations, the African Union and the Southern Africa Development Community.

Thousands of people are expected to gather on the Union Building lawns to witness the ceremony, while the organisers will placed 100 giant television screens with live up-links across the country for those who cannot attend.

Ahead of the inauguration, South Africa's National Assembly will have its first sitting in Cape Town on 6th May, when Chief Justice and the Head of the Constitutional Court Pius Langa will swear in the new Cabinet and Members of Parliament.

The first sitting of the National Council of Provinces will take place on 7th May.

South Africa's Parliament is made up of two houses - the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. There are 400 Members of Parliament in the National Assembly and 90 members in the National Council of Provinces.

Depending on the proportion of votes that parties received in the general election, political parties will also receive their seats in Parliament. Members of Parliament are appointed by their political parties from lists compiled by the parties.

The African National Congress (ANC) received 65.9 per cent of the 17.6-million valid votes cast, securing 264 of the 400 seats in South Africa's National Assembly, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 67 seats and the recently established Congress of the People (Cope) with 30 seats.

The Inkatha Freedom Party secured 18 seats in Parliament, while the United Democratic Movement, Freedom Front Plus and Independent Democrats secured four seats each.

The African Christian Democratic Party got three seats in Parliament, the United Christian Democratic Party got two, and the Azanian People's Organisation, Azanian People's Convention, Minority Front and Pan Africanist Congress of Azania got one seat each.

Once the MPs are sworn in, the Chief Justice will announce the procedure for the election of the President of the country and the Speaker of Parliament.

The sitting of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on the following day will include the swearing in of members as well the election of the chairperson and deputy chairperson.

The NCOP represents the provinces to ensure that their interests are taken into account in the national sphere of Government.

Source: www.southafrica.info

Escape to the Cape

Catherine Deshayes — 23/04/2009 09:39:00

Cape Town is one of the world's top ten holiday destinations, due to its striking Table Mountain backdrop, glorious beaches, enchanting vineyards and rugged landscapes - TheMoveChannel looks at what it has to offer visitors and potential second home owners...

Cape Town has a lively cultural scene, particularly when it comes to music and dining. Cape Grace on the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, (that is Alfred not Albert), has a strong West Coast influence, with fresh local ingredients such as the dahnia fried prawn salad and the catch of the day.

One of the Cape's most characteristic climactic phenomena is the famous Cape Doctor, a southeasterly wind that buffets the Cape and lays Table Mountain's famous ‘tablecloth' - a layer of cloud that covers the City Bowl.

It can be a welcome breeze in summer, but it can also be a wild gale, particularly in spring. When it really blows you know you're clinging to a peninsula at the southern end of Africa and there's nothing between you and Antarctica.

The Cape Point Nature Reserve is on the tip of the Cape Peninsula. The reserve has incredible natural beauty, with views over the Indian and Atlantic oceans, and can be explored on foot or by car.

Boulders Beach in Simon's Town is home to the Cape Town Penguin Sanctuary, which has a walkway so as to view the penguins without disturbing them, and a fantastic little swimming beach next door.

One of South Africa's most famous faces, Nelson Mandela, spent many years imprisoned on Robben Island. Today, you can take a boat tour to the island and learn about its history.

The Table Mountain Cableway allows you to zip up the front face of the Mountain and experience breathtaking views across Cape Town and the scenic peninsula. The car rotates 360 degrees as you ascend the mountain and at the summit there is a restaurant, cocktail bar and souvenir shop.

Back on lower ground, Green Market Square is a vibrant market place in the centre of Cape Town, selling African jewellery and clothing.

Both Cape Town and the Western Cape offer an eclectic choice of homes and investments, from beach front bungalows and large family homes in the leafy suburbs, through to off-plan designer penthouse apartments in the city and cottages in the wine-lands.

Space Home Search & Relocation is a property search company based in Cape Town, which offers a search and home relocation service for people wishing to move to, or invest in, the Western Cape.

Mandela Rhodes Place in the heart of the Old Town has luxury one and two bed apartments overlooking an atrium packed with bars, boutiques, restaurants and Cape Town's first city winery.

Cape Town no longer offers the LA lifestyle of flitting between locked cars and fenced houses and, alongside the huge decline in violent crime, interest in living in Cape Town's central business district has sky rocketed.

Under ten years ago, 60 per cent of Cape Town's city centre buildings were empty, but now that number is down to just five per cent.

Picture by a glitch

Set your sights on South Africa

Catherine Deshayes — 21/04/2009 09:32:00

The 2010 Soccer World Cup has kicked off a new wave of interest in South Africa and the host country is expecting international relocators, previously put off by high crime rates and concerns over the country's political stability, to think again - TheMoveChannel investigates Durban in the Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN) region on the North Coast...

One of the few places where you find First World comforts and infrastructure, and Third World prices, post-apartheid South Africa is focusing on sustaining economic growth, and whilst remaining some of the lowest in the world, average house prices have trebled since 1998.

Whilst the country is obviously not immune to the global credit crisis, the stunning scenery, kind climate, and the strength of the Pound against the Rand, have already enticed many British ex-pats, and, although crime does remain a problem, especially in downtown Johannesburg, the rate is falling, and life for one of the world's largest sugar cane providers is starting to look sweet.

Durban, in the Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN) region on the North coast, is a tourist's paradise, with wide sandy beaches, Drakensburg Mountains and nearby game reserves. It is the hub of the province's business and industry, and one of the fastest growing urban areas in the world.

Home to the busiest port in the country, Durban also has an abundance of luxury hotels on the beachfront, which have lent it the title of South Africa's Miami Beach. Blessed with balmy weather all year round, Durban has a good public transport network, and the new International Airport has made direct flights from the UK to Durban a reality. The lack of jetlag is a big pull for Brits, as South Africa is only two hours ahead of the UK.

Durban's beaches stretch in a long line from Addington Beach to Country Club Beach, and boast soft, golden sand, palm trees and the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. The Bay of Plenty is especially popular amongst surfers.

All of the main beaches have shark nets and lifeguards, but if seclusion is what you crave, there are many remote beaches along the coast, which are not patrolled. A ride in a cable car offers a birds-eye view of the beachfront and the pools, fountains and lawns of the Amphitheatre Gardens.

Umgeni River Bird Park is a gorgeous riverside bird sanctuary with three walk-through aviaries containing an eclectic mix of indigenous and exotic rainbow coloured birds, and Snake Park, with its venom-milking demonstrations, is inhabited by both South African and exotic snakes.

For a stunning scenic drive, the romantically named Valley of 1000 Hills is densely forested and dotted with gorges, streams and villages. After working up an appetite, head to Grey Street, Durban's Indian district, which is heaving with restaurants, and home to Juma Musjid Mosque, the largest mosque in the southern hemisphere.

Land values have exploded in KZN in the past decade; in 2006 alone, average property prices increased by 19.8 per cent, but the area remains one of the unexplored jewels in the South African property crown.

In the fashionable residential suburbs, such as Morningside or Berea, a 4-bed house with a pool, within the sound of the surf, can be snapped up for £60,000. Moving south, a new one-bedroom apartment at the waters edge costs as little as £10,000.

One of the main draws of South Africa is the abundance of wildlife. Phinda Private Game Reserve is situated in the lush Maputaland region in northern KZN.

Bounded by Swaziland and Zululand in the west and Mozambique to the north, Maputaland is one of the most unspoilt areas of the province, and home to many of the wonders of the African bush.

The 43,200 acre Phinda Reserve has seven distinct habitats, upon which roam Africa's Big Five; the lion, leopard, elephant, black and white rhino, buffalo, and over 380 bird species. Guests are taken out in open top trucks with rangers and Zulu trackers, to see the animals in their natural habitat.

Whilst South Africa will likely never be without its share of social and economic issues, it is riding high on a wave of optimism about the future. You can still snap up a lot of house for your money, and the laid back lifestyle and stunning scenery and wildlife will continue to entice more and more relocators.

Crime does unfortunately remain a big issue, and this should not be taken lightly. If you choose to live in a city such as Johannesburg, you may have to accept life with electronic gates and guard dogs as par for the course. Cape Town and Durban both have so much to offer, and waiting until after 2010, when Footie fans invade and see the potential, could well be an own goal.

Picture of Durban's coastline by Frames-of-Mind

Johannesburg sales nosedive

Catherine Deshayes — 20/04/2009 10:08:00

The volume of homes being sold in some suburbs of Johannesburg have fallen by up to 100 per cent, causing prices to plummet across most parts of the metropole, according to the Gauteng property Price Indicator, which is produced annually by Sotheby's International Realty in South Africa...

The report is compiled from Deeds Office data, and reveals the astonishing degree in which the market for property in Johannesburg has tumble over the past year, caused largely by a blend of high interest rates and a lack of available credit.

Lew Geffen, Chairman of Sotheby's International Realty in South Africa, says there are a number of suburbs which have not witnessed a single property sale in 12 months.

"However, it appears as if the worst is over. We are seeing the emergence of potential buyers who are keen to take advantage of the lower property prices - and who will simultaneously help to reboot the market once interest rates are further reduced and the banks lower their current 15 per cent to 20 per cent deposit requirements to something more reasonable."

Source: www.homesoverseas.co.uk/news

Changes to Jo'burg's airport

Catherine Deshayes — 01/04/2009 08:15:00

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) is following the lead of other international airports by making the terminals at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport multi-use, so that they can process both international and domestic flights interchangeably...

Using multi-use terminals will allow the airport to be more efficient in the use of existing infrastructure, minimising the dependence on construction of more new buildings to create capacity.

Like other international airports with multi-use terminals, the international and domestic descriptors of the terminals will fall away at OR Tambo International Airport.

"There will still be two terminals, which will in future be known as Terminal A and Terminal B," ACSA said in a statement last week.

Terminal A will extend from the Central Terminal Building atrium to the north - previously the international terminal - and Terminal B will extend south - previously the domestic terminal.

"For the foreseeable future the check-in counters in the existing international departures hall will continue to be used for international flights only, while the multi-use Central Terminal Building departures facility will be used by both international and domestic airlines, allowing those airlines with domestic and international flights to use the same check-in counters," ACSA said.

Implications for passengers

Passengers and visitors will have to know which terminal their airline of choice is operating from, and should obtain this information at the time of booking their tickets.

To assist them, the airport will be putting up temporary signs that show which airlines operate out of each departure terminal.

"Passengers and visitors are advised that signage in and around the terminal will in the future no longer refer to domestic and international terminal," ACSA said. "Signs will refer only to Terminal A or Terminal B."

Airline check-in counter moves

At the beginning of April, when the new multi-use departures hall in Terminal B opens in the Central Terminal Building, some airlines serving international routes will move into the new facility.

Among them are South African Airways which will process both international and domestic passengers from the new facility.

Other airlines that will also be moving to the new facility include:

SA Express and SA Airlink (which, like SAA, will process both international and domestic passengers from their counters)

UM - Air Zimbabwe

MD - Air Madagascar

WB - Rwandair Express

TC - Air Tanzania

QF - Qantas

CX - Cathay Pacific

MS - Egypt Air

MK - Air Mauritius

Check-in counter renumbering

The changes to the terminal naming and the multi-use terminal will necessitate the changing of check-in counter numbers in both departure terminals.

They will have an alphanumeric numbering system, with a three digit number being prefaced by A or B, depending on which terminal it is located in.

The counters in Terminal A (currently international departures) will be numbered from the south to north and those in Terminal B (currently domestic departures) will be numbered from the Central Terminal Building to the south.

"The existing counters in Terminal B will be renumbered in preparation for the opening of the new facility at the beginning of April," ACSA said.

Source: www.southfrica.info

Gold found in Rainbow nation

Catherine Deshayes — 31/03/2009 08:26:00

Property investors and bargain hunters are gathering to snap up South Africa properties at auction houses across the country, according to reports coming out of the Rainbow nation...

Prospective property purchasers are filling the auction floors after being advised to take advantage of falling property prices, and the growing number of distressed sales, by picking up a potential property bargain now.

Alliance Group CEO Rael Levitt said, "In the last downturn, banks couldn't give away distressed properties and had to keep them on their books as properties in possession. Shrewd investors know that at the moment they can get high rentals, which offer a great investment while they wait for the market to rise."

Over 5,000 homes have been sold in South Africa by way of auction in the past six months.

"House price deflation may start to bottom out late this year, and that means that currently there is no better time to pick up real estate at lows which have not been experienced in SA in decades," Levitt added.

"We are urging all potential investors to go to auctions to get an idea of the extent of bargains which are available. Now is the time to profit off the folly of the last five years' boom."

Source: www.homesoverseas.co.uk/news

The house where Mandela lived

Catherine Deshayes — 23/03/2009 11:13:00

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela stepped into the front door of her tiny house at 8115 Vilakazi Street in Orlando West and re-lived some painful memories...

The Mandela House has been restored at a cost of £650,000 and re-opened to the public. Madikizela-Mandela, her two daughters Zinzi and Zenani, and family members were present at the re-opening.

Nelson Mandela moved into the house in 1946 with his first wife, Evelyn Mase, and in 1958 brought his second wife, Winnie, to live in the house with him. He returned briefly to live in the house on his release from prison in 1990.

He said in Long Walk to Freedom, "It was only then that I knew in my heart that I had left prison."

Source: www.southafrica.info

Gautrain 'driving development'

Catherine Deshayes — 19/03/2009 08:19:00

South Africa's rapid rail project, known as the Gautrain, has created 11,700 direct and 51,500 indirect jobs, Gauteng Local Government Minister Qedani Dorothy Mahlangu has said...

The Gautrain project had given Gauteng province an opportunity to empower its citizens and to expand economic activity in the province, Mahlangu told journalists in Johannesburg.

Companies that had benefited from the Gautrain project included 260 black empowerment firms, 90 new black empowerment entities and 230 small businesses.

When it came to training, 10 400 courses had been attended by unskilled or semi-skilled staff and 1 250 courses had been attended by management, Mahlangu said.

Jack van der Merwe, CEO of the Gautrain Management Agency, told the briefing that socio-economic development had been part of the tender requirement which was won by Bombela.

Van der Merwe said the Gautrain project was required to "stimulate economic growth, investment, new development and job creation ... It is designed to restructure urban areas, reduce travel distances, time and cost and improve city sustainability."

Van der Merwe said it was necessary to make public transport "a mode of choice" in the province.

Asked if the Gautrain would be a safe mode of transport, given the recent Metrorail train accidents in Gauteng, Van der Merwe said he could assure passengers of a safe trip.

"Metrorail has old rolling stock and its signalling systems are old," he said. "We started afresh - we have the best technology in the world."

He added that security personnel and over 400 close circuit television monitors would ensure the safety of passengers.

Source: www.southafrica.info

South Africa hit hard

Catherine Deshayes — 02/03/2009 10:57:00

The property market in South Africa has not been hit as hard as some other international real estate sectors but power shortages and lack of liquidity are hampering recovery, it is claimed...

The commercial sector in cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg shows promise with several substantial office developments due for completion in 2011, according to Colliers International.

'This sector remains the most important property business in the city,' said Sanett Uys, Director at Colliers International Property and Facilities Management.

'The South African property market was not hit as hard as some of the other international markets, but a number of factors are going to inhibit a turnaround until 2010,' said Uys.

The main problem is ongoing power shortages followed by weak household demand, lack of liquidity and the global downturn."

'Our property market's exposure to foreign investment is limited, liquidity is restricted since South African banks don't lend easily, and our property fundamentals are still strong,' added Uys.

Colliers believes 2009 will be an interesting year, with the economic downturn continuing to impact on the property market. Overall economists are predicting a turnaround in 2010 with economic growth bouncing back to 5.3 per cent.

And according to some reports there are areas of the country that are doing well even in the current climate. Certain suburbs and certain types of real estate continue to sell well, according to agents.

In the Western Cape, for example, high end properties and iconic real estate are defying downward market trends. 'Some areas have been hard hit,' said Laurie Wener, managing director of Pam Golding Properties. She advises sellers in these areas to try to hold on and rent out their properties until the market recovers rather than sell now at a loss.

Source: www.propertywire.com

SA: market recovery ‘hampered'

Jaimie Kanwar — 25/02/2009 10:28:00

Power shortages and lack of liquidity could be hampering the recovery of the South African property market...

The commercial sector in cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg shows promise with several substantial office developments due for completion in 2011, according to Colliers International.

'This sector remains the most important property business in the city,' said Sanett Uys, director at Colliers International Property and Facilities Management.

'The South African property market was not hit as hard as some of the other international markets, but a number of factors are going to inhibit a turnaround until 2010,' said Uys.

The main problem is ongoing power shortages followed by weak household demand, lack of liquidity and the global downturn."

'Our property market's exposure to foreign investment is limited, liquidity is restricted since South African banks don't lend easily, and our property fundamentals are still strong,' added Uys.

‘Interesting' year ahead

Colliers believes 2009 will be an interesting year, with the economic downturn continuing to impact on the property market. Overall economists are predicting a turnaround in 2010 with economic growth bouncing back to 5.3%.

Source: Propertywire.com

SA: BTL buyers discover Brakpan

Jaimie Kanwar — 23/02/2009 14:04:00

Investors are discovering the exciting income-generating potential of Brakpan in South Africa, according to one company...

According to Johan Barnard, principal of leading local agency Homenet, properties in the town offer great value for money. "Freehold homes in the older parts of the town are typically generously proportioned and include three bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen and living room and are priced between R300 000 and R400 000.

"Buyers are renovating these properties and then letting them out for between R3000 and R5000pm. Demand for this type of rental has boomed and vacant stock is thin on the ground."

Sales activity increasing

He also says that sales activity overall is increasing once more. "Enquiries are coming in daily and an optimistic mood is palpable throughout the market thanks largely to lower fuel prices and the latest interest rate drop.

"Evidence of an upswing usually manifests in the lower end of the market first and that's what's happening now. Many who were on the fence are now committing to purchases, particularly in Brakpan Central, Dalpark Six and Eleven where bargains aplenty can be had."

Emerging sector

On the other hand, Barnard says there is still too much over-priced property on the market and that cluster sales have stalled somewhat.

On the whole, though, he is positive about Brakpan's prospects. A new mixed-use node is currently being constructed on the periphery of the town to cater to the emerging sector, and a number of other residential and commercial developments planned for the near future will no doubt add impetus to the local market

Source: www.myproperty.co.za

East London a ‘feast for investors'

Jaimie Kanwar — 19/02/2009 11:03:00

Property prices in the South African city of East London are becoming attractive to property investors, it has been claimed...

This is the view of Lance Gouws, principal of leading local agency Homenet Cornerstone, who notes that sellers in general are now far more realistic than last year and that sales activity is increasing steadily.

Stringent lending policies

A number of factors have converged in favour of buyers, he says. "In July last year, the new Municipal Rates Act kicked in, resulting in higher property taxes for many homeowners.

"Then came increased electricity tariffs, higher inflation and global economic unrest, on top of higher interest rates - all of which prompted homeowners to try to sell.

"At the same time, though, the National Credit Act and much more stringent bank lending policies made it increasingly difficult for potential buyers to access finance, so serious sellers had to rethink their expectations and make their properties more affordable.

"In addition, the incidence of bank foreclosures on properties has increased and the net result is that savvy investors can find opportunities aplenty within East London."

Long-term view

He says those with cash on hand will get good value for their money. However, investors do need to realise that purchasing property is a long-term investment, particularly in the current market. "Those looking to make a quick buck will be sorely disappointed as they will only really see returns in about five years' time."

Freehold properties priced just under R1m are the most popular purchases at present, he says, and loft style apartments have also gained a following. A handful of these units constructed recently have all been snapped up at prices from around R400 000.

Meanwhile a buoyant rental market also bodes well for investors. Accommodation is letting from around R2000 right up to R12 500pm depending on the property and locality.

Source: www.myproperty.co.za

Best long-haul spots

Catherine Deshayes — 22/01/2009 09:20:00

South Africa and Australia have been named as two of the most popular destinations for long-haul holidaymakers...

According to the Association of Independent Tour Operators, these two countries attract Britons for a variety of reasons.

Executive Director for the body Kate Kenward explained that South Africa's time zone - along with the value of the rand against the pound - makes it an attractive choice, as it means jet lag is less of a problem than visiting other countries.

And she added that "Australia will always be popular with the Brits no matter what", noting that many Britons visit the country to see family and friends.

Overseas property investors who have been considering making purchases in the two countries may be encouraged by Ms Kenward's comments, as they could see a steady demand for rented property if they remain popular.

South Africa was found to be one of the cheapest destination for those looking to travel abroad, coming second behind Thailand in a recent Post Office survey.

Source: Property Showrooms

FTSE to include emerging markets

Catherine Deshayes — 14/01/2009 10:14:00

The FTSE Global Real Estate Index Series has been extended to include the property markets of 12 new emerging markets...

As a result, investors will be able to follow the performance of listed property in these countries, which include Brazil, Egypt, Turkey, Malaysia and South Africa.

The indices, which are created in partnership with the European Public Real Estate Association and the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, give buyers the ability to track the price of real estate in a number of global markets.

Head of Alternatives at the FTSE Group Ronnee Ades said that the firm was "pleased" to expand the index, noting that the market for global real estate "has grown significantly in both size and diversity over the past few years", with investors showing a greater interest in "accessing emerging markets".

The Association of British Travel Agents recently revealed that Turkey and Egypt are two destinations that Britons are likely to visit on holiday in 2009, describing them as "big growth areas."

Source: www.propertyshowrooms.com

It’s only a game show

Catherine Deshayes — 23/12/2008 11:17:00

South Africa's Shamwari Game Reserve is in the spotlight again following this year's World Travel Awards, held in the Turks and Caicos Islands earlier this month, after it was chosen as the World's Leading Safari & Game Reserve...

In addition, the first World Travel Green Awards were also held in the Caribbean, with Shamwari being voted as the World's Leading Conservation Company for 2008.

"To be awarded the 'World's Leading Safari and Game Reserve' for an eleventh consecutive year and the Green Award acknowledgement is an outstanding achievement," James Wilson, CEO of Dubai World Africa, a major shareholder of Shamwari, said in a statement this week.

"The Shamwari Game Reserve team has set out to continuously elevate the guest experience at the game reserve, creating new benchmarks in delivering complete wildlife and hospitality offerings to our guest and travel industry colleagues."

Wilson added that Shamwari would continue to maintain the highest regard for the environment, whilst remaining at the forefront of conservation and hospitality in Africa.

Setting benchmarks

"We are proud of the achievements and commitment made by all and will continue to promote ecologically sensitive tourism and support the local environments through community development projects and conservation of natural and human resources," said Adrian Gardiner, CEO of the Mantis Group, which owns Shamwari.

"Our goal is to continuously set ecological standards and benchmarks in the green tourism industry of South Africa."

The nominations of the first World Travel Green Awards were announced at a ceremony held in Popard, Slovakia in October, when 90 organizations were nominated for the global categories of the first World Travel Green Awards.

"The challenges of green tourism are the responsibility of every company, organization and individual working in travel and tourism today," said World Travel Awards chairman Graham Cooke. "Unless we play our part now, there is no denying that we will all be held accountable by future generations."

'Travel industry Oscars'

The World Travel Awards, hailed as the "travel industry's equivalent to the Oscars" by the Wall Street Journal, are described as "the most comprehensive and the most prestigious awards program in the global travel industry" by numerous media reports.

"The survey is truly global in scale, independent and accountable," said Cooke.

Thousands of travel agents and industry members from around the globe vote for winners of the World Travel Awards, which was launched in 1993 to celebrate excellence in the World's travel and tourism industry.

Source: www.southafrica.info

South Africa: bye bye buses

Catherine Deshayes — 22/12/2008 09:50:00

While thousands of Eastern Cape migrants usually travel home for the festive season, the economic downturn has lead to a dip in long-distance bus travel in South Africa...

At the Joe Gqabi transport interchange in Philippi, where those travelling to the Eastern Cape gather to catch buses, operators said fewer people were travelling home for the holidays.

Gordon Makaluza of Miyas Transport said business had slumped compared to last year, as cash-strapped migrants avoided buses and opted for cheaper trains.

Mr Makaluza, whose company operates six buses on the Eastern Cape route, said a trip was £27 and customers had asked why prices had not been brought down in line with fuel prices.

However, Mr Makaluza said this was not possible "because we are not subsidised by the Government."

He said the cost of fleet maintenance, insurance and traffic fines introduced to ensure passenger safety were "killing" business.

Siyabonga Yawa, a driver for Nowata Tours, also complained of the slump in business due to "hard times".

Thembisa Mkohlwa, Marketing Manager of DMJ buses, said the downturn in bookings was a result of the credit crunch, but he said bookings were "pushing up slowly".

Mkohlwa said most of their customers didn't book ahead, but rather showed up at the buses when they wanted to leave.

She said the fares were £27, similar to last year's, and she expected an influx of customers after the closure of factories this week.

"We increase the fleet during the holidays and put some buses on standby," she said.

She advised customers to try to book in time to avoid a last-minute rush.

"It is looking promising," said Corne de Waal, Intercape Revenue Manager.

Some who usually travelled by air were switching to bus travel because of the high cost of air tickets, De Waal said.

Fares varied and depended on demand, he said, adding that some of their customers now preferred to pay using credit cards rather than with cash.

Zodwa and Nomhle Sibani, who were about to board a bus, said they would not have taken the trip if it was not for the funeral they were going to attend.

"There is no money and things are expensive," said Zodwa.

A migrant from Port Elizabeth, who declined to be named, said going home was now more about making an appearance.

She said last year she bought groceries worth £345, including clothing for her jobless parents, who depended on a £63-a-month Government grant.

Her spend on groceries would only be £138 this year, she said.

"This is not enough to buy food and clothing for our extended family of 12 people," she said.

She was going to pool resources with others and share the driving in a bid to cut on high bus fares this year.

Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry Executive Director Albert Schuitmaker said while a huge number of migrants might go home, the figure would be lower than previous years.

He said these travellers may choose not to go home and spend their money on basics.

Source: www.iol.co.za

New flights for South Africa

Catherine Deshayes — 16/12/2008 09:41:00

South African Airways (SAA) is planning new routes to several African cities, the airline announced on Friday...

"At a time when many other airlines are consolidating or reducing their flights, the success of SAA's restructuring programme has left the airline well placed to explore growth plans for the future," SAA CEO Khaya Ngqula said in a statement.

The new routes - which still require regulatory approval - will see the national carrier jetting into Douala in Cameroon; the Senegalese capital Dakar; and Libreville in Gabon, among others.

SAA also announced it had entered into an agreement with Lignes Ariennes Congolaises, allowing it to increase it flights into the Democratic Republic of Congo capital Kinshasa from four to six a week.

"The DRC is an important destination for SAA and we are delighted to be increasing our presence in this market," Ngqula said.

The new routes would see the expansion of the airline's Johannesburg facilities as a transport hub for the African continent.

Ngqula said SAA was "about to enter a moderate growth phase".

It was also set to expand other international routes. It would start flying to Buenos Aires, Argentina; increase the number of flights to Perth, Australia; and introduce non-stop flights to New York from 1st May next year.

Deputy President Baleka Mbete has announced an air services agreement had been struck with Nigeria that would see an increase in the frequency of flights and routes between that country and South Africa.

Source: www.southafrica.info

South Africa: can currency help?

Catherine Deshayes — 15/12/2008 10:34:00

The real estate market in South Africa is experiencing the toughest conditions most people can remember but it is hoped that currency fluctuations could help recovery...

Samuel Seeff, Chairman of the Seeff property group, which sold the country's most expensive apartment earlier this year, said volumes are down and conditions are tough.

'Were in the toughest market I've experienced in real estate. Even at the top end of the market things have become quieter,' he said.

Seeff, like other agencies, is not expecting a bumper summer by any stretch of the imagination. He says for his agency and others right now the game is about survival - about questioning every cost and cutting overhead spending.

But others are more optimistic. Berry Everitt, Managing Director of Chas Everitt International believes interest from foreign property investors could be a trend that helps a recovery in the real estate market.

'There's a new mood of optimism sweeping through the global property market in the wake of the US election outcome, and it's generating renewed interest in South African real estate,' he said.

He predicts that European buyers in particular will be interested in investing in SA property once more, thanks to the weakness of the rand against their currencies and the relatively low prices.

'In addition, the South African market is in good shape and likely to recover faster from the global economic meltdown than the major European markets and the devastated US market, which means there are better prospects here for capital growth,' he added.

'Over the past two months the number of enquiries we have received from foreign buyers has increased substantially,' he said but added; 'This does not mean, though, that South African sellers will suddenly all find foreign buyers knocking on their door.'

German, Dutch, Scandinavian and UK buyers who are interested in South Africa tend to target the more expensive, lifestyle properties. While some foreign owners are selling because of the economic crisis those with money to spend are still looking and believe that they can find good prices.

Source: www.propertywire.com

South Africa's new entrepreneurs

Catherine Deshayes — 11/12/2008 09:28:00

The number of black entrepreneurs entering the South African property market is escalating to new heights, with first-time homebuyers fast catching white first-time property owners in terms of volume, according to Leapfrog Property Group...

South Africa's only black-owned franchise real estate company also reports that more sustainable, black-owned and staffed estate agencies are being formed across the country.

"If anyone takes a long-term view and is looking for growth, surely the growing and increasingly affluent black middle class has to be the driver of most future real estate sales?," Leapfrog Property Group Executive Director Kura Chihota asks.

"Coming off a low base, the number of black title deed holders has grown at a rate over 50 per cent in the 14 years since 1994 to represent 10 per cent more (1.81 million) than the total white population (1.76 million), according to Lighthouse Risk Management research."

Many progressive, historically white agencies have already bought into the Leapfrog vision and have "made the leap" to embrace the change.

"By embracing diversity and including those who have been excluded before, collectively we can substantially contribute to the sustainability and growth of the industry," says Mr Chihota.

Source: www.homesoverseas.co.uk/news

Out in the wilderness

Catherine Deshayes — 10/12/2008 09:42:00

Wilderness Foundation Chief Andrew Muir has won a £66,800 conservation award from Swiss watchmaker Rolex for a scheme that helps Aids orphans find jobs in eco-tourism...

Muir was one of 10 winners from around the world in the annual award scheme, which recognises exceptional enterprise in various fields, from conservation to science or medicine.

He received the award at a ceremony in Dubai last month.

Formerly based in Durban, Muir is now in the Eastern Cape, where he helped to set up the Umzi Wethu Training Academy for Displaced Youth.

The prize money will be used to expand the academy, which trains Aids orphans to find jobs, mainly in the eco-tourism industry.

Students are selected using various criteria, including their participation during wilderness trails in several parts of the country, such as the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve.

During the year-long programme at the academy, the orphans are exposed to what Muir refers to as the "tremendous healing power of nature".

The programme aims to help the young people come to terms with their situation in life, inspire hope and equip them with leadership skills.

Other winners included a Paraguayan woman who promotes the use of plant and plastic waste to build houses; an American who is helping to reduce air pollution from two-stroke motorbike engines in the Philippines; and a British physicist who has developed new methods to predict volcano eruptions.

Source: www.iol.co.za

South Africa grinds to halt

Catherine Deshayes — 04/12/2008 09:45:00

Property sales in South Africa have ground to a halt but experts are predicting that when they start to recover they could rise more than 50 per cent in three years...

The next three months will offer some bargain prices when those who want to invest in the longer term can pick up some good property that will sell well in the future, according to the latest report from Chas Everitt International which has offices throughout South Africa.

'You make money when you buy property, not when you sell and we believe that the next few months will present the best buying opportunities for shrewd property investors to make the most money when the property market recovers,' said Spokesman Berry Everitt.

'It may be contra-intuitive to buy now, when the property market is in a downturn, but property prices are predicted to rise by 50 to 60 per cent over the next three years and those who delay now will make relatively smaller returns on their property investments,' he added.

Although price growth has slowed almost to a halt while interest rates appear to have peaked, there is already increasing demand as indicated by rising sale activity since August and this will intensify when interest rates start to fall next year, the company report shows.

'At that point stock levels will really start to drop and prices will start to rise, which means that there is a window of opportunity to negotiate the best deals of just a few months. Looking back in three years' time, investors will recognize this as the turning point of the market,' Mr Everitt predicts.

The report predicts that the best buys are likely to be in the medium-price, medium-size sector of the market, where price growth is currently at its lowest ebb and the high numbers of homes for sale make it possible to secure excellent value for money.

'Such homes are also likely to experience the highest level of demand when the economy turns and many middle-class families who are currently making do in rented accommodation or smaller homes can once again qualify for home loans and start looking for homes of their own or upgrades,' he concludes.

Source: www.propertywire.com

Global phenomenon

Catherine Deshayes — 11/11/2008 10:45:00

Worsening economic conditions have now taken a toll on almost every commercial property market in the world, according to a global survey of real estate surveyors...

The past few months have seen a sharp deterioration in performance and demand for real estate in many regions that had previously appeared resilient to the credit crisis, in particular parts of Asia and Eastern Europe.

The slump in commercial property is well established in mature markets such as the UK and US, but a report today from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors shows that there are few property markets in the world that remain unscathed by the economic crisis.

The net balance of movements in global rents turned negative for the first time in the survey's history, led by weakness in the US, Japan, Spain, Ireland and India, while property values also worsened markedly in the third quarter.

The report, which measured sentiment among surveyors about the value and tenant demand for property, singles out the Indian market as being particularly hard hit. The region has attracted many overseas investors hoping to tap into the property needs of a previously booming economy.

Rising interest rates, higher inflation and a lack of liquidity is affecting confidence in the country, says the report, and 45 per cent more surveyors reported a fall in occupier demand compared with six per cent in the last quarter. The balance of surveyors reporting investor purchases plummeted from zero to minus 73.

The biggest slump in capital values has been in Eastern Europe, a marked turnaround considering expectations of growth only three months ago.

Source: The Financial Times

Prices heading south

Catherine Deshayes — 10/11/2008 11:39:00

South African house prices fell by an average of 2.5 per cent year-on-year in October, as demand for property remained depressed, partly due to higher inflation and interest rates, a survey has shown...

The monthly Standard Bank property gauge shows that South Africa property prices have been falling since March.

Standard Bank said that average property prices nationwide stood at £37,600 in October.

"The reduced affordability of housing, exacerbated by higher mortgage rates, high food and fuel prices and a slowing economy, led to a decline in the demand for residential property and a substantial softening in house price growth," Standard Bank said in a statement.

Interest rates have gone up by five per cent since June 2006 - taking the central bank's repo rate to 12 per cent - and together with higher inflation, have put a damper on household spending.

Tighter lending rules since June last year have also ended easy access to credit.
Standard Bank said the sector would likely remain under pressure until Q2 2009.

"Residential property will remain in the doldrums until such time that fundamental drivers of the market take a turn for the better; that may only happen in the second quarter next year," it said.

Source: www.homesoverseas.co.uk

South Africa auctions

Catherine Deshayes — 30/10/2008 09:13:00

Property auctioneers in South Africa report that there has been a marked improvement in investor sentiment over the past couple of weeks following the Reserve Bank's decision not to raise interest rates, with buyers packing into residential property auctions...

Rael Levitt, CEO of The Alliance Group, says trading on the group's auction floors this month throughout the country has seen the strongest investor appetite in more than a year.

"And our success rates and bidding activity has literally changed overnight."

He believes the decision not to raise rates has made many investors and property owners "breathe a sigh of relief, realising that the country is most likely at the top of the interest rate cycle."

He adds: "There is no doubt that trading on our auction floors has been surging, particularly since the neutral stance by the Reserve Bank governor on interest rates."

Jonathan Smiedt, CEO of auction group Claremart, also says there has been a marked increase in buying power in residential property auctions over the past two weeks.

He comments, "We knew as soon as the governor stayed the increase in interest rates, this would show a semblance of governance and would pull the buyers back into the market again.

"There is a clear indication that buyers have come back into the market."

However, Property Economist Francois Viruly, of Viruly Consulting, says there "must be a lot of properties coming on to the market at the moment."

"I still think that investors in the residential buy-to-let market are finding it very difficult to make respectable returns in this environment. I am not that quick to say the storm has passed us yet. I think there are still uncertainties," says Viruly.

But he says the decision not to increase interest rates does bode well for the property industry.

Source: www.propertywire.com

New property sites launched

Catherine Deshayes — 10/10/2008 09:49:00

TheMoveChannel.com, the leading international property portal, announces the launch of over 80 country specific property sites...

Each country site features in depth property listings that can be filtered by a multi criteria search engine. The investment opportunities listed include both residential and commercial properties, land and more unique property types.

Developers, estate agents and private owners who advertise with TheMovechannel.com will double their exposure by appearing on both the main TheMovechannel.com international property portal and the relevant country portal that their properties are located in. Advertisers however will not be charged any fee for this additional coverage.

Buyers can gain a valuable insight into countries through the dedicated country news, features, email newsletters plus online buying and selling guides.

Dan Johnson, Managing Director, comments, "We've recognised in the toughening real estate market, investors are adopting a more sophisticated and informed buying process.

"The new portals not only provide detailed information on the property stock available in a particular country but also fill in the gaps in investors' knowledge of a market through reference materials and frequent news updates," added Mr Johnson.

Source: www.themovechannel.com

Trump turns to South Africa

Catherine Deshayes — 01/10/2008 11:53:00

Property entrepreneur Donald Trump is now looking to South Africa for his organisation's latest property developments. It will be his first venture on the African continent...

His Trump Organisation has signed an exclusive ten year deal with Cape Town's property developer Devland whose chairman Neill Bernstein is often referred to as South Africa's Donald Trump.

They are looking at developing residential and hotel projects worth millions of dollars in the next three years. It is expected to cover some 300,000 square metres but further details have not yet been released.

Bernstein said there would be no mad rush to push the projects forward and the companies had no intention of using the 2010 football World Cup as a springboard for the projects.

"It would be madness to jump into projects based on a two-week event. I have little interest in rushing into new-build contracts," said Bernstein.

Trump's son, Donald Trump junior, Executive Vice-President of development and acquisition for the Trump Organisation, has been in South Africa assessing development options. Cape Town is top of the shopping list.

"Quality is important. We will take our time finding locations," he said. But he conceded that the future projects are likely to be leisure orientated with golf facilities and a mix of residential and resorts.

It is Trump's first venture into South Africa. "This is a continent on which we don't have any developments. Now is the time. South Africa is the central business hub for Africa. We want to buy real estate when it is not at its peak," added Trump junior.

Bernstein said the deal would bring a much needed flow of intellectual capital into the country's property market.

Source: www.propertywire.com

South Africa's Finance Minister resigns

Catherine Deshayes — 25/09/2008 13:11:00

News of the South African Finance Minister's resignation has sent shockwaves through the country, and has affected foreign investors who were considering buying a South African property.

Stock market traders in South Africa are bracing themselves for share prices to fall further after news that the country's Finance Minister Trevor Manuel has resigned.

Property markets in Durban and Cape Town in South Africa have been booming of late, attracting hoards of foreign investors eager to snap up a bargain in what is still a fairly untapped market.

In the wake of the Finance Minister's resignation, economic experts are concerned that inflation could rise, and this in turn could scare of international investors. Stocks are already falling.

Mr Manuel has overseen South Africa's longest economic expansion on record, as well as its first budget surplus, since he first started the job in 1996.

When he handed in his resignation, the South African rand immediately fell to 8.2176 against the dollar, from 7.9875 a day earlier. It then fell further, to 8.1713.

However, Mr Manuel has said he will work with the new leaders of the African National Congress (ANC) and implied that he was prepared to remain in the Finance Minister job if asked. This news boosted the stock exchange.

Mr Manuel, said, "This is not about moving markets, this is about fighting for principle in politics.

"There is no crisis, there was no crisis. The rand fell significantly in a short period of time but we have lived through similar turbulence at different times," he added.

Analysts said Mr Manuel's position in the cabinet is seen as crucial to the country's economic stability for foreign investors, especially during the current wave of uncertainty affecting world money markets.

Browse South African property for sale.

Capital Comparisons - Cape Town v Wellington

Jude Buttle — 16/09/2008 09:39:00

We take a look at the capital cities of two major rugby nations in the southern hemisphere, South Africa and New Zealand. We assess which one to pass on and which one to grab with both hands... or are they both worth a try?

Cape Town

Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa, where the National Parliament and many government offices are located.

Often regarded as one of the world's most beautiful cities, it is famous for its natural features, most notably Table Mountain and Cape Point, which attract countless tourists each year.

Riding on the back of an empowered middle class, house prices had been growing strongly since 2000. Offshore investments, after Apartheid, were re-invested mainly into property, while the emergence of historically low interest rates and an increase in disposable income has given the property market a much needed boost.

But now, after remarkable price increases between 2000 and 2007, South Africa's property price boom has stalled in the first quarter of 2008.

Although the country's house price index rose 6.8% to the end of April 2008 from a year earlier, it actually fell 3.84% when adjusted for inflation, according to figures from ABSA, South Africa's leading mortgage provider.

Global Property Guide report that apartments in Cape Town have relatively low rental yields at an average of 4.57%. The smaller flats, such as studio apartments, currently perform better and generate higher yields.

Apartment prices in Cape Town are much higher than rival city Johannesburg, starting at £73,119 for studio apartments, whereas a three-bedroom apartment in Cape Town costs just under £322,303.

Conclusion: A place where foreigners can buy real estate and - unlike in neighbouring countries - this also includes farms and agricultural land. The buying process is incredibly well regulated and easy to follow and although the market has hesitated recently, Cape Town still has potential for property investment.

Wellington

Wellington is New Zealand's second largest urban area and the most populous national capital in Oceania. It's also the country's political centre, housing Parliament and the head offices of all government ministries and departments.

Wellington has been described as a heaven on earth, boasting numerous grand parks and gardens including rose gardens, begonia houses, memorial parks, observatories and playgrounds.

New Zealand is proving an attractive emerging market for some British buyers, not least because of the tax regime: there is no stamp duty, land tax, property purchase tax or capital gains tax.

The country had experienced eight years of unbroken economic growth, helped by a strong labour market and low unemployment, but last year New Zealand's housing market slowed significantly, and the long-expected correction now seems to be underway.

The total value of houses sold was NZ$2.11 billion (£7.9 million) in March 2008, down 53.42% down on the transactions recorded in the effervescent market of two years earlier (NZ$4.53 billion - £1.7 billion).

Apartments in Wellington can return really excellent yields, according to Global Property Guide research. Luxury three-bedroom apartments yield around 7.5%, while studios are around 10%. Wellington houses can also produce very good rental returns, at 10.2% for the larger property.

Conclusion: With property price increases that have baffled the experts, a strong national economy and political system and some of Mother Nature's finest, Wellington has too much going for it to be overlooked.

Verdict

Difficult to separate them on the rugby field and the same applies here. They both have had a boom property period recently, which is now beginning to cool off, but both cities deserve to be considered, especially if the global market begins to pick up again.

Search for property in South Africa and New Zealand

Property for sale in Cape Town

Property for sale in Wellington

Photo by Biology Big Brother

South Africa tourism is booming

Catherine Deshayes — 08/09/2008 13:01:00

The first five months of this year saw a huge influx of tourists visiting South Africa, with the tally hitting the four million mark, according to Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk.

During the 1990s, South Africa came out of the political wilderness and since then Government policy has been firmly committed to encouraging foreign investment by bringing in policies to ease the way for property investors.

The United Nations World Tourism Barometer showed South Africa's tourist numbers to have grown by 9 per cent last year, which represented over 30 per cent of all arrivals in Africa.

The weaker rand (South African currency), has also benefited the country as it appears to offer international investors good value for money.

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that in 2007, South Africa's travel and tourism industry posted US$ 31.2bn and is expected to grow to US$ 60bn per annum by 2017.

Interest in the country is also being boosted as it will be hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2009 Lions Tours.

The foreign arrival figures for the beginning of this year have shown strong growth in tourism.

Mr Van Schalkwyk said, "There was positive growth from Europe and arrivals from the Americas had shown consistent annual growth since 2002.

"From January to May this year there were over 26,000 more visitors arriving from America, bringing the total figure to 161,550 for the region, including Canada.

"Arrivals from Brazil, a market on which South African tourism is increasingly concentrating, rose by 19 per cent, to 14,432 arrivals.

"Compared to the figure of less than 600,000 foreign visitors in 1994, the long-term growth we have seen is truly something to celebrate," Mr Van Schalkwyk added.

To browse property for sale in South Africa, visit south-africa.themovechannel.com/

Reality bites in South Africa

Jaimie Kanwar — 31/07/2008 00:00:00

Homeowners in South Africa are being forced to take drastic action when selling their homes.

The Alliance Group - one of the country's largest auction and valuation groups – claims that asking prices for homes are falling as the reality of the market takes hold. Whilst this is clearly bad news for sellers, it’s good news for international investors looking for bargains.

Rael Levitt, Chief Executive of The Alliance Group, commented: “Homeowners are now setting asking prices at about 10% below their peak. The supply of houses being put up for sale has outstripped demand in the past three months, which is the first time this has happened in the past six years.

"There is no doubt that sellers are rapidly becoming far more flexible and realistic due to a flood of stock hitting the market with less and less buyer uptake.

"It's a classic case of supply exceeding demand and despite South African residential real estate experiencing growth of 300% in a relatively short time frame, reality is now dawning on homeowners that values don't only go upwards but are in fact now decreasing".

South Africa 'the next big thing'

Jaimie Kanwar — 26/06/2008 11:12:00

South Africa has often been referred to as a ‘sleeping giant’ and if the increases in property prices over the last 10 years is anything to go by (351% increase) then this giant is certainly stirring...

Lloyd Cornwall, Director of Pin High Property recently commented: “South Africa is coming of age. The last 10 years have played a major part in shaping its future and now South Africa is in a strong position to become a major player in the international arena. South Africa is the ‘next big thing’ in terms of investment.

"With huge natural resources an ever growing economy and stock markets performing well, it is becoming more attractive to investors each day. The property market has been one of the biggest performers and despite these huge growths over the last decade, South Africa is still vastly under priced.

Over the next decade, we expect to see these prices come into line with the European markets, which means healthy profits for all who have invested into the property market.”

SA: ‘Coming of age’ or ‘decelerating’?

Jaimie Kanwar — 03/06/2008 00:00:00

South Africa's house price inflation has plunged to an 8 year low…

According to Knight Frank’s recently released Global House Price Index, South Africa saw house price inflation of 8.8% over the 12 months - a noticeable slowdown from the same period a year earlier which produced growth of 13.6%.

Liam Bailey, Head of Residential Research at Knight Frank, observed:”The last 12 months have recorded the lowest growth in prices since Q1 2000. The slowdown in price inflation has accelerated since Q3 2007, driven by rising interest rates, a slowdown in wage inflation, and the completion of financial lending reforms started in Q2 2007.

“CPI inflation is forecast to remain relatively high, as a result of rising oil and food prices. Despite this, interest rates are unlikely to edge higher in the short to medium term.

SA ‘the next big thing’

Despite the apparent doom and gloom, one expert had nothing but positive things to say: “South Africa is coming of age”, noted Lloyd Cornwall, Director of Pin High Property. He added: “The last 10 years have played a major part in shaping its future and now South Africa is in a strong position to become a major player in the international arena. South Africa is the ‘next big thing’ in terms of investment.

"With huge natural resources an ever growing economy and stock markets performing well, it is becoming more attractive to investors each day. The property market has been one of the biggest performers and despite these huge growths over the last decade, South Africa is still vastly under priced, therefore over the next decade we expect to see these prices come into line with the European markets, which means healthy profits for all who have invested into the property market.”

South Africa’s economic shock

Jaimie Kanwar — 29/05/2008 00:00:00

South Africa’s economic growth has hit a 6 year low, according to official figures…

The slowdown has been particularly acute in the first three months of 2008, with a mere 2.1% growth recorded, down over 3% from the 5.3% growth recorded in the final quarter of 2007.

Joe de Beer, executive manager of national accounts at Stats SA explained: "There is definitely a slowdown in the economy. The two industries that constrained growth were mining and quarrying and manufacturing, and while manufacturing grew by 8.2% in the last quarter of 2007, in the first quarter of this year it slipped by 1%.

BBC analyst Caroline Hawley added: “The latest wave of anti-immigrant violence has had no clear impact on the economy to date, but their effects may yet be felt. The attacks have made the tourism industry nervous. Large mining companies are also concerned because they rely on migrant labour”.

SA spiked by 'downward shift'

Jaimie Kanwar — 09/05/2008 00:00:00

New figures reveal that house price growth in South African has fallen to an 8 year low…

According to the latest ABSA House Price Index, house price growth slowed to a nominal 6.8% year-on-year in the middle segment of the market in April 2008, down from a revised 7.8% in March. This signals the fourth consecutive month of single-digit growth in nominal house prices since a growth rate of 11.2% was recorded in December 2007.

A spokesperson for ABSA noted: “In recent times, the focus of homebuyers has shifted from luxury, large and expensive properties to smaller and more affordable properties. As a result of these developments, the downward trend in year-on-year house price growth has accelerated since September last year.”

“With inflation still under strong upward pressure, inflation expectations will remain high over the short term, which will have a significant influence on demands for higher wages this year. Against this background, the Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee is expected to hike interest rates by another 50 basis points at the June meeting.”

In view of these developments and expectations, house price growth is forecast by ABSA to slow down even further in the rest of 2008 from current levels. Nominal price growth of well below 10% is projected for the full year, with real price growth expected to be in negative territory, which will be the first annual drop in real prices since 1999, when it was -0.3%.

SA going from strength to strength

Jaimie Kanwar — 15/04/2008 00:00:00

South Africa is one of the world’s top emerging markets, according to Forbes Magazine...

In Forbes’ recent list of the world’s top 10 emerging locations, the South Africa came in at number 6.

The magazine revealed: “Luxury properties in Cape Town and Johannesburg, which are generally occupied by the upper classes, are very limited. As a result, prices jumped 5.25% last year.

“The overall economy has performed well; growth has been just under 5%, in real terms, and hasn't been subject to the swings seen elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, where it's typical to see 5% and 6% growth paired with 15% to 20% inflation in consumer prices.

"Another good sign is the fact that commercial spaces such as offices, retail and industrial spaces have increased in value at between 7% and 10%".

South Africa ravaged by Repo rise

Jaimie Kanwar — 14/04/2008 00:00:00

South Africa’s interest rate has hit a depressing new high…

The Country’s Monetary Policy Committee has raised the interest rate to a whopping 15%.

Andrew Golding, Chief Executive of the Pam Golding Property Group, bemoaned the hike: “The decision by the Monetary Policy Committee to raise the repo rate by 50 basis points is regretted as it will undoubtedly exert further pressure on consumers whose disposable income is already being eroded by rapidly rising fuel and food costs as well as proposed significant hikes in electricity tariffs. This is coupled with the major knock-on effects of load shedding on the already-slowing economy in general.

Consumers must be disciplined

Deon Lessing, marketing director of Betterbond, added: “From a property point of view, the impact will continue to be felt as this rate increase builds onto the preceding increases. I believe this increase will push the declining rate of growth in house prices even lower than previously anticipated.

“South Africans have already experienced tremendous amounts of pressure in light of the rising fuel prices, the new property tax, looming increases in electricity prices and rising food costs,” says Lessing. With the interest rate having risen once again, consumers must exercise discipline and manage their debt better.

“In light of numerous rate hikes experienced thus far, South Africa is dealing with a correcting market, whereby property will move back into a more realistic price range”.

BRICs beaten by ‘beautiful Azania’

Jaimie Kanwar — 11/04/2008 00:00:00

A country in Africa is celebrating today after becoming one of the continent's freest economies...

According to the Heritage Foundation’s 2008 Index of Economic Freedom, South Africa ranked well above the world average. As the 57th freest economy in the World, South Africa overtakes its strong emerging country competitors, ranking well above the BRIC countries.

Brazil is the closest to follow, ranking 101, with India (115th), China (126th) and Russia (134th) lagging well behind the beautiful “Azania” (a name some South Africans use in preference to "South Africa").

Yet the country, with its kaleidoscope of cultures and languages, has more to be boastful about, with an above-average score (60.3%) in economic freedom.

Monetary freedom increases

The report continues to highlight the business freedom in “Azania”: “The overall freedom to start, operate, and close a business is relatively well protected by South Africa's regulatory environment.”

The Heritage Foundation reports that monetary freedom in South Africa is one of its best attributes. With a moderate inflation rate and stable prices, the country lost a few of its percentage points to internal policies that distort domestic prices, giving it a final mark of 77.2% in the monetary freedom spectrum.

South Africa performs well within the African panorama, making it the fourth freest economy in the continent. With a score of 63.2%, the country was only topped by Mauritius (18th), Botswana (36th) and Uganda (52nd).

The Index, which for the past 14 years has been compiled by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal, evaluates over 160 countries across 10 specific economic categories, including fiscal, investment or property freedom.