Rode Media

Rode Intelligence logo
PROPERTY ANALYSIS & TREND REPORTS
Mark Pettipher

Mark Pettipher

  • Joined: 16 July 2025
  • Articles: 304

R90 million deal shows growing investor appetite for Joburg’s office-to-residential conversions

Parktown North

Galetti Corporate Real Estate has brokered a R90 million deal in Parktown North, Johannesburg, converting a landmark office block into affordable residential apartments. This reflects a broader trend of office-to-residential conversions in high-demand areas like Rosebank, driven by strong demand for affordable urban living and underutilised office stock. With Johannesburg’s housing need rising—especially among young professionals and students—these conversions offer investors value and flexibility, reshaping the city’s property landscape for sustainable, integrated urban growth.

Disputing sectional title fines: Two recent adjudication orders

Ashwini Singh

The rise of sectional title schemes in South Africa has led to the creation of legislation regulating their management. Body corporates must comply with statutory obligations and ensure fair enforcement of management and conduct rules. Recent CSOS adjudications, such as Baribi v Victory Court and Swanepoel v Labella Complex, highlight the importance of evidence and reasonable rule interpretation before issuing fines. Failure to follow due process can result in adjudicators overturning body corporate decisions, emphasizing the need for legal compliance.

Soaring demand and land scarcity make Cape Town and Durban investor hotspots

Brackengate

Cape Town and Durban are emerging as Africa’s top industrial and logistics markets, driven by land scarcity, strong demand, and resilient infrastructure. Cape Town benefits from semigration, operational stability, and limited stock, while Durban’s chronic land shortages and port proximity create a landlord-favoured market. Rental growth is accelerating in both cities, with climate resilience and modern infrastructure increasingly influencing investment decisions. E-commerce and supply chain shifts further boost demand, positioning both cities for continued growth.

The student accommodation investment conundrum

Siya Jele TUHF

South Africa faces a student accommodation shortfall of up to 500,000 beds, driving protests at major universities. Property entrepreneurs see opportunity, but must balance high operating costs—like utilities, Wi-Fi, and transport—with students’ rising expectations for privacy and amenities. Well-managed facilities can yield strong returns, but risks include cash flow challenges and late NSFAS payments. The sector’s future growth may lie in serving TVET colleges, provided funding mechanisms improve and quality standards are maintained.

Mama shelter residences launches in Cape Town

Mama Shelters

Mama Shelter Residences Cape Town launches on Bree Street, offering 62 serviced apartments and a 127-key hotel in the heart of the city. Part of a mixed-use redevelopment by Kasada and Ingenuity, the project transforms the former Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital. Residents will enjoy amenities like a rooftop pool, concierge, and co-working spaces, plus access to exclusive services and Accor Owner Benefits. Prices start from ZAR2.9 million, with completion set for Q3 2026.

Building the organisational muscle for Perpetual Volatility 

Fikile Sibiya

We live in an era of perpetual volatility, where rolling crises demand more than reactive strategies. “You cannot react your way through that,” says Fikile Sibiya, CIO at e4. Strategic agility and resilience—muscles built through daily adaptation—are now essential. Sibiya’s research shows that strategic agility explains nearly half the variance in resilience. In South Africa’s turbulent context, firms that internalise both capabilities recover faster and thrive, treating volatility as a catalyst for future-fit growth.

Disruptor, TransBridj announced as a finalist in Proptech Innovator awards

Michael Lenz - CEO Transbridj

TransBridj, South Africa’s only digitised bridging funding platform, has been named a finalist for the ‘Most Innovative Proptech Company of the Year’ award at the Annual Africa Proptech Forum, part of the API Summit in Cape Town this September. CEO Michale Lenz says this recognition highlights the urgent need for disruption in property transaction funding. TransBridj’s smart technology accelerates deal closures, unlocks liquidity, and delivers fast, seamless funding for attorneys, realtors, and sellers.

Property auction: Could Cape Town become the next Sydney?

Wesley Cown MD Galetti Auction Group

In Cape Town’s competitive property market, auctions are emerging as a powerful tool to unlock true market value, especially as stock levels drop by 30–40%. Wesley Cowan of Galetti Auction Cape Town believes South Africa can learn from Australia, where auctions dominate in cities like Sydney and Melbourne. Auctions offer transparency, efficiency, and competitive bidding, driving up prices. With limited housing stock and high demand, auctions provide a timely, strategic alternative to traditional sales methods.

Absa Joins SAMRRA, deepening capital commitment to South Africa’s multifamily rental sector

Palesa Mkhize AMRRA CEO

Absa Group has joined the South African Multifamily Residential Rental Association (SAMRRA), becoming the second major bank to align with the sector’s representative body. This partnership signals multifamily housing’s shift from emerging opportunity to mainstream investment, with over 75,000 units and R40 billion in assets now under SAMRRA. Absa’s involvement demonstrates growing institutional confidence, supporting SAMRRA’s mission to foster collaboration, transparency, and sustainable, purpose-driven investment in South Africa’s rental housing market.

Growthpoint and FlySafair launch industry-first travel benefit for Joburg office tenants

Growthpoint and Flysafair

Growthpoint Properties has partnered with FlySafair to launch SmartFlight, a unique office tenant travel benefit. Businesses signing new three-year leases in Growthpoint’s Johannesburg offices can convert up to 30% of their tenant installation allowance into FlySafair flight vouchers, redeemable via a blockchain-powered digital wallet. This innovation, alongside other Growthpoint initiatives, redefines office leasing by supporting business growth, connectivity, and flexibility, positioning Growthpoint as a leader in tenant-focused property solutions.

You cannot copy content of this page