SA’s Mr Property discusses everything from Einstein to AC/DC

What do legendary sitar player Ravi Shankar, AC/DC guitar virtuoso Angus Young and physicists Neil deGrasse Tyson and Professor Brian Cox (not the actor) have in common?
Seemingly little on the face of it, with the common thread being that all four feature prominently on the all-time greats list of self-confessed music and science junkie Neil Gopal.

When Gopal, CEO of SA’s largest commercial property association, the South African Property Owners’ Association (SAPOA), isn’t battling infrastructure and municipal woes on behalf of his organisation’s members – which include some of the country’s largest property companies, he’s reading about physics and unwinding listening to his alphabetised collection of more than 2000 albums (he is a meticulous Virgo after all).

Not only are DeGrasse Tyson and Cox top favourites – Gopal has met them both, he also has diverse musical tastes – loving everything from Shankar, who he has also had the honour of meeting, to AC/DC (he owns every album in the rock group’s catalogue).

Listing your music alphabetically is a painstaking task, while reading physics requires meticulous attention – something probably not required to the same degree if you’re reading a John Grisham novel.

This attention to detail – something which Gopal has a lot of – is required daily in his role as CEO of SAPOA, which has more than 800 members, as he deals with the constant challenges facing SA’s commercial property industry.

When Gopal gets up at a podium at a conference or meets with the mayor of a dysfunctional metro, he also has to ensure he has paid attention to the details and done his research meticulously so that he can back up everything he says in the property industry’s efforts to turn around the situation facing the country’s landlords.

“I have to have the graphs and data to prove my point. Standing up on a platform in the public arena or talking at a conference, one has to be talking from an informed perspective. These views can only be expressed through credible data via credible sources, and being bombarded daily by information overload from various sources does not make this an easy task.”

It is a job he enjoys, though, with Gopal adding that he “loves the people in the property industry, who are passionate about what they do and how they have, over time, changed the landscape which we often just drive by and take for granted”. 

Gopal does not see himself doing anything else as a career. He is doing something right, as evidenced by his long service at SAPOA. Heading up such a large and complex organisation as SAPOA for 20 years is no easy feat.

But Gopal emphasises he is well-supported by a “well-oiled machine” at SAPOA with a “very strong small team of 10 competent and dedicated people”, not working for him, but working with him, as well as over 200 dedicated employees of member companies who serve on SAPOA’s 20 committees.

The problems facing the property industry are not for the faint-hearted, though, including, among other things, a distinct deterioration in SA’s cities during the past decade.  

Over the years, property owners have increasingly voiced their concerns at the decline of municipalities across SA, with many large metros faced with crumbling infrastructure, particularly regarding water and electricity supply.

“I think the biggest challenge [facing the industry] are the municipalities failing us horribly as citizens and business people.

“The underperformance of the City of Joburg and many other cities in SA poses significant risks to businesses and the economy.

“The infrastructure in some parts of Johannesburg is in a state of disrepair, and visible with respect to malfunctioning traffic lights, deteriorating water infrastructure, water supply challenges, potholes, inadequate electricity distribution infrastructure, high crime rates, hijacked buildings, etc. The consequences are evident in that these challenges increase the cost of doing business but also translate to value destruction of property.”
Gopal says the problems in Johannesburg are not unique, noting these themes also play out elsewhere in SA.

“Pavements are uprooted, there are potholes, infrastructure is crumbling either through deliberate acts of sabotage or due to municipalities failing to attend to maintenance for various reasons. Many cities spend more money than they generate and are running significant deficits. 

“There is sabotage and theft of infrastructure, and another theme we are experiencing is that often where coalition governments exist (along with infighting), the problems are sometimes more severe, as having a coalition government where the mayors are constantly changing can be challenging.”

Gopal says more collaboration between the private and public sectors is essential and seemingly one of the only quick fixes if the problems of SA’s municipalities are to be turned around.

There are green shoots, too, with Gopal saying that, increasingly, municipalities are recognising they need to partner with the private sector if they hope to succeed in delivering proper services to SA’s citizens – corporate and private individuals alike.

“There is a definite need being expressed by the mayors I have been meeting for greater collaboration with the private sector. In order for us to maintain our [private sector] assets, we may have to build those water towers that are needed, and we may have to ensure we have working traffic lights and electricity connections [for the industry’s property precincts].”

And while it is essential for the private sector to become increasingly more involved, Gopal says it also creates a “double whammy” for corporate citizens, who effectively end up being taxed twice. Not only do they pay the rates and taxes that were originally earmarked for the municipal services they haven’t at times been receiving, but they cough up money again to privately do the job the local authorities should be doing all along.

“You end up being taxed twice, but you don’t have an option as you can’t ignore the needs of your buildings and your tenants. You can’t have them become dilapidated or go down the drain. However, I have to caution municipalities that there will come a time when some landlords may end up abandoning their assets as it becomes financially impossible and unsustainable to continue functioning effectively. The Joburg inner city, parts of Randburg and other neighbourhoods have already seen this trend.” 

Amid this dysfunction, there are pockets of excellence, with Gopal saying that very successful precincts such as Melrose Arch, Waterfall Estate, Rosebank and Sandton in Johannesburg, and the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, for example, are world-class.

In fact, he says these could easily be transplanted to any top world city such as Sydney or Los Angeles, they are such excellent nodes.

“Some of these central improvement districts function well because the property owners and broader private sector have jumped in and done the necessary work to deliver the services municipalities have failed to do.”

Precinct management is more than a strategy; it’s a commitment to excellence, believes Gopal.

“We have seen how focusing on infrastructure, security, and service delivery can transform a city’s prospects. It’s about ensuring that urban spaces are functional and aspirational. These successes serve as blueprints for other regions and reaffirm our belief in the power of well-managed, inclusive urban development.”

But Gopal says what is essential is for a fair and equitable model where property owners “have to be given a rates rebate” for the services they provide, which the municipality cannot.
“Without this, the environment will continue to deteriorate.”

When Gopal takes a break from work, he says he loves spending time with his dogs. He sadly had to say goodbye to a beloved “fur child” called Jack earlier this year.

He also loves watching movies and lists Martin Scorsese, Denis Villeneuve, Quentin Tarantino, Clint Eastwood, and Ridley Scott among his favourite directors.

As for his extensive album collection, Gopal’s music taste is extremely varied. He also plays a bit of guitar when he gets the chance, having worked out songs by Led Zeppelin and Neil Young. His “go-to place” for music is generally ’60s and ’70s rock. Still, he also likes the old Mississippi blues players like Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker. He has numerous Ravi Shankar albums (he inherited his love of the sitar player from his father, who was also a major fan).  

Both he and his father had the opportunity to meet the legendary Shankar in person in Toronto, Canada. Some artists he has also seen live include Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant performing 12 solo songs (including six by the legendary rock group) and Pink Floyd performing the 30th anniversary of their seminal album The Wall.

He also managed to catch the English rock band The Police’s reunion concert.

Moving back to his love of physics and science in general, the conversation swings between Einstein’s 1915 Theory of Relativity and Steven Hawking’s 1975 paper on Hawking Radiation.

Gopal explains the two have been his passions since he was a teenager.

 “I have been trying to figure out how the universe functions and why we are here [since I was a teenager].”

This passion has resulted in him constantly reading about the structure of the universe, as well as what the great thinkers have theorised about it.

In his travels – travelling is another passion – he has had the opportunity to meet with physics luminaries such as DeGrasse Tyson and Prof Brian Cox.

While he hasn’t figured out how it all works yet, Gopal says he won’t quit trying.

“You just have to keep on questioning things.”He and