A historic gem that government has been hoarding in its R220-billion property portfolio for 120 years is being sold off to the public.

Now called Fort West, the Victorian village - on 389ha 10km west of Pretoria along Church Street - is being converted into a secure estate. It will not be the preserve of the rich, promise development agents Amtrad.

A first phase of 314 development stands was launched for sale on Heritage Day this week, priced from R95 000 to R150 000.

Buyers will build houses costing between R340 000 and R450 000, including the land. And middle-income Gautengers have just as much appetite for buying as the rich (see main story).

Amtrad chief executive Grahame Lindop said 103 stands had been sold by lunchtime on the launch day. Another six townhouse and cluster sites with potential for about 400 units sold to developers in a flash, he said. Twenty of the Victorian houses have also been sold.

The project eventually will have 2 100 homes, 24 000m² of shopping, 12 000m² of offices, a school and a hotel.

A 71ha "hidden valley" will include animal clinics, stables, horticulture and organic farming.

Nairobi - An international conference aimed at attracting foreign capital to Kenya has wrapped up with investors pledging to set up projects in the country, government ministers said.

THE North West government yesterday unveiled an economic development initiative based on the example of Gauteng's Blue IQ, and aimed at boosting the province's growth to 8% a year.

Luanda - Investment in Angola's non-oil and diamond sectors more than tripled to $185 million (R1.2 billion) last year and looked set to keep growing, the manager of the country's private investment institute said this week.

Plans to sell liabilities of R10bn to private-sector company to collect as state pays its R1,4bn in services bills Political Correspondent

The Democratic Republic of Congo will invite tenders worth $270-million in April, kicking off a massive donor-funded programme to rebuild its war-shattered infrastructure, officials said on Friday.

Listed company Quyn Holdings has won an interim interdict against the CEO of one of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Colliers Developments. It was alleged that he tried to scupper a $50m property contract on Madagascar.

South Africa's civil engineering sector, hit by a slump in revenues as contracts fall, could shed thousands of jobs this year, a key industry official warned yesterday.

Twin tasks arise out of the takeover of Pechiney by Canada's Alcan group, which is now calling the shots THE planned $1,2bn aluminium smelter project at Coega in Eastern Cape will have to pass two major hurdles if it is to be saved, it emerged at the weekend.

Between 5,000 and 8,000 jobs could be lost in the civil engineering industry this year, industry sources said.