THE southern suburbs have regularly been the region of choice for hi-tech or clean manufacturing in the Western Cape, says Jon Bloom of Broll Property Group, and there are no signs of this trend letting up in the near future.

"One of the most attractive reasons for locating hi-tech manufacturing in the south is the ready availability of a highly educated labour pool," he says. "Some of the country's most advanced electronics manufacturers have operated in the southern suburbs for a number of years and this has helped in building the skills level of workers in the area."

In addition, most of the manufacturing nodes are surrounded by residential estates, with the resulting influence of family values reducing crime levels and further enhancing the desirability of the area. Capricorn Park - idyllically situated close to False Bay - has begun to attract renewed interest after a slow start.

Bloom says the development of a residential estate next to Capricorn Park and finalisation of new access roads in the area - including the soon-to-be-extended R300 - will increase the attractiveness of the hi-tech park for business owners. "Land at the highly successful Westlake Business Park is already sold out, with new opportunities restricted to on-sells at prices in excess of R500 per m2 - among the highest priced industrial land in the country," says Bloom.

"The combination of upmarket residential property immediately adjacent to clean manufacturing, mixed-use retail and office space has created a unique combination that has met with universal favour." According to Broll statistics, the swing to owner/occupiers is continuing and after recent interest rate cuts, there may be more activity in this sector as the price difference between renting and owning diminishes. "However, in terms of ready-made hi-tech space, there is limited stock," says Bloom.

"A few opportunities exist, but the really ideal opportunities are restricted to about 2 400m2 in Diep River and 3 000m2 in Tokai." The southern suburbs offer a host of desirable characteristics, not the least of which include good schools, abundant shopping, extensive public transport and excellent arterial highways.

"Perhaps the only drawback for those wishing to locate in the southern suburbs is the general shortage of space," Bloom says. "Bounded by the Constantiaberg mountains and the False Bay coastline, there are finite opportunities. Tenants and landlords wishing to consider the south should move sooner rather than later."