GRAHAM NORRIS
Property Editor
TRANSFORMATION in South Africa's R400 billion commercial property market will be given new impetus by the implementation of a Property Charter by early 2005. Brian Kirchmann, chief executive officer of the SA Property Owners' Association (Sapoa), said those in the industry were serious about transformation and meaningful black economic empowerment.
"It is no secret that the industry has been a little on the back foot due to previous government policies, which made it difficult for black people to own and develop commercial properties in many areas," said Kirchmann.
"Consequently, the industry does not have a large pool of black expertise to call upon and this needs to be addressed from grassroots levels to top management."
He said a consultancy had been appointed under the auspices of the Property Council of South Africa (Procsa) to drive the process of establishing the charter.
Procsa has a membership of 10 property associations from the residential and commercial sectors.
Mohlaleng Strategy and Investment Consultancy, which had been involved in the Financial Services Charter, had appointed two of its associates, Andrea Brown and Mabothokgong Mathole, to do the research, half of which was presently underwritten by Sapoa.
"We anticipate that all the role players in the industry will contribute to the overall costs by mid-year," said Kirchmann "The survey needs industry buy-in to obtain relevant information to establish a meaningful and responsible charter by the end of the year, allowing the industry to start implementing it by early 2005.
"As part of this process, we have involved the Department of Public Works and the Department of Trade and Industry, both of which are very keen to get the process going.
"We have also invited members of the construction industry, such as the Building Industries Federation of South Africa and SA Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors, as these bodies are integral to property development and have also initiated a transformation procedure leading to a charter.
"We are aware that in order to redress the imbalance further over the long term, we need to attract people into the industry from school-leaving age and we hope that the Services Seta/Sapoa learnership programme will do that."
The government-sponsored programme,which is part of a number of educational programmes aimed at upskilling people in the property industry, places learners in Sapoa member companies for a year, after which they emerge with a qualification and practical hands-on training.
There is no obligation on either the learner or the company to continue the association. Kirchmann said these exciting events would undoubtedly form part of the discussions at the forthcoming Sapoa convention, which will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from May 12 to 14 this year.
Publisher: Weekend Argus
Empowerment: 2005 deadline for draft to develop black expertise in R400bn property market
Posted On Monday, 02 February 2004 02:00 Published by eProperty News
Property Charter to drive transformation
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