Development company Inframax expects a national annual growth rate of 35%, and the turnover of its KwaZulu-Natal division to remain the highest in the group.

This emerged from a two-day workshop held in Durban recently, and attended by the company's senior managers, including MD Willie Els. Executive director John Weaver said administrative delays had often been encountered in dealings with local authorities, but no development handled by the company had made a loss in the past two years.

The company is currently operating in the R300 000 to R4 million residential bracket. In the next 12-18 months it is expecting to be involved in the development of 700 residential units, with a total value of R416 million. Weaver said Inframax's switch to mid-range housing - from state contracts for low-cost homes done in conjunction with the NewHco group - had been smooth.