The property industry finds out next month whether or not SA property investment will hold onto its position as the global top-performer, with the much-anticipated launch of the 2006 Sapoa/IPD (Investment Property Databank) Property Index on Tuesday 03 April.
 
SA has attracted increasing attention internationally, thanks to the high returns posted by property in recent years. In 2005, the Sapoa/IPD Property Index showed that SA outperformed high-activity markets like Canada, Ireland and the UK. SA was in fact the only market in 2005 that achieved total returns in excess of 30%.
 
The million dollar question now is: can SA sustain its global first-place ranking in 2006, and sustain total returns at historical highs?
 
SA is up against some tough contenders.
 
The IPD has already announced the 2006 results for Denmark (17.8%), Canada (18.6%), and the UK (18.1%). Ireland, which posted total returns of 27.2% for 2006, will be the one for SA to beat.
 
"SA's 2005 results were not only the highest globally, but also the highest in the 11-year history of the IPD/SAPIX in SA," explains IPD SA research manager Kgaogelo Mamabolo.
 
"The question in our minds is this: can we see SA's returns go higher? Or was 2005 the peak of the current property investment cycle?"
Publisher: IPD
Source: IPD