One of the most controversial is the debate surrounding foreign land ownership in SA, although experts agree that there should be a clear distinction between the difficult question of foreign land ownership, and decisions about land utilization or land reform.
 
"The difference between the two often causes confusion," says University of the Witwatersrand professor and panelist Francois Viruly.
 
"People are hitting out at foreigners for certain types of developments when this has nothing to do with foreigners, but rather with the way we as South Africans are handling our land use decisions."
 
Fellow panelist Pam Golding Properties CEO Andrew Golding agrees, pointing out that proposed restrictions on foreign ownership in SA serves only to limit direct foreign investment.
 
"We are fully supportive of the significant need for land reform in SA," he argues. "But there is an equally strong need to promote direct foreign investment into the country.
 
Golding dismisses the notion that foreigners have influenced market prices, saying the level of foreign buying in SA is extremely low - less than one percent of the total stock of sold properties in any one year - and certainly not sufficient to change market pricing.
 
Another point that Viruly intends to make is that properties in certain parts of SA are already competing in the global arena, irrespective of public policy, and perceived to be world-class in their appeal.
 
"Properties in the Western Cape compete with properties on, say, the Cote d'Azur in France," he says.
 
"Part of our property market intersects with the best in the world and we need to realize that this segment goes beyond SA's borders."
 
The key, he adds, is to ensure that foreign owners play the local property markets on the same basis as domestic owners, with the same tax rates and planning parameters. The aim should be a level playing field, cognisant of the rand advantage that foreigners already enjoy.
 
The bottom line, he believes, is that property as an asset class shouldn't be treated any differently than equities or bonds.
 
Viruly and Golding will be joined on the panel by University of Zimbabwe political scientist John Makumbe and Shadrack Gutto, director of UNISA's Centre for African Renaissance Studies.
 
The traditional annual gathering of the country’s commercial and industrial property cognoscenti, the Convention is scheduled to run from Wednesday, 28 May 2008 to Friday, 30 May 2008 at the International Convention Centre on Cape Town’s Foreshore.