The unrest and looting that took place in many parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July this year is little more than old news to many South Africans.

With its modern, flexible workspaces and landscaped courtyard areas, the newly completed, Grade A ‘Garden City Business Park’ in central Nairobi, Kenya, is attracting large multinational companies, including the likes of East African Breweries which is a subsidiary of Diageo, one of the world’s largest producers of spirits and beer, says Kunaal Samani, MD of Pam Golding Properties Kenya.

Atterbury and USN have just announced that the two companies are jointly donating R500 000 to Olympic medal winners.

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the property market across South Africa, there are still significant investment opportunities to be had, especially in the residential sector.

After a year and a half of pandemic conditions made worse by South Africa’s crippled economy, rising municipal rates and tariffs, violent protests and looting, it’s safe to say the commercial and industrial property sectors have had a difficult time of late.

Commercial building comprising of retail and office space.

Brokers continue to see all 3 major commercial property buying/selling markets as substantially oversupplied, but the perception is that the Industrial Property Market’s oversupply is the least significant.

Whilst the onset of the pandemic has significantly impacted the commercial sector, it’s not all doom and gloom and there are ample opportunities for investors and landlords to harness the market shifts and translate them into opportunities if they remain flexible and do their homework.

In the current economic environment, businesses are keen to reduce debt by paying down their commercial loans.

Results from the listed property sector in 2020 showed property values reducing by an average of around 8%. And while listed property is just one component of the South African property sector.