Some idea of how healthy Greater Cape Town commercial and industrial property rentals have become can be gained from figures released recently by Ronel Judin, Asset Manager for Spearhead Properties, the loan stock company now merging with Redefine.

Redefine Income Fund today announced a 16% increase in total distributions for the year ended 31 August 2006 of 42.7 cents per linked unit. This represents a total income and capital growth of 41% and a total return of 35%.

Listed property unit trust Martprop Fund said on Tuesday it had acquired both an office and an industrial property in Gauteng for a total outlay of R65,5m. 

Strong property fundamentals were continuing to boost retention of tenants with expiring leases in Martprop’s R2,6 billion portfolio, managing director Roger Perkin said today. “The firm demand for quality, well located assets has pegged vacancies in the portfolio at 1,5%,“ he said. “It is also underpinning retention of expiring leases at above 80%. “

The bright long-term outlook for earnings growth in South Africa’s listed property market, combined with the portfolio diversification and liquidity benefits of the sector, makes this asset class an attractive one for longer-term investors.

Oryx Properties has said that its distributions for the year to June had surged 11% to 78c a linked unit.

Listed property loan stock firm Paramount Property Fund (Paraprop) announced yesterday it was to acquire two properties worth more than R200m.

Listed property loan stock company iFour Properties said yesterday it had delivered a total return of 21,1% to its unitholders for the year to June.

Well-known industry figure Anthony Diepenbroek plans to focus on putting together listed empowerment property funds.

The strong growth in property values has been a mixed blessing for SA's listed property sector, which is struggling to purchase fixed properties, as there seem to be so few sellers.