If funds in the listed property unit trust and property loan stock sectorwant to be rated as a preferred stock by asset managers, they need to deliverdistributable earnings growth in the region of 5%.

Property loan stock company South African Retail Properties, which hasa property portfolio worth nearly R1,1bn, including 27 shopping centres,has increased its distributable income to unit holders.

LISTED property unit trust Sycom Property Fund, one of the largest listed property funds, has reported distributable earnings for the year to March of 107,02c a unit

Opportunity for South African investors, developers Property Reporter.

Listed South African retail property income fund Shops for Africa (SFA) has reported a headline loss per share for the six months to end-October 2003 of 0.83 cents, compared to a loss of 0.39 cents per share a year earlier.

Investec Property Group's R26 million refurbishment of its shopping centre to bring new levels of convenience to Newcastle shoppers

Investor appetite for Pretoria is clearly growing, currently buoyed by the office market where rentals have firmed on the back of a steady increase in demand for space.

Nedbank has bought a stake in the R800 million Capegate mixed use development on the N1 in Brackenfell, another sign of financier bullishness about the South African property market - particularly the retail sector.

THE resurgence of investor interest in the Cape Town central business district has contributed to a growing demand for diverse space in the areas immediately adjoining the CBD and indications are that this will continue on an upward trend.

Last week, FNB announced that it is investing R28-million in the Johannesburg CBD with the development of a car parkade, which will form part of the bank’s BankCity complex.