Standard Bank has approved R349m in term and development funding for the Eyethu Orange Farm Mall in Orange Farm, a deal which is expected to help rejuvenate the impoverished settlement south of Johannesburg.

The Standard Bank house price index improved by 8% year on year in July‚ from 7.8% year on year in June‚ Standard Bank said in a note on Monday.

Standard Bank’s new R2.7bn office development in Rosebank joins eight other buildings in South Africa to have achieved a five-star Green Star rating, and adds to the number of financial institutions and companies moving into "green buildings".

It appears the auction industry is still feeling the effects of the Auction Alliance ghost bidding scandal.

Standard Bank house price index is up 10.3% in May compared with the same period a year ago‚ from 9.8% in April.

South African investors and developers looking at investing in Africa need to partner with locals and be involved for the longer term as returns might not be attractive initially, according to Fergus Mackintosh, head of real estate for Africa at Standard Bank.

Standard Bank staff are getting ready to move into their new Rosebank offices, which have received a five-star rating for 'green' design from the Green Building Council of SA.

Liberty seeks to launch an African Direct Property Development Fund offering investors commercial retail property opportunities in countries such as Nigeria and Kenya.

A hundred years ago Sandton was considered the 'market garden' of Johannesburg, about 50 years later Sandton is described as a 'community of 30,000 whites and 15,000 horses'.

A total of just over 17 million A and B linked units were issued for a combined consideration of R14.60, raising gross proceeds of R250 million.