Residential building activity remained under pressure in both the planning and construction phases of the South African market for new housing in the first quarter of 2017.

Shopping centres within the South African Broll portfolio generally experienced an increase in year-on-year (y/y) trading density growth in December 2016 with the exception of community centres, according to the Broll Retail Snapshot Q4: 2016 report.

The first month of 2017 saw building activity with regard to new private sector-financed housing in South Africa (see explanatory notes) contracting by a relatively large margin, based on data published by Statistics South Africa.

South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 0.3% in the fourth quarter of 2016, Statistics South Africa said on Tuesday.

Building activity with regard to new private sector-financed housing in South Africa remained much subdued in the first eleven months of 2016 compared with the corresponding period in 2015, based on data published by Statistics South Africa.

Department of Public Works starts renegotiating its leases with PIC as part of the government's drive to effect R25bn in savings over the medium term.

Building activity in the South African market for new housing remained largely subdued in the first three quarters of 2016.

In the 2nd Quarter of 2016, the TPN-FNB National Average Gross Residential Yield rose slightly for the 1st time since the 1st quarter of 2014.

The Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has kept the repo rate unchanged at 7% per annum.

The annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) eased to 5.9% in August 2016, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) announced on Wednesday.