The South African listed property sector is arguably the fastest-growing sector on the JSE, with about six new property funds having listed on the main board of the exchange in the past two years.

Listed property loan stock heavyweight Growthpoint, which is the largest property company on the JSE, has managed to conclude a significant empowerment deal with no dilution to existing unit-holders.

Vukile is confident that it will produce real earnings growth as forecast in June when it published results for the 2004/05 financial year

Listed property loan stock company Premium Properties was the top performing listed property stock in terms of total return for the six months to June this year, according to Catalyst Securities’ July report on the sector.

Brisk trading at Sanlam Centre has triggered a R50 million value centre development in Kings Road, Pinetown.  The adjacent shopping centres, on opposite sides of Kings Road, will have combined projected retail sales of more than R3 billion a year making them the fifth biggest shopping node in Durban.

The Vukile Property Fund lists on the JSE in June 2004. In its maiden annual results attributable profit to the end of March 2005 is R233-million, and the final distribution is 31.5 cents per linked unit. With Vukile chief executive Gerhard Van Zyl

Listed property loan stock company Vukile Property Fund pleased the market yesterday, reporting maiden year-end results that beat its prospectus forecast.

Although some listed property companies have recently considered aggressively growing their portfolios through hostile takeover bids, such opportunities are limited in the medium term, property commentators say.

Rival  listed property loan stock companies Vukile Property Fund and ApexHi Properties, the two main unitholders in fellow listed company MICC Property Income Fund, might be forced to negotiate a deal that will benefit them both, analysts say.

Listed property loan stock company MICC Property Income Fund, which listed on the JSE Securities Exchange SA in October last year, on Wednesday reported distributions to unitholders for the year to September ahead of forecast.