Despite weak economic fundamentals resulting in negative real house price growth, the banking industry continues to show confidence in South Africa’s property market by further relaxing their lending criteria and approving home loan finance at levels last seen 12 years ago.

We find ourselves in an environment in which there is more to be worried about than usual, including an escalation of the China-US trade war, fallout from a “no-deal” Brexit, and erratic or aggressive Fed policy decisions.

Third quarter (Q3 18) statistics released by ooba, South Africa’s leading home loan originator, show that year-on-year from Q3 17 to Q3 18, the growth in the Average Purchase Price effectively remained static with a 0.1% increase. This continues the trend of negative real price growth (growth less inflation) in the residential property market.

With VAT increases and generally soaring prices taking their toll on South African pockets, it’s no wonder most people have been buckling up for tough financial times ahead. The cost of living is certainly climbing, but as it turns out, it’s not all doom and gloom on the horizon.

ooba, South Africa’s biggest bond originator, welcomes the interest rate cut of 0.25% announced by the South African Reserve Bank this afternoon.

Third quarter statistics (Q3 2017) from ooba, South Africa’s leading bond originator, show nominal positive growth of 3.3% on Q3 2016 in the average House Purchase Price.

As technology improves, so does the level of property scams that do the rounds, and while every precaution seems to be taken, there will be yet another thing that fraudsters find to dupe people out of large sums of money, warns Johnny Henkes of law firm Henkes Nolte-Joubert. 

The first month of 2017 saw the value of outstanding credit balances in the South African household sector rising by a much subdued 0,6% year-on-year (y/y) to R1 494,2 billion, after growth of 0,7% y/y at end-2016.

Continued declining household credit and mortgage balances growth  The first ten months of 2016 saw growth in outstanding credit balances in the South African household sector slowing down to a much subdued 1% year-on-year (y/y), with the value of these outstanding balances at R 1 478,6 billion at the end of October.

Growth in outstanding credit balances in the South African household sector remained low at 1,4% year-on-year (y/y) up to the end of August 2016.