Community

Nedbank is the first bank in South Africa to incorporate a lifestyle enhancing virtual assistant into its banking app. With the exciting addition of two new features in the Nedbank Money app, these life-enhancing digital solutions are set to catapult the highly rated, award-winning MoneyApp beyond the realm of banking.

Positive news to emerge from Statistics SA today is that South Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 3,1% in the second quarter of 2019 (to end-June), compared to a decline of 3,1% in the first quarter.

Gowrie Village in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands is the quintessential country community, integrated into the greater village of Nottingham Road. Established in 2002, Gowrie’s sense of relaxed rural spaces and neighbourliness are key to the success of this mixed-use estate.

Which processes, procedures, and best practices keep a successful older estate at the top of its game? Marina Martinique – a unique Cape-Caribbean-style estate consisting of 384 residential stands and 475 units in group housing developments – is built around a lake and seven kilometres of constructed canals that lie three metres above sea level, and whose water is pumped in from, and flows back into, the ocean.

On the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain in Somerset West, the prestigious Erinvale Country Estate and Golf Club, which will be celebrating 25 successful years in 2020, was one of the first residential golf estates in South Africa. To find out what the ingredients are for this success, we chat to Kerstin Dinklage, Erinvale HOA trustee responsible for marketing and communication.

A unique 1,500-hectare bush retreat in the Waterberg, only an hour and a half from Pretoria and two hours from Johannesburg, Boschhoek Mountain Estate offers residents a sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of Gauteng city life – and offers management some unusual opportunities.

The Islands is a revelation for those who equate Hartbeespoort and its surrounds with golfing – it’s a slice of European-style marina living.

Silver Lakes Golf and Wildlife Estate epitomises idyllic and peaceful estate living. The estate has been developed around a world-class Peter Matkovich signature golf course and a game reserve that offers spectacular views of the lakes and tranquil surroundings.

Not so long ago, if somebody wanted to have their complaint heard, the best options were to write a letter to the newspaper (and hope that it would be published) or dial into the radio. now, in the digital age, everyone has a voice. Never before has it been easier to have your concerns or thoughts heard – no matter how insignificant or trivial they are – and that has implications for estate managers

The world is facing a climate crisis. A young Swedish schoolgirl is now leading a global campaign of defiance driven by school children. The world has just experienced the hottest July ever recorded, even while a vocal segment of the chattering masses in leading economies like the USA believes that the science underpinning global warming is a massive hoax perpetuated by scientists who are – somehow – conspiring to make money.

Cape Town is South Africa’s most scenic city, and the South Peninsula is arguably the most scenic part of the city, so it’s not surprising that savvy people have – for ages – put up with the long commute in order to live in this little slice of paradise.

The Section 12J tax allowance has introduced an exciting new asset class that has attracted over R6 billion within a very short period of time. Let’s explore how this can benefit developers.

Projectprop, which owns Leloko Lifestyle and Eco Estate in Hartebeespoort, is seeking a solid new buyer, or buyers, for this idyllic estate following a resolution by the shareholders to disinvest in the company through the sale of all of their shares.

The sluggish economy and continued inflationary pressures are taking their toll on the property market in general. According to credit bureau TPN’s latest report, the last three years have seen a steady decline in demand for residential properties, with a concomitant increase in the supply of properties. What’s more, the bureau says vacancy rates remain consistently high at 8.64% with escalations at just 4.85%. Most worrying for estate and property managers is that tenant good standing numbers continue to decline, with a current level of 81.8%.

The oldest ceramic object is a nude female figurine dating back to about 25,000 BC, found in the Moravian Basin in the Czech Republic. Generally accepted to be a fertility symbol that formed part of a wider culture, no one knows how the first one was made. Perhaps a man yearning for his wife, or even – let’s not limit ourselves here – a youth on the brink of puberty, fashioned a voluptuous woman from a handy bit of clay and, not appreciating his handiwork, tossed it in the fire. Unbeknown to him this action hardened his creation, enabling it to last until this lifetime…

As AI, big data and smart homes become a lived reality, what are residential estates doing now to make that future happen?

The gardens, areas of natural vegetation, rivers, water features, paths and even parking lots on your estate are all part of your ‘shop window’. So they need to be beautiful – and also sustainable in every sense. That’s where Servest comes in – creating beautiful spaces that enhance your estate both aesthetically and environmentally.

The world is changing faster than any of us can comprehend. So how can homeowners associations and estate managers plan for the future? And what is reserve funding, anyway?