South Africa

South Africans are increasingly looking to greener pastures within our country’s borders in search of a better quality of life away from the stresses of big cities, notes Andrea Tucker, director at MortgageMe. Semigration, or moving from one part of the country to another, is firmly in the spotlight as Covid-19 makes working remotely de rigueur. Data from FNB shows a continued trend towards...

The amended level 3 lockdown regulations give tenants who can’t pay their rent due to “the disaster” some “breathing room”, but landlords will still be entitled to demand their rentals and cancel leases if tenants remain in breach indefinitely. That’s according to Cape Town-based rental property attorney Marlon Shevelew. The regulations make the following practices “unfair” in...

For many of us, this has meant discovering the limitations of our current properties, triggering a search for a more suitable home in which to enjoy our new normal. Luckily, there has never been a better time to venture onto the property market. Tony Clarke, MD of the Rawson Property Group, explains how best to navigate it in today’s unusual times. Prioritise safety “The most important thing for...

Paving the way for a land-grab free-for-all By Anthea Jeffery -August 27, 2020 In a judgment handed down on Tuesday this week, the Cape Town high court issued an interim interdict barring the City of Cape Town from evicting illegal land occupiers from their shacks – whether these are occupied or not – without first obtaining a court order. This interim interdict will...

The Art of Negotiation When Buying Your First House .   Most of us are uncomfortable about negotiating a deal, especially on a property. Mastering a few tricks will give you the power to go out and get yourself the best deal. Ask any salesperson and they will tell you there's an art to negotiating the best deal possible in any transaction. Buyers don't generally offer the full purchase price...

Online job aggregator Adzuna has published on a new analysis which ranks South Africa’s cities on earnings, job opportunities per person, average house prices and rental figures. Johannesburg was crowned as the best place to live in South Africa based on the availability of job opportunities, average salary and house price affordability. Since the average renter only spends about 19% on rent...