It's a case of stronger together for the industry, as key property stakeholders have joined together in a new national council. The new representative council, National Property Practitioners Council (NPPC) has been formed to provide a single voice for property practitioners to speak with authority on issues connected with the property industry.
"For the first time in the history of the South African real estate sector, representative bodies have come together to form a unified national council, devoid of the constraints of self-interest by any particular sector of the industry, to act as the national industry representative body in all matters pertaining to the sector.
"The National Property Practitioners Council is the result of industry wide consultation to create the most appropriate representative body aimed at successfully formulating, developing and implementing credible industry-wide strategies capable of addressing national key imperatives and industry objectives including but not limited to industry regulation, transformation and education priorities.
In response to the Property Practitioners Act, the newly formed National Property Practitioners Council (NPPC) is open to all organised formations and stakeholders who fall within the definitions of the Act. Collectively the NPPC represents the interests over 40 000 agents, brokers, professionals, consultants, developers, managing agents, and financing institutions falling within the Act’s ambit.
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Founding members of the NPPC are:
- South African Institute of Black Property Practitioners (SAIBPP)
- South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA)
- Real Estate Business Owners of South Africa (REBOSA)
- National Property Forum (NPF)
- National Association of Managing Agents (NAMA)
- Institute of Certified Business Brokers (ICBB)
- South African Institute of Auctioneers (SAIA)
- Institute of Estate Agents of South Africa (IEASA)
- South African Business Broking Association (SABBA)
The NPPC is chaired by Ms Vuyiswa Mutshekwane, current CEO of the South African Institute of Black Property Practitioners (SAIBPP).
"Given her current role, Ms Mutshekwane is well positioned to drive the NPPC’s mandate and objectives and with the support of leading industry stalwarts Jan le Roux, Neil Gopal, Coenie Groenewald, Leo Mlambo, Mike Hindle; Bill Hartard; Edgar Blomeyer and Ferdie van Greunen, the ‘council’ is assured of the requisite skills and institutional knowledge to best represent the sector at national and government level.
"The first business of the new ‘council’ is to address the economic impact of Covid-19 on the sector and to pursue relief measures to mitigate some of the challenges. These include appeals to government to relax certain lockdown restrictions to ensure the continuation of the sectors economic supply chain.
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Proposed interventions include:
- Opening the Deeds Office with a skeleton staff to register properties and a call for local councils to issue rates clearance certificates.
- The industry regulator, Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB), has also been approached to waive certain fees and penalties.
In the weeks ahead, the NPPC says it will endeavour to "formulate policies and interventions that will address the challenges the sector is currently faced with".
"Also a high priority on the NPPC agenda are the draft regulations which will give effect to the new Property Practitioners Act; fast-tracking transformation initiatives; addressing industry growth opportunities and streamlining and building relations between the industry, government and all relevant stakeholders.
The NPPC says it also aims to work closely with the regulatory authority to facilitate industry-wide consultation going forward.
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