South Africa

While its long-term potential may remain strong, particularly with a broadly positive macroeconomic outlook, the short-term future of South Africa’s property market is looking slightly more arduous. The country’s retail segment is still rising incrementally, but the commercial and residential components of the sector are likely to see muted activity and weak prices for some time to come.

The launch of the Gautrain – South Africa’s new high-speed train service – may be grabbing headlines, but the $3.8bn project could soon be overshadowed by even larger developments aimed at upgrading and expanding the country’s less prestigious but vital freight network.