Real Estate

In light of recent political and macroeconomic instability, housing has once again risen to the top of the policy agenda in many countries of North Africa and the Levant. Although the dynamics of local real estate markets and regulatory environments vary widely between Morocco in the west and Jordan in the east, persistent housing deficits, an affordability gap and under-...

The contention that nothing is certain except for death and taxes has been given further credence as property taxes have finally become an established part of Egyptian life. A law to impose these levies was first introduced six years ago, but was never enforced in the face of strong opposition from property owners, and demands that the threshold and criteria be changed.

Thanks to privatisation and a growing population, the construction industry in Egypt flourished in the years up to 2010 and many of the cement producers doubled their capacity in order to supply the demand. This changed drastically, however, after the January 25 revolution in 2011 partly, but not wholly, because of the revolution itself. Certainly there was a squeeze on...

Signs that price movement, which appear to be driven by underlying demand with little evidence of speculative activity, are instilling confidence in South Africa’s property sector. Despite a sluggish local economy, residential and commercial prices are appreciating at a pace higher than GDP but are comfortably on par with lending rates, while financing for the sector has...

South Africa’s contractors, who comprise one of the continent’s more robust and largest construction sectors, have had to navigate a challenging few years. While significant infrastructure spending has been planned for the medium term, order books, while busy, have yet to provide the dramatic rebound that has been hoped for. “After the 2010 World Cup, the industry has...

The National Development Plan (NDP) provides the underlying blueprint for socio-economic development until 2030. It sets out the aim of achieving an annual growth rate of 5.4%, which the government projects as necessary to eradicate the triple challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality.