THIS year looks set to be a little easier on the consumer’s pocket. The lowering of interest rates is likely to increase the demand for property and consequently give the market a much-needed boost. Experts have predicted that the recovery of the property market will take place in the latter half of 2009. For those who want to take advantage of the upturn, it is essential to be prepared. Start doing your homework now. Look at your options, work out what you can comfortably afford and try to get into the market as soon as possible. For the investor, it’s all about the ability to buy...

THE eLAN SA Rugby Legends will be taking part in the inaugural Blythedale Coastal Resort Mountain Bike Challenge on February 14, and will be promoting the Rob Louw Celebrate Life campaign as his fight against cancer begins after the Springbok star survived round one. Race distances are 40km, 19km and 6km. Pink Celebrate Life wristbands will also be on sale for R30, with the proceeds going to the Legends Celebrate Life Trust fund for the fight against cancer. They will also be celebrating the life of Ruben Kruger the rugby star who died last week after a long fight against brain cancer For...

Good living is in your nature WHEN SIMBITHI WAS VOTED Best New Course in KwaZulu-Natal for 2008 by Compleat Golfer it was just reward not only for an excellent, modern golf course design, but also for a groundbreaking philosophy as far as golf estate development is concerned. The 332-hectare Simbithi Eco-Estate lies just 30 minutes north of Durban, between Ballito and Salt Rock on the Dolphin Coast. It is a natural, coastal paradise with dense, indigenous riverine vegetation, lush valley wetlands, undulating hills and distant, breathtaking vistas. And, in keeping with the natural wealth...

Sharks players Keegan Daniel and Ryan Kankowski got into the spirit of giving last Friday and joined the eLan Group at a golf day at Simbithi Eco-Estate. The aim was to raise funds to improve facilities at a nearby feeding scheme in Shakashead Township. The Shakashead Ministries feeding scheme is a cause that has become very dear to the hearts of staff at eLan. The initiative has been providing up to 300 children a day with meals for the past five years, said eLan sales consultant and organiser of the golf day Peter Cameron. Participants played 18 holes in the afternoon followed by...

MANY homeowners will tell you that building your dream home can be stressful. Rising building costs, labour problems and contractors disappearing with your money before completing the work are all worries a homeowner thinks about before deciding to build. The eLan Group said its Simbithi home packages were designed to make this process hassle-free, with a streamlined start to finish service. Andrew Thompson, eLan’s national sales manager, said savings were realised through pre-negotiated professional and contractor fees. The company had access to professionals with proven track records....

More than 2000 people have been employed directly and indirectly through Simbithi Eco-Estate over the past five years. Most of these people were previously unemployed and come from nearby impoverished communities such as Shakashead and Shakaskraal outside Ballito. Since the estate’s inception it has been a prerequisite laid down by founding developer, the eLan Group that contractors and sub-contractors working there recruit their labour from local areas. It is also mandatory to have a SETA training programme in place. Many of the people who have been employed at Simbithi were...

In the past five years more than 2 000 people have been employed, directly and indirectly, through Simbithi Eco-Estate, according to the developers, eLan. Most of them had been previously unemployed and live in nearby communities such as Shakashead and Shakaskraal outside Ballito. Simbithi Eco-Estate is a 430ha development between Salt Rock and Ballito. It has been a prerequisite of the eLan Group to recruit construction workers locally. There is also a mandatory training programme in place. “Many of the people who have been employed at Simbithi were unskilled, but now they have...

Style and luxury can be found at the Simbithi Eco-Estate on the KwaZulu Natal north coast, writes THUMESHNI MUDELIAR S IMBITHI Eco-Estate on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal lies just outside Ballito and is about a half-an hour’s drive from Durban. This coastal retreat abounding with rich greenery and sea views is an ideal address for those in search of calm and tranquil natural surroundings. The 430ha estate is aimed at a secure outdoor lifestyle. Sotheby’s International Realty, Ballito, is marketing a designer home in the estate priced at R4, 2m. With the average stand size at...

MEMBERS of the National African Federation for the Building Industry (Nafbi) convened at the Riverside Hotel in Durban recently to learn more about property development from the KZN-based eLan Group. The objective of the conference was to start a series of engagements with the eLan Group to enable black entrepreneurs to become developers. The management staff from eLan also made presentations at the event. “For us to drive empowerment we need to put emphasis on enterprise development,” said Aubrey Tshalata, secretary-general of Nafbi. The federation is an autonomous board for...

Given that the financial well-being of the country’s household sector is key to the strength of the residential property and mortgage markets, it is important to keep a close eye on this part of the economy. In recent times, we have started to see the early encouraging signs that the household sector’s financial position may start to turn for the better. Most notable was the SARB not hiking interest rates in August, and as oil prices decline and global food price inflation tapers a bit we are increasingly hopeful that the country has finally reached the end of interest rate hiking. ...