The opening session of the African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit in Sandton this week will feature keynote addresses by Mr Muzi Mathema, the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency’s Acting Group Executive: Trade, Investment and Regulatory Enablement, as well as the CEO of the Gauteng Industrial Development Zone, Mrs Seipati Mangadi.  

The opportunities and challenges in the South African property sector, from commercial to residential, will be in focus at the summit that returns to Sandton from Thursday, 11  October. Some 200 property professionals are expected to attend this award-winning real estate event, including Johannesburg’s Executive Mayor, Herman Mashaba.

The Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA) is the headline sponsor for the African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit with the Gauteng Industrial Development Zone (GIDZ), a subsidiary company of the GGDA, also represented and speaking at the event. 

The conference theme is: “Examining the commercial, industrial and residential development landscape in South Africa”, and programme highlights include: 

Day 1 – Thursday, 11 October 2018:
09:00-09:30
Opening Keynote: Investing in South Africa: How African capital cities are leading the way
- Muzi Mathema, Acting Group Executive: Trade, Investment and Regulatory Enablement at Gauteng Growth and Development Agency

At the GGDA, Mr Mathema is successfully leading the division responsible for promoting trade and exports in and out of the Gauteng Province, as well as the facilitation of both Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Domestic Direct Investment (DDI) into the Gauteng Province. The function serves to drive economic growth and job creation, through value added facilitation of targeted investment in strategic sectors and delivering trade linkages globally. Additionally, through engagements with public sector stakeholders, potential investors, entrepreneurs, inward and outward trade missions, he is tasked to strategically position the Gauteng Province as a Globally Competitive City Region (GCR).

09:30-10:00
IDZs: Stimulating Struggling Economies: Expansion and development of the country’s industrial development zones: What are the opportunities?
- Seipati Mangadi, CEO of Gauteng Industrial Development Zone 

“The IDZ initiative will go a long way in attracting investment and contributing to lowering unemployment,” according to Ms Mangadi, “however, it should not be seen in separation to other endeavours to make South Africa an attractive destination in which to invest.” She continues: “success lies in working in close cooperation with all stakeholders tasked with marketing South Africa’s investment opportunities. At any given time, there are delegations visiting the globe in efforts to attract investment. However, there could be more cooperation, comparing notes, sharing ideas and ensuring that there is synergy. South Africa needs to sell itself as one investment destination as opposed to competing provinces and SEZs. The launch of Invest SA as a one stop shop is aimed at addressing the current challenges.” 

Day 2 – Friday, 12 October 2018:
09h30 - 10h00
Keynote: Residential Inner City Rejuvenation: How is the City of Johannesburg looking to stimulate private sector investment to raise its R20bn towards redeveloping into affordable housing?
- Herman Mashaba, Executive Mayor, City of Johannesburg                  

Full interviews with several of the event’s expert speakers and partners can be read here: http://www.african-real-estate-summit.com/interviews

Property Buyer Show
During the same week as the African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit, the award-winning Property Buyer Show also returns to Gauteng from 12-14 October at the Sandton International Convention Centre. The Property Buyer Show is a unique, proven format exhibition aimed at first-time residential property buyers or real estate investors and earlier this year won the AAXO ROAR Organiser and Exhibitor Award for the Best Consumer Exhibition 6000 sqm and under. The African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit was also voted Africa's best Confex (half conference, half exhibition) at the 2017 AAXO Roar Awards.

The summit and the Property Buyer Show are organised by the multi award-winning Spintelligent, well known for organising exhibitions and conferences across the continent in the infrastructure, energy, mining and agriculture sectors. Longstanding flagship events by Spintelligent include African Utility Week, Future Energy Nigeria (formerly WAPIC), Future Energy East Africa (formerly WAPIC), Agritech Expo Zambia, Kenya Mining Forum, Nigeria Mining Week, DRC Mining Week. Spintelligent is part of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK.

Dates and location:
African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit: 11-12 October 2018
Property Buyer Show expo: 13-14 October 2018
Location: Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa

Websites: http://www.african-real-estate-summit.com/ & http://www.propertybuyershow.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ARES_Summit & https://twitter.com/propertyshowsa
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8518271

Media contact:
Senior communications manager:  Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone:  +27 21 700 3558
Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Smart water management in focus at property event 

The organisers of the African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit have announced the gold sponsorship of Utility Systems, an industry leader in the field of remote communicating electronic water control valves and STS prepayment devices. The opportunities and challenges in the South African property sector, from commercial to residential, will be in focus at the summit that returns to Sandton from 11-12 October.

Some 200 property professionals are expected to attend this award-winning real estate event.

Assisting Cape Town with water crisis
“We are involved in a number of projects in various parts of the world which impact water usage” says Darren Oxlee, Chief Technical Officer at Utility Systems, and a featured speaker at the summit on Smart Water Management. He adds: “most pertinent at this time is the City of Cape Town: we have been deeply involved in assisting the City to manage the recent water crisis by providing a flow limitation solution to reduce household water consumption. We have more than 200,000 units deployed across the City of Cape Town. The implementation of our solution has formed part of the City’s strategy.” 

According to Utility Systems’ Darren Oxlee, his vision for water management in the property sector is that: “every water consumption point should be managed and monitored with the goal of reducing non-technical losses to under 20% by 2030. At the moment it is estimated that we lose about 38% of potable water in our systems which, aside for the massive cost, unnecessarily wastes our most valuable resource.”

Darren’s full interview can read on the event website: http://www.african-real-estate-summit.com/UtilitySystems-interview

Also read: Awareness: the first step in water conservation, by Utility Systems

Property Buyer Show
During the same week as the African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit, the award-winning Property Buyer Show also returns to Gauteng from 12-14 October at the Sandton International Convention Centre. The Property Buyer Show is a unique, proven format exhibition aimed at first-time residential property buyers or real estate investors and earlier this year won the AAXO ROAR Organiser and Exhibitor Award for the Best Consumer Exhibition 6000 sqm and under.

The African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit was also voted Africa's best Confex (half conference, half exhibition) at the 2017 AAXO Roar Awards.

The summit and the Property Buyer Show are organised by the multi award-winning Spintelligent, well known for organising exhibitions and conferences across the continent in the infrastructure, energy, mining and agriculture sectors. Longstanding flagship events by Spintelligent include African Utility Week, Future Energy Nigeria (formerly WAPIC), Future Energy East Africa (formerly WAPIC), Agritech Expo Zambia, Kenya Mining Forum, Nigeria Mining Week, DRC Mining Week. Spintelligent is part of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK.

Dates and location:
African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit: 11-12 October 2018
Property Buyer Show expo: 13-14 October 2018
Location: Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa

Websites: http://www.african-real-estate-summit.com/ & http://www.propertybuyershow.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ARES_Summit & https://twitter.com/propertyshowsa
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8518271

Media contact:
Senior communications manager:  Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone:  +27 21 700 3558
Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

Affordable housing, mixed use development projects and the impact of new technology and the Internet of Things on the commercial, industrial and residential landscape are just some of the topics of discussion on the future of the South African property sector at the upcoming African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit that returns to Sandton from 11-12 October. Some 200 property professionals are expected to attend this award-winning real estate event.  

Programme highlights and speakers at the African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit include:

· Panel discussion: The Affordable Housing Conundrum: How do we make affordable housing more attractive to investors?

- Panellist: Harold Spies, CEO, Similan Properties, a property development company specialising in the development of security estates with homes and apartments for the emerging middle class market in Mbombela, Gauteng and PE:

“While investors are looking at yield, developers have to evaluate yield drivers. To me, the answer is in the layered approach of addressing product concept, quality, management and constant evaluation.  It’s not a single thing, but a combination of the detail. When we dare to challenge the norm and strive for affordable luxury, design neighbourhoods and build communities, we have to pause at answering to experience design.” 

· Panel discussion: Integrated Urban Development: Investigating successful mixed use development projects with case studies: What makes these projects successful and how can we continue their sustainability.

- Panellist: Brendan Falkson, Director of Rosslyn Hub, a 100-ha mixed use development at the centre of the Tshwane Auto City, in Rosslyn. The Tshwane Auto City, is Africa’s first multi-OEM auto city, based on successful auto cities in Germany, Japan and China:

“The more role players that can buy into the ‘big vision’ of a project at an early stage, the more chance that this project will not only succeed, but thrive. Integrated urban development is especially significant in South Africa in order to bring communities closer to work opportunities and create better social cohesion."

· Presentation: The Impact of Technology and the Future of Residential Brokerage - What are international firms doing to stay ahead? How does technology improve the residential space?

- Rali Mampeule, CEO of Phadima Group Holdings:

“The new tech real estate business in the selling, leasing and buying of properties space will overtake the traditional sales and marketing companies in terms of overall values service to client and speed.”

· Presentation: How are IoT and the 4th Industrial revolution practically impacting the commercial, industrial and residential landscape - What is the impact on developers and investors in this area and are millennials changing the status quo for property development?

- Ms Laetitia Cook, Director, BiZense and Real Estate lecturer at the University of Pretoria:

“Rapid change is brought about by the 4th Industrial revolution, the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and the ability to analyse huge data lakes, as well as new technology such as Nano tech, Med Tech, Prop Tech etc. To us it may seem daunting but our customers, tenants, and future landlords are already comfortable in that space. We should not fear this wave of change. The old way of doing things will not solve the challenges we are facing now.”

The full interviews with these and other experts can be viewed on the event website: http://www.african-real-estate-summit.com/interviews

Utility Systems, an expert company in smart water management solutions, is the gold sponsor for the upcoming African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit.

Property Buyer Show
During the same week as the African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit, the award-winning Property Buyer Show also returns to Gauteng from 12-14 October at the Sandton International Convention Centre. The Property Buyer Show is a unique, proven format exhibition aimed at first-time residential property buyers or real estate investors and earlier this year won the AAXO ROAR Organiser and Exhibitor Award for the Best Consumer Exhibition 6000 sqm and under.

The African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit was also voted Africa's best Confex (half conference, half exhibition) at the 2017 AAXO Roar Awards.

The summit and the Property Buyer Show are organised by the multi award-winning Spintelligent, well known for organising exhibitions and conferences across the continent in the infrastructure, energy, mining, agriculture and education sectors. Longstanding flagship events by Spintelligent include African Utility Week, Future Energy Nigeria (formerly WAPIC), Future Energy East Africa (formerly WAPIC), Agritech Expo Zambia, Kenya Mining Forum, Nigeria Mining Week, DRC Mining Week. Spintelligent is part of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK. 

Dates and location:
African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit: 11-12 October 2018
Property Buyer Show expo: 13-14 October 2018
Location: Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa

Websites: http://www.african-real-estate-summit.com/ & http://www.propertybuyershow.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ARES_Summit & https://twitter.com/propertyshowsa
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8518271

Media contact:
Senior communications manager:  Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone:  +27 21 700 3558
Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Women are front and centre in this year’s speaker line-up for the African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit that returns to Sandton in South Africa from 11-12 October this year. The programme for the summit that focuses on all types of built development to develop the future African city, has just been released and is on point for August as Women’s Month.

Around 300 property professionals are expected to attend this award-winning real estate event says programme director Catherine Brassell, adding: “following two successful editions we have another insightful, strategic conference programme this year with some of the leading experts within the commercial, industrial and residential real estate sectors, many of them whom happen to be women.”

Innovation is driven by diversity
“Women should be respected and celebrated throughout the year and Women’s Month is a step in the right direction” says Ms Noluthando Molao, Associate Director: Construction Project Management at Turner & Townsend and speaker at the upcoming African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit. She is the winner of several awards for outstanding women in construction and her most recent successfully completed project is the ORTIA Platform Extension Project for the Gautrain Management Agency.

Ms Molao adds: “science, technology and engineering and maths are male dominated careers. As a young person in this industry you have to learn to be technically competent and work extra hard in order to earn the respect of your peers. I'm very grateful to my organisation that has global leaders that have mentored and moulded me to be technically competent. Being a tough industry, you can't wait to be given; you have to pro-active, work hard like everyone else. Innovation is driven by diversity. Within my organisation, diversity is strongly encouraged because different cultural backgrounds bring different spices to finding solutions so diversity is encouraged because you find better solutions.”

Misconception that green building is costly
“Women are beginning to take leadership roles in this space,” says Ms Dorah Modise, CEO of the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA), adding: “we are still significantly male dominated but more and more women professionals are entering the green building space.”

During the African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit, Ms Modise will deliver a keynote address entitled “Green Building Trends: The True Value of Building Sustainably - Adopting sustainability practices in the built environment to enjoy tangible ROI gains.” “I will focus a lot on recent studies on costs and trends of green buildings as well as benefits across different investment indicators. A number of South African and international examples will be used to demonstrate real returns as a result of adoption of sustainable solutions.”

She continues: “the GBCSA launched a net-zero certification programme and are looking at net zero carbon, waste, water and ecology buildings and precincts to better combat climate change, enhance efficiencies and contribute to national development objectives. We are now on approximately 400 certifications since inception and we are gaining traction in certifications and training across the African continent.”

Ms Modise adds: “The misconception that green building is costly still needs to be fully laid to rest. There might be a marginal additional cost to upfront capital but the long term operating costs of green buildings far outweigh the initial capital. Besides, with maturity of green technology and solutions this capital cost if coming down at an accelerated rate.”

The full interview with Ms Modise can be read here: http://www.african-real-estate-summit.com/GBCSA-interview

Invest SA as a one stop shop
Another expert speaker at the African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit, Ms Seipati Mangadi, CEO of the Gauteng Industrial Development Zone, will focus on “Stimulating Struggling Economies: Expansion and development of the country’s industrial development zones: What are the opportunities?” 

“The IDZ initiative will go a long way in attracting investment and contributing to lowering unemployment,” according to Ms Mangadi, “however, it should not be seen in separation to other endeavours to make South Africa an attractive destination in which to invest.” 

She continues: “success lies in working in close cooperation with all stakeholders tasked with marketing South Africa’s investment opportunities. At any given time, there are delegations visiting the globe in efforts to attract investment. However, there could be more cooperation, comparing notes, sharing ideas and ensuring that there is synergy. South Africa needs to sell itself as one investment destination as opposed to competing provinces and SEZs. The launch of Invest SA as a one stop shop is aimed at addressing the current challenges.”

Real estate and technology trends
“How are the (IoT) Internet of Things and the 4th Industrial Revolution practically impacting the residential and commercial property landscape and the impact on developers and investors in this area” – is the title of the presentation by Ms Laetitia Cook, Director, BiZense and Real Estate lecturer at the University of Pretoria.

“Rapid change is brought about by the 4th Industrial revolution, the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and the ability to analyse huge data lakes, as well as new technology such as Nano tech, Med Tech, Prop Tech etc.,” says Ms Cook.

She explains: “to us it may seem daunting but our customers, tenants, and future landlords are already comfortable in that space. We should not fear this wave of change. The old way of doing things will not solve the challenges we are facing now. Thus, we need the designers’, hacker’s and maker’s mind-set to resolve the wicked problems and create a future we where we will survive and hopefully thrive.”

Property Buyer Show
During the same week as the African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit, the award-winning Property Buyer Show also returns to Gauteng from 12-14 October at the Sandton International Convention Centre. The Property Buyer Show is a unique, proven format exhibition aimed at first-time residential property buyers or real estate investors and earlier this year won the AAXO ROAR Organiser and Exhibitor Award for the Best Consumer Exhibition 6000 sqm and under.

The African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit was also voted Africa's best Confex (half conference, half exhibition) at the 2017 AAXO Roar Awards.

The summit and the Property Buyer Show are organised by the multi award-winning Spintelligent, well known for organising exhibitions and conferences across the continent in the infrastructure, energy, mining, agriculture and education sectors. Longstanding flagship events by Spintelligent include African Utility Week, Future Energy Nigeria (formerly WAPIC), Future Energy East Africa (formerly WAPIC), Agritech Expo Zambia, Kenya Mining Forum, Nigeria Mining Week, DRC Mining Week. Spintelligent is part of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK.

Dates and location:
African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit: 11-12 October 2018
Property Buyer Show expo: 12-14 October 2018
Location: Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa

Websites: http://www.african-real-estate-summit.com/ & http://www.propertybuyershow.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ARES_Summit & https://twitter.com/propertyshowsa
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8518271

Media contact:
Senior communications manager:  Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone:  +27 21 700 3558
Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Africa’s cities are facing an urban ‘polycrisis’

The award-winning African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit comes to Gauteng in October to gather leading built environment and property professionals, architects, project developers, investors, town planners, and city and municipal managers from all over the continent to focus on “Developing Future African Cities”.

“Over the next 20 years, growth in Africa’s urban population will increase the demand for more infrastructure, including transport, housing, hospitals, schools, retail, industrial and fundamental facilities,” says Benjamin Jones, Event Manager of African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit. He adds: “to meet this ongoing demand, public and private sector stakeholders will need to adapt their strategies to develop and fund projects that will need to meet the specific demands and challenges of African cities.” The summit will take place at the Sandton Convention Centre from 25-26 October.

JLL, the global financial and professional services firm specialising in commercial real estate services and investment management, is the official content sponsor for the event. Simon Ardonceau (MRICS), JLL’s Head of Strategic Consulting, Sub-Saharan Africa and speaker at the African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit, says: “driven by strong fundamentals such as sustained economic growth, favourable demographics, emergence of a middle class and rapid urbanisation, the real estate sector is bound to grow.”

Visionary city planning
In November last year, the inaugural African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit in Cape Town provided an innovative space for more than 300 sector experts gathered for interactive sessions that focused on key case studies of visionary city planning, investment opportunities in the commercial and residential real estate sectors across the continent as well as the challenges of urbanisation. A key finding of the conference was that Africa’s cities are facing an urban ‘polycrisis’ and that there is a need for a new urban agenda and an opportunity for innovative solutions to address urbanisation challenges.

The summit was voted Africa's best Confex (half conference, half exhibition) earlier this year by the AAXO ROAR event industry awards.

More key findings that emerged during the first African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit included:
-  African countries need to adopt new development models designed to take advantage of urbanisation by facilitating structural transformation, creating jobs and addressing social inequality and poverty, while creating sustainable human settlements with equal opportunity for all.

-  The future of Africa is at stake and the future of Africa will be more and more linked to how cities are managed and the way they choose to contribute to African unity. Careful, complex, thorough administrative management and pro-poor urban development will turn African cities into world-class cities, not design plans based on fantasy Dubai-esque city makeovers.

- The City of Cape Town has invested over R22 billion in infrastructure over the last five years and needs to provide an additional 650 000 housing opportunities over the next 20 years.

-  Merely pursuing low-density low-cost housing on the outskirts of the cities is not an option. Innovative thinking must be part of the solutions for urbanisation challenges and partnerships between the public and private sectors play an important role.

Leading African cities that have been invited to showcase their major infrastructure and building projects and opportunities in October at African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit include: Abuja, Nigeria; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Cape Town, South Africa; Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania; Johannesburg, South Africa; Kampala, Uganda; Kigali, Rwanda; Lagos, Nigeria; Luanda, Angola; Lusaka, Zambia; Maputo, Mozambique; Nairobi, Kenya; Harare, Zimbabwe and Kinshasa, DRC.

Property Buyer Show
During the same week as African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit, the Property Buyer Show also comes to Gauteng from 27-29 October at the Sandton Convention Centre. The Property Buyer Show, which took place for the first time in Cape Town in April this year, is a unique exhibition aimed at first-time residential property buyers or real estate investors. The innovative exhibition layout is designed to walk buyers through the property buying process and meet with developers, agents and financial service providers.

The African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit and the Property Buyer Show are organised by the Cape Town-based, multi award-winning Spintelligent, well known for organising exhibitions and conferences across the continent in the infrastructure, energy, mining, agriculture and education sectors. Longstanding flagship events by Spintelligent include African Utility Week, Future Energy Nigeria (formerly WAPIC), Future Energy East Africa (formerly EAPIC), Agritech Expo Zambia, DRC Mining Week and EduWeek. Spintelligent is part of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK.

Dates and location:
African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit: 25-26 October 2017
Property Buyer Show conference: 27 October 2017
Property Buyer Show expo: 28-29 October 2017
Location: Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa

Websites: http://www.african-real-estate-summit.com/ & http://www.propertybuyershow.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ARES_Summit & https://twitter.com/propertyshowsa
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8518271

Media contact
Senior communications manager:  Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone:  +27 21 700 3558
Mobile:  +27 82 562 7844
Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

“The results to date speak for themselves”

Spintelligent, the multi-AAXO-award-winning Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser, had a strong first half of 2017 with all of four of its flagship events: African Utility Week, Agritech Expo Zambia, DRC Mining Week and Eduweek, pulling off record results and an exciting new Property Buyer Show drawing large crowds.

Spintelligent MD David Ashdown says "Exhibition and conference revenues are up year-on-year and attendee numbers are growing exponentially. The demand for face-to-face events as a platform to share knowledge and facilitate trade is increasing and proven to provide African buyers and sellers an improved ROI over traditional marketing medium."

“Winning four major AAXO event industry awards at the beginning of 2017 was immensely rewarding but it has also inspired us to work even harder and not rest on our laurels and the results to date speak for themselves,” says Spintelligent MD David Ashdown. He adds: “I am very proud of my team for their effort and commitment and am confident that the rest of the year will be as fulfilling and successful.”

• Education
  Most recently, the 11th edition of Eduweek took place at the Gallagher Estate in Johannesburg from 12-13 July and gathered 3,738 attendees over two days, 90 expert speakers and 161 exhibitors.
  
  
• Mining
  DRC Mining Week in Lubumbashi, DRC in June showed an astounding 67% growth with 2,691 attendees from 32 countries over three days with 131 exhibitors.
  
  
• Power & Energy
  In May, Cape Town’s CTICC once again hosted African Utility Week and this year also did not disappoint. The 17th edition of the event welcomed 7,477 attendees from 91 countries who attended the three-day event – this was up from 6,445 attendees last year. The expo featured more than 300 exhibitors from 11 different countries and 284 expert speakers and 66 utilities from 20 African countries were represented.
  
  
• Agriculture
  Agritech Expo Zambia in Chisamba in April featured a record number of more than 18,000 visitors, seven international pavilions and a VIP attendance that included five cabinet ministers and the Zambian President Edgar Lungu who visited the event for the third year in a row.
  
  
• Real Estate
  Spintelligent also launched its first Property Buyer Show in Cape Town in April, a unique exhibition aimed at first-time residential buyers or property investors, which drew some 3,100 visitors. Spintelligent’s Publishing division has also been very busy so far this year.

Says David Ashdown: “besides never missing a day to deliver daily headline news, we have published 14 editions of our long-running, leading trade publications ESI-Africa, Mining Review Africa, Metering & Smart Energy International and look forward to another 12 content-rich editions until the New Year.”

He continues: “our prestige publications are boasting a new layout, the African Power Elites 2018 has achieved new heights by doubling incoming nominations in comparison to 2017, whilst for the first time, our African Mining Elites 2018 opens the door to new and exciting awards, highlighting excellence in the mining industry. Our Global Smart Energy Elites 2018, featuring the latest insights into the global leaders of the international smart energy network, is due to be released in October.”

Africa, a continental approach
“Spintelligent has a busy five months ahead,” says MD David Ashdown, “particularly rolling out our new Future Energy franchise of energy conferences and exhibitions across Africa” and in the process renaming some of Africa’s most iconic regional power events in East, West and Central Africa, including EAPIC and WAPIC, reflecting the optimism and potential of the energy and power sectors on the continent.”

He adds: “Africa continues to show economic development and growth, and we look forward to continuing to realise our potential and, while growing our key sector portfolios organically, our strategic path also includes being open to partnership and acquisition opportunities.”

ROAR Awards 2017

Earlier this year Spintelligent won four major awards at AAXO’s ROAR Organiser and Exhibitor Awards in Johannesburg:

• Best Trade Exhibition 6001-12000 sqm category: African Utility Week, joint winner with World Travel Market
• Best Trade & Consumer Exhibition +12000 sqm Award: Agritech Expo Zambia
• Distinction in Social Responsibility Award: Agritech Expo Zambia
• Best Confex Award: African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit
• Social Responsibility Award (finalist): DRC Mining Week

Upcoming Spintelligent events in 2017

• 13-14 September:  Future Energy Uganda, Kampala
• 2-3 October: Future Energy Central Africa, Yaoundé
• 4-5 October: Eduweek Western Cape, Cape Town
• 16-19 October: Nigeria Mining Week, Abuja
• 25-29 October: African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit and Property Buyer Show, Johannesburg
• 7-8 November: Future Energy Nigeria, Lagos
• 13-14 November: Kenya Mining Forum, Nairobi
• 29-30 November: Future Energy East Africa, Nairobi
• 29-30 November: AgriBusiness Congress East Africa, Kampala

Spintelligent is well known for organising exhibitions and conferences across the continent in the infrastructure, real estate, energy, mining, agriculture and education sectors.  Its publishing division reaches the key sectoral decision makers for metering, power and mining. Spintelligent is part of the UK-based Clarion Events Group.

Website: http://www.spintelligent.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/spintelligent

Media contact
Senior communications manager:  Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone:  +27 21 700 3500
Mobile:  +27 82 562 7844
Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Africa’s cities are facing an urban ‘polycrisis’

“The first African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit in Cape Town provided an innovative space for leading built environment professionals to engage with experts, projects, investors and practitioners from all over the continent. We are confident that the summit will grow to become the leading meeting point of the real estate and infrastructure industries in Africa." This is according to Tim Harris, CEO of Wesgro, who was a speaker and session facilitator at the summit.

More than 300 sector experts gathered for the inaugural two-day summit earlier this month with interactive sessions that focused on key case studies of visionary city planning, investment opportunities in the commercial and residential real estate sectors across the continent, the African city of the future and the challenges of urbanisation. Innovative development projects from Cape Town, Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, Kigali, Lusaka, Kampala and the Taparura project in Tunisia were showcased.

A key finding of the conference was that Africa’s cities are facing an urban ‘polycrisis’ and that there is a need for a new urban agenda and an opportunity for innovative solutions to address urbanisation challenges.

Expert speaker highlights at the African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit included:

* “Africa is on the brink of great change. It is the fastest urbanising region in the world, with around 400 million people expected to migrate from rural areas to cities by 2050. As more and more people move to our cities in search of a better life, it is critical that we provide effective and sustainable infrastructure to meet their needs.”
- Alderman Ian Neilson, City of Cape Town’s Executive Deputy Mayor

* “New forms of urban planning in African cities seem to be dedicated to transforming them into replicas of Dubai, Shanghai and Singapore. The main challenge of the real estate sector on the continent currently is to find approaches to real estate development which are not only for the wealthy, and which find architectural and planning approaches which are not simplistic ‘cut and pastes’ of cities elsewhere in the world.”
- Prof Vanessa Watson, of the School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics, University of Cape Town

* “The Voortrekker Road Corridor offers a unique opportunity to invest in the urban core of Cape Town in one of its most important transit-oriented development corridors, taking advantage of the central location and extensive public transport infrastructure.”
– Councillor Johan van der Merwe, the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Environmental and Spatial Planning.

* “Arup recently completed a transit orientated development masterplan for the light rail transit system in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The project focused on realising the economic potential of the key stations along the light rail system; while regenerating the city, thereby making use of hard infrastructure systems to unlock multiple gains that improve the social and economic prosperity of citizens”.
-  Nico Venter, Associate Director at Arup’s Johannesburg Office, responsible for the Urban Design and Cities Business in South Africa.

* “We passionately believe that Africa is a continent of opportunity. With improving economies, rising populations, rapid rates of urbanisation and burgeoning middle classes, some African cities are expected to grow between 70-100% in the next 15 years.”
- Mr Jean-Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLGA) – patron of the African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit.

More key findings that emerged during the African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit included:

• African countries need to adopt new development models designed to take advantage of urbanisation by facilitating structural transformation, creating jobs and addressing social inequality and poverty, while creating sustainable human settlements with equal opportunity for all.
• The future of Africa is at stake and the future of Africa will be more and more linked to how cities are managed and the way they choose to contribute to African unity.
• Careful, complex, thorough administrative management and pro-poor urban development will turn African cities into world-class cities, not design plans based on fantasy Dubai-esque city makeovers.
• The city is the centre of the emancipated state and social media needs to be harnessed to unleash the potential of Africa’s smart cities.
• The City of Cape Town has invested over R22 billion in infrastructure over the last five years, and needs to provide an additional 650 000 housing opportunities over the next 20 years.
• Merely pursuing low-density low-cost housing on the outskirts of the cities is not an option. Innovative thinking must be part of the solutions for urbanisation challenges and partnerships between the public and private sectors play an important role.

Major infrastructure and building projects and opportunities on the continent featured at the African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit included:

• Cape Town’s Voortrekker Corridor Road Integration Zone Strategy and Investment Plan
• Joburg’s Corridors of Freedom for a people-centred city
• Kimisange, Kicukiro 237 and Kicukiro 968 in Kigali, Rwanda
• Transit Oriented Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• The PDGML – General Master Plan for Luanda, Angola
• Comprehensive Urban Development Plan (CUDP) for the City of Lusaka, Zambia
• Kampala Physical Development Plan, Uganda
• PARURA SFAX – The Master Plan for Taparura Project, Tunisia

The African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit was organised by Spintelligent, leading Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser, and the African office of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK.

Spintelligent is well known for organising exhibitions and conferences across the continent in the infrastructure, energy, mining, agriculture and education sectors. Longstanding flagship events by Spintelligent include African Utility Week, East African Power Industry Convention (EAPIC), West African Power Industry Convention (WAPIC), Agritech Expo, DRC Mining Week and EduWeek.

Website: http://www.african-real-estate-summit.com/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ARES_Summit 
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8518271 

Media contact:
Senior communications manager:  Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone:  +27 21 700 3558
Mobile:  +27 82 562 7844
Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Cape Town Summit to gather developers, investors and planners “

The Voortrekker Road Corridor offers a unique opportunity to invest in the urban core of Cape Town in one of its most important transit-oriented development corridors, taking advantage of the central location and extensive public transport infrastructure” – this is according to Councillor Johan van der Merwe, the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Environmental and Spatial Planning. The City of Cape Town will present its Voortrekker Road Corridor: Strategy and Investment Plan at the upcoming African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit at the Mother City’s CTICC from 2-3 November.

The presentation, which is open to industry professionals, forms part of an exciting line-up of high-level representatives from leading African cities, including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Lusaka and Kampala, who will showcase the investment and development opportunities offered by their cities’ Urban Development Plans or specific major infrastructure projects. “

The City has spent in excess of R300-million on infrastructure investments” says Councillor van der Merwe, “which are directly serving the corridor and significantly more on bulk infrastructure that contributes towards the corridor. One of the key infrastructure investments that we are making is providing financing to PRASA to undertake a study to develop a plan of improvements/upgrades to this important rail corridor.”

He foresees the main challenges to be “urban management, which includes crime, grime and maintenance, which is a key issue within the corridor. Solving this challenge is key to attracting investors to the area. We see the solution to this challenge emanating from the continuation and further development of partnerships between the City, the Greater Tygerberg Partnership, city improvement districts, land owners, business operators, civic organisations and residents. In addition to this partnership approach, we are working with the City improvement districts and the Greater Tygerberg Partnership to provide additional services in key locations”.  

African city of the future
More headline speakers at the African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit that will also focus on key case studies of visionary city planning, investment opportunities in the commercial and residential real estate sector, the African city of the future and the challenges of urbanisation are:

- Tim Harris, CEO, WESGRO
- Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General, UCLG-A*
- Lord Mayor, Hon. Isaya Mwita Charles, Dar es Salaam
- Lekwalo Mosienyane, Director, Business Botswana 
- Mokena Makeka, Founder & Principal, Makeka Design Lab, South Africa 
- Kecia Rust, Director & Founder, Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa / Secretariat to the African Union for Housing Finance, UN-Habitat, South Africa
- Amine Turki, Secretary General, Africa Union of Architects, Tunisia
- Professor Vanessa Watson, School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics, University of Cape  

*UCLG-A: United Cities and Local Governments of Africa

The African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit will gather the full spectrum of the continent’s real estate sector and will assist African cities and governments to secure international investment for commercial real estate development and infrastructure projects that will contribute to Urban Development Plans (UDPs).

The African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit is organised by Spintelligent, leading Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser, and the African office of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK. Spintelligent is well known for organising exhibitions and conferences across the continent in the infrastructure, energy, mining, agriculture and education sectors. Longstanding flagship events by Spintelligent include African Utility Week, East African Power Industry Convention (EAPIC), West African Power Industry Convention (WAPIC), Agritech Expo, DRC Mining Week and EduWeek.

UCLG Africa

The UCLG Africa is the patron of the upcoming African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit in Cape Town. The UCLG AFRICA is the umbrella organisation and the united voice and representative of local government in Africa. It is an institution that gathers 40 national associations of local governments from all regions of Africa as well as the 2000 cities that have more than 100.000 inhabitants. Therefore UCLG AFRICA represents nearly 350 million Africans citizens.

Dates for African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit 2016:
Showcase and conference: 2-3 November 2016
Opening session: 09h00, 2 November, 2016
Location: CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa

Website: http://www.african-real-estate-summit.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ARES_Summit
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8518271

Media contact: Senior communications manager:  Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone:  +27 21 700 3558 Mobile:  +27 82 562 7844
Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit to gather developers, investors and planners

“New forms of urban planning in African cities seem to be dedicated to transforming them into replicas of Dubai, Shanghai and Singapore,” says Professor Vanessa Watson, of the School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics, University of Cape Town. According to Prof Watson, the main challenge of the real estate sector on the continent currently is “to find approaches to real estate development which are not only for the wealthy, and which find architectural and planning approaches which are not simplistic ‘cut and pastes’ of cities elsewhere in the world.”

Prof Watson is part of an exciting speaker line-up at the upcoming African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit in Cape Town from 2-3 November with a contribution that will focus on “African cities for sale. World-class, smart, eco or just profitable?” She explains: “rapid growth of African cities means that urban development is required, but noting that the vast majority of this growth is of poor and unemployed households. The very small urban middle-class offers limited opportunity for real estate aimed high-income households. Finding housing models for lower income households is absolutely possible and offers far greater opportunity.”

Other exciting speakers on the programme include:

- Eng. Jose Miranda, Regional Director Africa, Aurecon, South Africa, who will be part of a presentation entitled: “What makes a multi-billion dollar project in Africa?” about the international, award-winning General Master Plan for Luanda City (2030 Luanda Plan) outlining the sustainable transformation and development plans.

Says Eng. Miranda: “water, energy and sanitation are fundamental needs for all human beings.  Preserving Luanda’s natural environment, whilst providing the people of Luanda with a future city they will benefit from, is an important priority to Aurecon within the Luanda City Master Plan or Plano Director Geral Metropolitano de Luanda (PDGML). As part of the strategic city and provincial wide infrastructure planning service provided, we attempted to ensure the people of Luanda and surrounds have access to energy, drinkable water, sanitation, and increased waste recycling.”

- “There seems to be a measurable disconnect between the public sector and private sector regarding city planning,” says Albert Smuts, Architect and Director, Fieldworks Design Group, who is part of a panel discussion on “Making African cities of tomorrow inclusive” at the event next month. He adds: “there is very little in the form of readily available land intended for private development within our urban centres, and in turn governmental city planning suffers because of the consequential sprawl.”

He continues: “the rate of urbanisation in Africa far exceeds that of the western world, which means that un-programmed, unprotected open land becomes quickly commoditised. This exacerbates issues associated with the expansion of suburbia and urban sprawl”.

More headline speakers at the African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit are:
- Tim Harris, CEO, WESGRO
- Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General, UCLG-A*
- Lekwalo Mosienyane, Director, Business Botswana 
- Mokena Makeka, Founder & Principal, Makeka Design Lab, South Africa 
- Kecia Rust, Director & Founder, Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa / Secretariat to the African Union for Housing Finance, UN-Habitat, South Africa
- Amine Turki, Secretary General, Africa Union of Architects, Tunisia

*UCLG-A: United Cities and Local Governments of Africa

The African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit will gather the full spectrum of the continent’s real estate sector and will assist African cities and governments to secure international investment for commercial real estate development and infrastructure projects that will contribute to Urban Development Plans (UDPs).

The African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit is organised by Spintelligent, leading Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser, and the African office of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK. Spintelligent is well known for organising exhibitions and conferences across the continent in the infrastructure, energy, mining, agriculture and education sectors. Longstanding flagship events by Spintelligent include African Utility Week, East African Power Industry Convention (EAPIC), West African Power Industry Convention (WAPIC), Agritech Expo, DRC Mining Week and EduWeek.

UCLG Africa
The UCLG Africa is the patron of the upcoming African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit in Cape Town. The UCLG AFRICA is the umbrella organisation and the united voice and representative of local government in Africa. It is an institution that gathers 40 national associations of local governments from all regions of Africa as well as the 2000 cities that have more than 100.000 inhabitants. Therefore UCLG AFRICA represents nearly 350 million Africans citizens.

Dates for African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit 2016:
Showcase and conference: 2-3 November 2016
Location: CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa
Website: http://www.african-real-estate-summit.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ARES_Summit
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8518271

Media contact:
Senior communications manager:  Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone:  +27 21 700 3558
Mobile:  +27 82 562 7844
Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

African cities to connect with developers, investors and planners

The CEO of Wesgro, Tim Harris, the Executive Director of Kampala’s Capital City Authority, Dr Jennifer Musisi, the UCLG-A Secretary General, Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, and Business Botswana Director Lekwalo Mosienyane are heading up an exciting line-up of headline experts from around Africa that will address the African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit in Cape Town from 2-3 November 2016.

*UCLG-A: United Cities and Local Governments of Africa

The African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit will gather the full spectrum of the continent’s real estate sector and will assist African cities and governments to secure international investment for commercial real estate development and infrastructure projects that will contribute to Urban Development Plans (UDPs).

Summit programme highlights include:

• Opening keynote: “Developing the Future of African Cities”
Africa’s population of roughly 1.1 billion is expected to double by 2050.

Keynote speakers :  
Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General UCLG-A, Morocco
Nana Kwame Bediako, President, Founder & CEO, Petronia, Ghana*
Lekwalo Mosienyane, Director, Mosienyane and Partners Int. & President, Business Botswana, Botswana

• “Future Cities revealed – Urban Development Plans”
Some of the continent’s leading cities, including Lusaka, Kigali, Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, have been invited to showcase their UDPs in a discussion format. This will allow for delegates and exhibitors to understand the future plans of developing cities and build business relationships with key city officials including: city managers, city mayors, city council members, town planners, town clerks, district officials and city and finance directors amongst others.

• Africa’s finest: A review of successful city development projects

- Building a new face for Kampala
– A case study of how good governance, improved city revenue collection and service delivery are transforming Kampala into a vibrant, attractive and sustainable city. Speaker: Dr Jennifer Musisi, Executive Director, Kampala, Capital City Authority, Uganda

- Kigali developments
– A case study on master planning work in Kigali for a significant new residential/mixed use development
Speaker: Guy Briggs, Director/ Head of Urban Design, dhk, South Africa

- What makes an $800-billion project in Africa: Modernising Luanda – the international award winning General Master Plan for Luanda City (2030 Luanda Plan) outlines the sustainable transformation and development plans. How intelligent city planning can bring about real improvements in the lives of Angolan citizens.
Speakers:  
Eng. Neusa Ingles, Project Manager, Urbinveste, Angola
Phil Bonds, Director of Urban Design, Broadway Malyan, United Kingdom
Eng. Jose Miranda, Regional Director Africa, Aurecon, South Africa

• “The Western Cape:  The new  hub for local and international investment”
Cape Town is fast becoming a destination of choice for foreign investors looking to expand their operations in Africa. How the market is shaping towards international investment and which opportunities are available.
Speaker: Tim Harris, CEO, Wesgro, South Africa

• “Making African cities of tomorrow inclusive”
More than half the world’s population now live in cities, and this proportion will continue to increase rapidly to reach 70% by 2050. How cities are created that are inclusive of all those who live in them through their design, layout, technological innovations and social impact.

Speakers:     
- Albert Smuts, Director, Fieldworks Design Group, South Africa
- Mokena Makeka, Founder & Principal, Makeka Design Lab, South Africa  
- Kecia Rust, Director & Founder, Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa / Secretariat to the African Union for Housing Finance, UN Habitat, South Africa
- Vanessa Watson, Professor of City and Regional Planning, School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics, University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Amine Turki, Secretary General, Africa Union of Architects, Tunisia
- Moderated by: Tim Harris, CEO, Wesgro

The African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit is organised by Spintelligent, leading Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser, and the African office of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK. Spintelligent is well known for organising exhibitions and conferences across the continent in the infrastructure, energy, mining, agriculture and education sectors. Longstanding flagship events by Spintelligent include African Utility Week, East African Power Industry Convention (EAPIC), West African Power Industry Convention (WAPIC), Agritech Expo, DRC Mining Week and EduWeek.

UCLG Africa
The UCLG Africa is the patron of the upcoming African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit in Cape Town. The UCLG AFRICA is the umbrella organisation and the united voice and representative of local government in Africa. It is an institution that gathers 40 national associations of local governments from all regions of Africa as well as the 2000 cities that have more than 100.000 inhabitants. Therefore UCLG AFRICA represents nearly 350 million Africans citizens.

Dates for African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit 2016:
Showcase and conference: 2-3 November 2016
Location: CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa

Website: http://www.african-real-estate-summit.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ARES_Summit
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8518271

Media contact:
Senior communications manager:  Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone:  +27 21 700 3558
Mobile:  +27 82 562 7844
Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.