Fulfilling a prediction that he made recently when Rawson Properties sold their first Zimbabwean franchise (to the effect that Rawsons across border expansion would continue), Tony Clarke, MD of Rawson Properties, was able this week to announce that the company is now establishing itself in Namibia.
A prominent Windhoek attorney, Elmarie Thompson, a UCT graduate who runs her own legal firm, has bought the right to establish a multi-faceted Rawson franchise covering commercial, residential and letting operations in Windhoek, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.
Ms Thompson, who was recently in Cape Town to sign the deal, said that through her legal firms conveyancing work, she had kept in touch with property trends and it is clear to her that Namibia, coming through the recession less affected than South Africa, is now moving into an era where the national growth rate will be 6,6% and where all property will be increasingly in demand.
There is, she said, a serious lack of housing at the lower end of the income scale and, as many people here cannot afford to buy, rental stock is likely to be much needed.
This shortage of housing, she added, has been made worse by the governments decision to release suitable municipal land by auctioning it to top bidders rather than, as in the past, by allowing it to be developed by subsidised parastatals.
Private developers, now increasingly active in Namibia, said Thompson, are finding that there is a strong demand for homes priced in the R400 000 to R600 000 bracket and in the R1,5 million plus bracket while at the upper end of the residential ladder, she said, homes priced at R5 million plus also still sell steadily.
In the commercial division, she predicts, the call for premises will, if anything, be stronger than that in the housing sector although at present, much rental space is still available.
Ms Thompsons plan is to have separate two man teams operating in Windhoek, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay and she foresees these growing steadily. She said that she appreciates the advice given her so far by Rawsons business development manager.
Ms Thompsons offices are in Casino Street and back onto Windhoeks main street, Independence Avenue. She has been there since August 2010.
Jason Lee, also a lawyer and head of Rawson Properties commercial franchising division, who was in the same class as Ms Thompson at UCT and who steered this deal through, said that in the four months since the commercial franchise division was established, they have sold twelve franchises.
'The message that we would like to put out to those looking for new business opportunities,' said Lee, 'is that commercial property is now a good place to be and that those who establish a niche market here now will benefit in future'
For further information contact Elmarie Thompson on 082 215 7132 or email thompson.elmarie@gmail.com.
