South African retail investment trusts offer better value than their UK and Australian counterparts, according to Angelique de Rauville.

Last Tuesday Growthpoint’s price leapt 9,9% to R15,50 on a record turnover of 30m shares. This when the listed property sector lies moribund on the margins of the world’s unravelling financial markets.

Although investors climbed back into listed property in a big way last month - the index gained around 14% in July - industry players aren't expecting the sector to continue to deliver the same super returns seen over the past three years

Property shares appear to be settling around 15% below their level of late last year, disconnecting from the recovery in the overall JSE

South Africa’s R105bn listed property sector finds itself in somewhat of a catch-22 situation. On the one hand it wants to attract meaningful foreign investment; on the other it hardly has enough scrip to satisfy local demand

Despite higher interest rates and global credit fears, 2007 is turning out to be yet another bumper year for listed property investors - both in terms of income and capital growth

The latest round of results from listed property funds confirm that the sector has more than delivered on its earnings growth promises

The Public Investment Corporation’s (PIC’s) intention to increase its property exposure will probably underpin property values in SA even in the event of a further increase in interest rates, says Angelique de Rauville, MD of Investec Listed Property Investments

Property listings have dried up in the past year in the rising interest rate environment and analysts are not expecting to see any in the foreseeable future

The South African listed property sector has been experiencing some price volatility because of uncertainty about interest rate movements