Growthpoint Properties is reaping the rewards of its enterprise development programme after celebrating the graduation of seven small businesses that provide services to the property industry.

South Africa has launched a R71-million programme that will provide work experience for unemployed graduates.

There is prevailing conventional wisdom among labour and certain parts of government and industry who believe that a weak rand will reverse South Africa's sagging industrial competitiveness, thereby lifting economic growth and redress our unemployment problem.

Sandton City has again delivered outstanding performance results, with recently released figures pointing to a year-on-year turnover growth of 16% and welcoming in excess of 24.5 million visitors to the centre for 2013.

While the recently announced national budget provides policy certainty, greater emphasis is required on implementing this policy to positively impact South African society and our economy.

Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan delivers 2014 Budget weighing in on government property leases.

In 2014, as was the case in 2013, the fortunes of the South African property markets will once again be inextricably linked with the country's economy and other markets,which means that, in the interim, local property will not enjoy the same uptick that's becoming apparent in some global property sectors.

Over the past decade, an increasing demand for large warehousing space among distribution and logistics companies has resulted in the establishment of new industrial townships next to the main arterial and secondary highways between the north and eastern suburbs of Johannesburg.

The South African economy is estimated to have grown by less than 2% in 2013, with third quarter growth recorded at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of only 0,7%.

A better global growth environment, combined with some current account improvement and better policy implementation might lead to an improved outlook for the South African economy in the year ahead, especially compared to last year.