Perched on a ridge overlooking Durban's city centre, with views all the way to the Indian Ocean, lies a sought-after collection of suburbs known as Berea.

It is widely accepted in the residential property world that property values will always be favourably affected by the advent in their area of a top-of-the-range retail centre – and this ‘basic rule’ applies just as much to the upgrading of retail property when this is thoroughly and comprehensively undertaken.