He is a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and has studied the 'residential property in South Africa' course. His professional experience prior to South Africa included:

Managing Director, Inside Estates Ltd

Acquisition & Development Director, Whitbread PLC

Property Director, The Hartford Group PLC

Our office, home and client accommodation are all located near to Gordons Bay, in the Western Cape. This location was chosen due to its proximity to the following destinations:

Cape Town Airport 20 mins
Cape Town City 30 mins

The Winelands 15 mins
Somerset West 10 mins
Hermanus 50 mins

Start of the Garden Route 1 hour

The beach 5 mins

1. Property search and selection

Area and property search to create a shortlist
Electronic communication including photos and description
Inspection arrangements and offer negotiations

2. Legal Acquisition and/or Development Management

Manage legal process through to completion
Surveys where required
Finance arrangements where required
Development management from design and construction through to fitting out

3. Property Management

Day to day management of your home or investment
Letting management – holiday or long term
Maintenance, repairs, security, garden upkeep etc.

Due to our overseas client base, our services are focussed primarily in the following markets:

Retirement / Semi-retirement accommodation for either the summer months or permanently
Golfing property either within or near to golf courses
Lifestyle / holiday property within vineyards, coastal or town locations
Plot acquisition and new build development in any of the above locations

Our services cover all aspects of the acquisition, development and ownership process. We will e-mail / fax updates on a regular basis to ensure you are kept completely up to date on all elements of your purchase.

Transfers to and from Cape Town International Airport
Accommodation in our guest cottages located within the grounds of our home
Use of our office for internet / e-mail / copying / fax etc.

Property and area tours for the 'undecided'
Internal 'fitting-out' from beds to teaspoons
Arrangements for your onward journey whether back to the airport or onto another part of the country

Africa will prove no exception to that rule, and although many household goods are great value, there are great differentials in price and quality from store to store.

To save you time, lower your cost and remove the logistical nightmare of fitting out your home, we will do it for you. The service can extend to any level and will always be tailored to your requirements, budget and taste.

We have spent time researching different suppliers to ensure you are receiving the best value goods in the market place.

Electrical appliance fit out, or service and repair of existing ie: dishwashers, washing machines, TV’s etc

Supply and installation of beds
Supply of household furniture – ie kitchen/dining table and chairs, wardrobes, garden tables and chairs

Supply of kitchenware, cutlery, crockery and glassware

Supply of all bed linen, towels, curtains

We can e-mail photo’s of proposed furniture to check your approval and liking. Where you are not completely happy with any item that we supply you with, we will exchange it for something more suitable.

Cape Private Properties rents exclusive holiday property, homes and villas in Cape Town, South Africa. Many of the villas are located in Constantia and Bishopscourt, close to wine estates, pine forests, pristine beaches, and the world-renowned Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens at the foot of Table Mountain, the icon of Cape Town, South Africa. Whilst other holiday property and villas are situated on the Atlantic seaboard - Cape Town's "Riviera". Camps Bay, Clifton, and Llandudno are Cape Town's most fashionable and lively locations with white sandy beaches and palm trees.

You could be dining on a terrace under oak trees, swimming in a pool of your own, playing golf on fabulous courses around the corner or simply enjoying a standard of living unobtainable in Europe. Take an initial two week or three month recce and you may land up wanting to buy.

In Feb 2004, A&H Sharpe instructed Thabalanga to research the property market for them to buy an investment property in SA, for c£80,000. The brief was for the property to be let out to cover the holding costs and benefit from the huge capital growth that has been experienced in SA in the last 4 years. By April the shortlist had been agreed upon and they flew out to SA for the very first time. Within 5 days of inspecting all the different options and learning the different areas, they bought an apartment in a Cape Town development called the Island Club. The development not only has apartments overlooking the ‘island’, but offices, shops, restaurants, gyms, and swimming pools. By buying ‘off-plan’, they will not only achieve the market growth rates of c25% pa, but also the 15% capital growth experienced when a development finally finishes construction.

In April 2004, with the help of Thabalanga, T&C Foster acquired a plot of land within a new development known as Somerset Heights within Somerset West, Cape Town. With Thabalanga now project managing the construction for them, they have just chosen the design, layout and finishes for a brand new home. For £125,000 they will eventually have a 2,500sq ft detached house with its own swimming pool and garden. Being a brand new home, there were no transfer duties to pay, so this helped them save 8% alone in taxes. The secure estate overlooks the whole of False Bay to Table Mountain, and is surrounded by nature reserve. The house is to be used for lettings and holidays over the next few years and then for retirement as soon as they can!

Within just 1 week of instruction, Thabalanga was able to inspect 33 houses in the pursuit of finding the most appropriate investment property for this Irish client. The requirements were for a property within Camps Bay, Cape Town that could be easily let out and benefit from capital growth. The budget was up to £600,000, but the research found a property that ticked all the boxes for just £450,000. Every agent, website, private sale, auction and newspaper were covered to highlight the best of what was on the market. With Thabalanga now finding the tenants and managing the property on his behalf, the whole process could not have been more smooth or painless.

D&A Smith, both employees of large airlines have bought their first South African home in Gordons Bay, Cape Town. It is a 2 bed roomed detached house in the beach-front development known as Harbour Island. A brand new house in this development costs from £70,000. Thabalanga not only found the house for them, but also furnished it, allowing them to come out for a holiday within 8 weeks of signing the original sale contract. With the furnishing costs at c£5,000 including all the appliances, they have bought a fantastic investment and holiday home.

Thabalanga Property has worked for a number of clients that are making sure they are on the South African property ladder prior to retirement in 2-3 years. These clients are being very astute, as they are combating the massive price rises currently effecting SA.

All of these clients have chosen brand new properties, and some are in fact having new homes built for them. This process is ideal for this type of client as the 6-12 month build period spreads the financial requirements, and reduces the time the house has to be rented out. Thabalanga’s services make this whole process smooth and simple, as we can help you find your home, supervise the development process and then manage the letting out of it until the retirement time arrives.

Our British client instructed Thabalanga to carry out a search for a new holiday home for her family of 6. The brief covered sea views, mountain views, and vineyard views – hence we covered everywhere from Hermanus to Stellenbosch to Cape Town.

To find the perfect property was proving to be quite tricky, so we have ended up building her one!! We are the project managers of the scheme, acting on her behalf to ensure that everything from the design to the construction gets done as she wants it. Otherwise its very tricky when you are 6000 miles away.

The house is on the mountainside in Hout Bay, looking out over the whole of the Atlantic coast line. The house will be built over 3 levels, with 450m2 of internal space and a 16m swimming pool.

Cape Town CBD is currently undergoing one of the most exciting urban regeneration programmes any where in the world. Many of the old redundant office blocks and surface car parks are being snapped up by developers to be converted into apartments, restaurants and designer shops.

Fi Jackson is currently working and living in SA. She is a British citizen, but has decided to buy her first home in SA. Thabalanga helped her find, negotiate and buy her apartment in a new designer block in the Centre of Cape Town. With a budget of just £50,000 she has a 2 bedroom apartment with swimming pool, gym and spa within the building.

Hanging Meadows is a mountain side development in Hout Bay

Back in April 2004, we purchased a vacant plot of land on behalf of a British client and are working with Architects, Engineers, and Builders to create a dream home overlooking the Atlantic Ocean .

Acting as Client Representative, we manage every step of the development process, from design and tendering through to weekly on-site meetings and cost control. We have opened a private client trust account for the development, and manage all the payments once checked and inspected by us.

When completed, the house will have 5 bedrooms, 3 amazing balconies, and a 16 metre swimming pool. The views of the ocean and the mountains are from every floor, both internally and externally.

The land cost £160,000 and the total build spend including fees will be £340,000, making a total spend of £500,000.

Zevenwacht is a well established wine farm on the famous Stellenbosch Wine Route .

Each home owner within this estate has half of the plot laid to vine, and they are given an annual wine quota by the vineyard. Another selling point is the beautiful view of Cape Town , and the impressive Table Mountain .

Our clients have moved to South Africa to live in this house permanently, so in addition to project managing their new home, we also found them rented accommodation in the interim.

When complete this 5 bedroom, 600 square metre house on a 4,000 square meter plot, will have cost our clients in the region of £250,000.

The house is now complete, and was built on time, on budget, and to a very high standard. The house forms part of a ‘plot and plan' development, so we took the role of Client Representative working on behalf of the Fosters. This brought great peace of mind to our clients, knowing that each stage payment was being monitored and signed off by us before payment had to be made. We also helped furnish the house with our ‘Interiors' service, leaving just the nice personal items for them to source.

This 3 bedroom newly built family home will have cost the Fosters in the region of £150,000.

Their offices are also focused on one specific geographical area, and do not want to lose buyers to other areas.

We do not sell any property in any specific area. We do not take commissions, referrals or introductions. We act solely for the buyer and as such you can be assured of complete independent, impartial advice to match your personal requirements.

Where you are not sure of location, we can show you all possible areas that we think would satisfy your requirements.

Our fees are charged in line with our philosophy. Consequently, we have a fixed fee structure that removes the incentive to push you towards the upper-end with your budget.

We will discuss fees with you only when we understand your requirements and believe that we can provide you with the appropriate service.

The only additional fees that we charge will be for managing newly built developments, on-going property management and accommodation.

The first thing to know is that there are no restrictions on foreigners (non-residents) buying property in South Africa . It is also perfectly acceptable to repatriate (take back home) all of the money that you brought in the country, plus any capital gain. There would be capital gains tax to pay first, but at only c10% of the gain, it is not an onerous amount.

Legal Process

The most important point that any overseas buyer must be aware of in SA, is that when you sign the initial ‘Offer to purchase' or ‘Sale Agreement', you have entered into a legally binding contract to buy that property. Although this makes it a very easy process and you cannot be gazumpted, you cannot pull out either. So, it is incredibly important that the research has been done before you enter into this agreement.

There are certain structures, clauses and amendments that can be made to this document to make it more acceptable to overseas buyers. As a matter of course, we amend these documents to the benefit of our clients.

Surveys

The process of ‘structural surveys' is not normally practised in South Africa . Although we would always get them done for our clients if appropriate, it is not the norm. If this is not done when it should be, it will be the buyers problem in the future, not the sellers.

Location

The Western Cape has a huge number of property opportunities in many different areas, to suit every different requirement. So we make sure our clients don't just buy the first thing they see because it looks good value, as they will certainly be missing many other great possibilities.

Financing

Overseas buyers can borrow a maximum of 50% of the value of their property from a South African Bank. We can discuss funding options with you in more detail should you wish to proceed.

Buying Costs

There are only 2 additional costs associated with buying a property. The first is Transfer Duty that is only applicable on re-sale properties, and is approximately 8% of the purchase price. The 2nd are the legal costs that will amount to approximately 1%. If you are buying off-plan, directly from a developer, than there are no transfer duties payable. The agent's fees are paid by the seller.

Investment Property
Buy-to-let investments in South Africa are also available to non-residents, although you must be aware that income tax could be payable if the income thresholds are crossed

Since 1994 and the end of apartheid, South Africa (SA) has changed and developed at a phenomenal rate. SA's 1st world infrastructure, education programme, and abundant natural resources are rapidly moving the country away from its historical problems and into the new millennium with a very positive and exciting outlook.

As the ‘hangover' from 1994 has worn off, the country has delivered consistent positive growth with property proving to be one of the most active and exciting sectors. Although property price rises have been the highest in the world for the last 3 years, they are still a fraction of comparable property in Europe. The revelation that the 2010 Soccer World Cup is to be hosted by South Africa means that the country is set for yet another 5 years of economic growth and investment opportunity which will have positive implications for years to come.

With 3 bedroomed, detached houses comfortably available for as little as £85,000, there are options for everybody to participate in the lifestyle and financial opportunity that South Africa offers.

Residential property has grown by an average of 32% p.a. over the past year, with some sectors (golf /wine/ retirement estates) experiencing much higher returns. In addition to the 'facts and figures' Cape Town was recently voted as the second best place in the world to buy property by the Channel 4, “A Place in the Sun” TV programme.

The most important thing for any foreign buyer to know about purchasing property in SA is that there are no restrictions on foreign ownership. This was in fact clarified by the government recently when they finished their 'Property Review' and decided to leave the current status unchanged.

In addition to this, it is perfectly legal to bring in, and take out, foreign currency, including any gains that have been made on that investment. Obviously CGT (Capital Gains Tax) would have to be paid, but only at c. 10% of the gain, it is not an onerous amount.

With the very low cost of living, the fantastic Mediterranean climate and the stunning scenery, SA is fast becoming home to a large number of overseas ‘swallows' spending 6 months a year away from the European winter.

Due to the number of worldwide disasters in the last few years, South African tourism has grown phenomenally. With the rand now stabilised against the other major currencies, tourism is continuing to grow with all major airlines increasing their seasonal flights to Cape Town every year. In 2002, the number of tourists grew by 21% from the previous year. Coupled with the hosting of major international sporting and business events, the number of people visiting SA is growing continuously. This increase in awareness has created a very active overseas buyers market for residential property, due to the obvious beauty of the country and the very low cost of entry.
The Western Cape

Approximately 80% of all overseas buyers in SA buy in the Western Cape. That is why our first office is located here. Property prices in the Western Cape increased by a record of 32% between over the past year, up until February 2005.

Not only is Cape Town the favoured location for international property investment, it was also voted the best city in the world in the 2004 Daily Telegraph Travel Awards, and the British Airways In-Flight magazine, “Highlife”

Seven million people per annum now visit the well known Victoria and Alfred Waterfront Development in Cape Town, often on-route to the beautiful Winelands, and the Garden Route.

The Central Business District (CBD) of the city in currently undergoing a major face to the tune of R7 billion's worth of investement.

The Western Cape's climate, stunning scenery and 1st world infrastructure make it the most visited province within SA. Being the cultural and holiday destination of the country creates a wonderfully relaxed and friendly atmosphere that is enjoyed by both the locals and visitors alike.