The South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA)

1966 – 2016 – Fifty years after its inception, SAPOA is considered an institution in the South African property industry. Regarded as an influential voice, it is able to bring the concerns and opinions of the property industry to government and other important stakeholders, both locally and internationally. It is easy to forget that over 50 years ago, SAPOA was merely an idea, a tiny seed that had yet to find purchase in the minds of even the most likely stakeholders.

Since many SAPOA members were not party to the discussions taking place in the 1950’s and 1960’s, it was left up to the imaginations of presidents, past and present, to imagine what was discussed around the table, all those years ago and to consider the property market at the time – which would have led to such an institution being formed.

For many, the end of World War II in 1945 is merely a date; recorded in the annals of history, but lacking in the weight of what it meant to be living in such a time. For the South African property industry, it heralded the opportunity to resume what had lain dormant for six years. After the war, when servicemen returned to the country, the need for accommodation was crucial. Office accommodation was in demand as businesses began operating at full tilt, and development in and around the city centre was in dire need. All in all, the property industry was an exciting industry to be in.