Property News South Africa

Africa Proptech Forum signals new possibilities for real estate

Africa's highly anticipated premier technology event, the Africa Proptech Forum, takes place in less than three weeks on 11 October 2023 at the Marriott Hotel, Melrose Arch in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Source: Malcolm Horne, Group chief executive officer of Broll Property Group.
Source: Malcolm Horne, Group chief executive officer of Broll Property Group.

The Africa Proptech Forum is the only pan-Africa event tailored for decision-makers from the technology and formal property sectors. It is sponsored by MRI Software, BrollTech and Admyt.

This remarkable gathering coincides with the #API2023 Summit, the foremost real-estate gathering in Africa, creating an exceptional opportunity for professionals in both tech and real- estate industries to connect and collaborate.

Mark Fairweather, MRI SA director, comments, “For over 30 years, MRI software has formed the backbone of South Africa’s Proptech market, with teams based in Johannesburg and Cape Town developing new, game-changing tools and systems to transform the property-management industry.

“MRI sees its South African business as a key player in growing the company’s global reach and is continuing to invest in the South African market, growing jobs, building its local team and capabilities,and encouraging innovation and development within the region.

“Our main objective for sponsoring this year’s summit is to raise awareness of the solutions available to help property managers, investors and owners to run their businesses more successfully and effectively, as we all realise the complexities and economic pressures individuals are now facing.

“We want to hear about the difficulties people are facing in their business to discover how technology can help and solve issues now and, in the future, ensuring innovation is aligned with reality.”

Strategic commitment to innovation

Malcolm Horne, group chief executive officer of Broll Property Group, comments, “Broll’s sponsorship of the Africa Proptech Forum aligns perfectly with our strategic objectives and business priorities.

“Firstly, it underscores our commitment to embracing technology as a cornerstone of our business. By participating in such a tech-focused event, we showcase our dedication to staying at the forefront of industry innovations. The API Summit has always provided a unique platform for networking and collaboration.

“With this year’s proptech focus, our executives are looking forward to connecting with proptech partners, start-ups and potential partners, fostering relationships that can lead to valuable synergies and growth opportunities. Sponsoring the forum elevates Broll’s commitment in the proptech space. It highlights our expertise and willingness to drive industry progress, which can bring solutions to the tech-thirsty market.”

In short, the sponsorship aligns with Broll’s strategy to innovate, connect, lead and ultimately, thrive in the evolving real-estate landscape.

Driving digital parking innovation

Kfir Rusin, consultant for admyt comments, “Sponsoring the Africa Proptech Forum seamlessly aligns with admyt’s strategic vision of ushering in a ticketless, digital parking future and our commitment to meaningfully contributing to the African Proptech ecosystem.

“We are excited to share case studies from our existing sites and recent launches, such as at the V&A Waterfront, demonstrating how we collaborate with landlords to enhance customer experiences, improve parking efficiency, and simplify management through our license-plate recognition software and platforms.

“This will also showcase the growing interest of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and institutional property owners to investing in technology to enhance their assets and portfolios. By sharing these valuable insights, our aim is to drive increased landlord adoption while improving the customer experience and contributing to the broader evolution of property technology across the continent.

“The Africa Proptech Forum provides the perfect platform for us to achieve this mission.”

The annual flagship event’s many not-to-be-missed highlights include insights from the SA Proptech Sector Research Report, which will be revealed live by Africa Proptech Forum partner REdimension Capital, and the winner of the fiercely contested Africa Proptech Startup competition will be announced by Investec.

Proptech: Shaping Africa's real-estate growth

Peter Clark, managing Partner of REdimension Capital, says, “Proptech is crucial for the real-estate industry as it drives value and efficiency through automation, greater transparency, improved sustainability and an enhanced user experience. This streamlines operational and management processes, offers real-time data for informed decisions and encourages innovation.

“Proptech is essential for the industry to remain competitive and responsive to changing trends, benefiting property owners, managers and end-users alike.”

Technological innovation is particularly relevant given this year’s API Summit theme “A New Horizon”, which is designed to equip leaders in African real estate with tools – including the latest proptech innovations – to succeed in a new era where stable investment returns and strategic achievements have not only become a possibility but a reality.

The real-estate industry on the African continent has evolved and successful participants have demonstrated their ability to navigate challenges posed by macroeconomics, geopolitical issues,inflation, interest rates and currency fluctuations to produce tangible returns and growth.

The African real-estate sector is well placed to shape its growth plans with the emergence of new sources of capital in support of evolving demand based on affordability, occupier requirements, new investments and environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations.

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