In the wake of the July incidences of looting and destruction, South Africa needs to rethink the role property development can play in addressing a variety of socioeconomic issues, says Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS) VP Mosha Senyolo.

“We should have conversations about how we are going to get people to understand how infrastructure and property developments coming from outside their community benefit them. Before we can talk about feasible solutions, we must first understand the unique South African problem that we need to solve,” she says.

“Collaboration between the public and private sector will be key to bringing these important changes about,” she stresses.

“Going forward, social responsibility and local community inclusivity are key to new property developments providing good returns in respect of benefits to the community, planet and being profitable investments,” ASAQS president Keith Skinner concurs.

Quantity surveyors can support the inclusion of local community involvement in the construction phases of a project without it necessarily being a financial burden to the project, ASAQS states.

The education, training and knowledge base required of professional quantity surveyors equips them to implement clearly defined and well documented procurement processes.

“Quantity surveyors are well placed to effect and manage financial governance and reporting processes on projects. Thorough financial control minimises opportunities for fruitless expenditure and corrupt activities, thus ensuring funds are used efficiently and to the maximum benefit of investors and communities,” explains Skinner.

“Social responsibility should be at the forefront when rethinking how the sector approaches property development. To sustainably address the unique South African challenges, the property sector will be required to take on social responsibility that goes beyond just, for example, skills development,” notes ASAQS executive director Larry Feinberg.

This proposed focus on increased social responsibility aligns with the global environmental, social and governance (ESG) trend, where investors consider the financial return and the ESG aspects of projects and companies they invest in.

“There are opportunities to assist people to start businesses and allow them to thrive without the usual capital constraints that go with running a business that requires a physical location,” he says.

“For example, an office space developer could allocate a small rent-free portion to a business that just needs a physical location at a great address to give it an edge. Similarly, a retail developer could allocate a small rent-free portion to spaza-type shops, allowing the shop owners to benefit from the foot traffic of the established brands located in the mall,” explains Feinberg.

“Saying that no one would want to invest in South Africa due to socioeconomic instability isn’t likely to inspire those in need of help to make different choices,” says Senyolo.

“We cannot wait for some undefined point in the future; we need to rethink our approach to the inclusion of local communities in the new property developments process now,” Skinner states.