Eswatini Property Review

29/06/2023

07/04/2023

‘RENT TO OWN’ HOUSING UNITS TO BE DEVELOPED AT MALKERNS SQUARE

SBC Limited the owners of the Malkerns Square Eswatini development are exploring the feasibility of offering a ‘Rent to Own’ housing product, whereby customers will enter into long-term rental contracts for housing units with the ultimate ownership transferring over to the client at the date of the last rental installment.

The SBC Limited Group is an investment holding company that is listed on the Eswatini Stock Exchange (ESE). The group provides financial solutions and property development for residential and retail purposes.

In its group results for the year ended 31 December 2022, the group has revealed that they will be developing 1 & 2-bedroom units for sectional title purposes.

“Complementing our existing 147 completed residential apartments and the 8 Embassy town houses will be the next development of affordable 1- and 2-bedroom units, these will be specifically designed and built for conventional straight sale under the sectional title act,” notes SBC Limited in their financial results.

Furthermore, the investment group reveals that they will also offer a ‘Rent to Own’ housing units with finance provided by Select Eswatini to successful applicants.

“The company is currently exploring the feasibility of offering a “Rent to Own” housing product, whereby the customer would enter a long-term rental contract for a housing unit with the ultimate ownership transferring over to the client at the date of the last rental installment being paid."

Moreover, the company discloses how this arrangement will play out.

"The lending risk inherent in this concept is materially different from that of our current loan book offerings, with a substantial advantage in this new loan offering being that each loan is secured by an asset in the form of a Pine Acres developed property which remains under the ownership of the Group up to the point that the last “Rent to Own” loan installment is settled by the client.”

06/03/2023

Exciting Partnership between Eswatini Housing Board & Eswatini Bank enables EmaSwati to purchase property at Woodlands Ext.2, Mbabane without the need to pay for transfer duty and an upfront bank deposit. EHB unpacks its new product offering in a Q&A with us.

16/02/2023

One on One with the Registrar of Deeds, Khulile Sikhondze. She reveals the challenges she has come across since her taking over the office and where the country is when it comes to Sectional Title.

For more quality property content, get yourself a copy of Eswatini Property Review currently in circulation in selected stores nationwide.

02/02/2023

RE/MAX ESWATINI IS INSPIRING ALL TO DREAM IT, OWN IT

[Sponsored] As of the 11th of November 2022, RE/MAX Eswatini repositioned with a new vision to better reflect the agency's capabilities as property professionals who can help make buyers' dreams of homeownership a reality. This saw the launch of their new tagline. "Dream it, Own it"

12/01/2023

ISSUE 12 NOW AVAILABLE IN SELECTED STORES NATIONWIDE

Get your copy today and find out more about the latest property news and developments taking place in the country.

Eswatini Property Review is an exceptional quarterly publication that is tailored to suit the different needs of those in the property sector, from real estate agents (realtors), architects, engineers, interior designers to aspiring property owners.

25/11/2022

Central Bank of Eswatini increases Interest Rate by 50 Basis Points. The Prime Lending Rate now stands at 10 percent.

| MONETARY POLICY STATEMENT | NOVEMBER 2022 |

· Interest Rate
The CBE increased its interest rate to 6.5 per cent from 6 per cent.

· Inflation
Headline inflation decreased to 5.5 per cent in October 2022 from 6.7 per cent in the previous month.

· What does this mean?
Banks are expected to increase the prime lending rate on loans extended to individuals and businesses to 10.0 per cent until the next monetary policy meeting.

· What to expect
The CBE expects the cost of goods and services to continue increasing moderately over the remaining months of 2022. The CBE maintained its inflation forecasts at 4.8 per cent for 2022.

· Economic Activity
Economic activity, as measured by the Quarterly Gross Domestic Product (QGDP), contracted by 1.6 per cent on a year-on-year basis (seasonally adjusted), in the second quarter of 2022, from a revised growth of 5.0 per cent in the first quarter of 2022.

Visit https://www.centralbank.org.sz/monetary-policy-statements-2/ to download the full statement.

18/11/2022

Municipal Council Of Mbabane's Ongoing Projects

The Municipal Council of Mbabane today hosted different media houses on a tour in an effort to share and acquaint the public with current projects in the capital city.

The media tour kicked off in the morning when the Municipality explained its social inclusion initiatives, which entail traffic signals, ramps, guide blocks, disabled parking, and relocated bins.

Present during the tour was the Council CEO Gideon Mhlongo who revealed that they are working hard on ensuring that they ease the congestion in the bus rank by developing the CTA Satellite Bus Rank where kombis will be stationed after offloading customers. The construction of the Satellite Bus Rank is estimated to cost the Municipality around E7 million.

The Municipality also disclosed that they will also be spending around E37 million for the Somhlolo Road Rehabilitation.

The media was also shown the ongoing Road Rehabilitation at Makhosini Drive (Sifundzani Primary School), where the municipality is improving the road as they feel it needed to be upgraded.

Other sites visited by the media on the day were the Siphetfo & Bayabonga Bridges at Sidwashini, the Traffic Relief at Cooper Centre, and the Landfill in Mahwalala.

18/11/2022

Sponsored | Only 39 Plots Left At Woodlands Township (Ext.2) Mbabane

Eswatini Housing Board currently has some amazing property promotions on offer for houses and plots for sale. And by the way, there are only 39 plots left! To get in on the action, don’t miss out on the show day happening tomorrow, Saturday 19 November 2022, at Woodlands Township (Ext.2), in Mbabane. Property viewing starts from 11:00am to 3:30pm.

Some of the benefits of buying property through ENHB include:
- Zero transfer costs
- Zero deposit if buying through Eswatini Bank
- Low insurance premiums for your house contents
We will see you there!

08/11/2022

Khulile Sikhondze is The New Registrar of Deeds

The Registrar of Deeds position in the country has been held by three different people in the last two years.

Khulile Sikhondze was appointed on the 3rd of May 2022 by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy to be the country’s Registrar of Deeds. Sikhondze succeeds Lindile Manzini who was appointed last year on a one-year contract. Manzini was appointed following the departure of Thabiso Masina who left to join the Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) in January 2021.

Sikhondze is undoubtedly one of the best people suited for the job following that she has been a Conveyancer for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy since the year 2016. Sikhondze confirmed that she has been permanently hired for the position compared to her predecessor who was hired on a temporary basis.

The Deeds Registry Office is responsible for the registration, management, and maintenance of property registries in the Kingdom of Eswatini.

In actual fact, Manzini in an interview noted that she was brought in to show Sikhondze the ‘ropes’ as she had already retired when offered a one-year contract by the Ministry. “If you recall my appointment last year was meant to help the incumbent person who would hold the position of Registrar of Deeds as I had the requisite experience. But as we speak I am at home and happy that I have played my part”

Sikhondze said that she is excited but also quite overwhelmed as this is an important position and comes with a lot of responsibility. “I look forward to the responsibility and I am excited, most especially because it comes at a time when the country has operationalized the Sectional Titles Act, which will transform the lives of emaSwati”

20/10/2022

What You Need To Know About Investing in Residential Property Areas Such As Msunduza & Mahwalala

Have you ever wondered if people who reside or build investment properties in areas such as Sitibeni, Manzana, Mahwalala, just to name a few, pay property rates in Mbabane? Well, read below to find out more about the advantages and disadvantages of buying and investing in such areas classified by the Municipal Council Of Mbabane as Residential Upgrading Districts.