The following alerts may affect employees as well as families, so please take note and plan accordingly:

1. Schools will be closed for almost 4 weeks over the world cup – start making arrangements for your children now.
2. Air fares will rise steeply over this period, with tickets between the cities costing up to R8000 per seat. Some flights will also be departing directly after matches due to accommodation problems in some of the centers.
3. As flights will be operating 24 hours a day, expect noise and expect traffic around the airport at all hours.
4. There will also be no parking available at airports – arrange drop-offs and allow for plenty of time to get to the airport.
5. Fresh vegetables and fruit WILL be scare, if not unavailable at times. During the German World Cup, fresh produce had to be imported.
6. Expect traffic to increase by at least 30% when games are on and fans travel to stadiums and fan parks. Games start at 13h30, 16h00 and 20h30, so the best times to fly will be whilst matches are on!
7. “Fan Parks” will be a huge attraction and traffic to and from these areas will be extremely congested. At one Fan Park in Germany, 500 000 people arrived and proceeded to consume 3 million sausages and 1 million liters of beer! Logistically somewhat daunting!
8. Roads around stadiums will be closed off.
9. It is expected that at least 100 000 people will be traveling to and from matches on match days, so expect considerable delays.
10. A staggering 4800 buses will be operational during this period and there will also be restrictions on truckers, haulers etc. Plan ahead with clients, especially regarding containers that need haulage.
11. Be aware that petrol could also be scarce at times – keep your tank full!

Travel tips for this period

1. Try to avoid travel unless it’s critical.
2. Plan your trip well in advance and bear in mind that any ticket changes will be extremely difficult and very expensive.
3. Plan your appointments carefully and, where possible, schedule meetings at locations in the opposite direction of a stadium or Fan Park.
4. Take flights during the times when matches are being played, bearing in mind that games start at 13h30 and continue into the evening.
5. Allow for a minimum of 2 hours to get to the airport in Cape Town and up to 3 hours in Johannesburg. The congestion could be chaotic, so plan for delays.
6. Parking at the airport will be virtually impossible and taxis and transfer shuttles will be very expensive, so it will be best to get someone to drop and collect you.

The South African Fraud Prevention Service is cautioning visitors that con artists are advertising rental properties on the internet with the guarantee of confirmation upon receipt of deposit. However, once tourists deposit the money, the fraudsters and their adverts disappear without a trace.
According to the services’ executive director, Patrick Cunningham, this practice is already damaging the image of the World Cup.

When choosing an agency, don’t be shy to ask for their credentials and affiliations as well as their company registration number – any agency worth their salt would happily provide the information. We at Cape Realty are proud members of The South African Estate Agents Affairs Board (EAAB) as well as The Tourism Grading Council, as are many other reputable companies.

Michael Signet, executive director of sales at Bond New York Real Estate: When the listing broker invited my client and myself into an open house, showed us around the apartment and when we go to the master bedroom, the seller and his girlfriend were in bed — awake [and] reading the paper [with] no clothes on.

Douglas Heddings, associate broker and founder of the Heddings Property Group at Charles Rutenberg Realty: A drying rack full of panties in a living room, a toilet seat that was taped closed so that open house attendees could not use the facilities…and a spray painted wall saying “monkey nipple” on a teenager’s bedroom wall, which the seller refused to remove.

Leigh Zaph, president of Manhattan Homes: Once I was at a brokers’ open house and we were standing around the fireplace when I saw a photo of my father over the mantelpiece. He’s a shrink so I chose not to ask the owners why. The townhouse actually turned out to be owned by a close colleague of my Dad’s, which I didn’t know it at the time, but I certainly was real surprised to see Dad looking down at me as I was drinking wine with my colleagues.

According to Real Estate Web, local agents also have their fair share of strange encounters:

Lana Holt, Greeff Properties, Cape Town: When I arrived to prepare to put a prime, R5m, property on show, on the Sunday morning, the owners were still partying. I had brought a domestic worker to help clean up, but the owners gave her a whole lot of ironing to do. By quarter-to-two we were still making beds and shoving everything into cupboards and the garage.

Debbie Boyd, Pam Golding Properties Pietermaritzburg: On the first show day, a lady who came in to view got so excited about the property she started kissing the newly-painted dining room walls. She, and her husband, immediately bought the home.

Nelis Bezuidenhout, RealNet Wapadglen, Pretoria: When I asked the maid that opened the door if the Madam was in, she said: “I am the Madam.”

James Thorburn, Cape Realty International: We manage several properties in Camps Bay, and one day I responded to a call from tenants to repair a light in a bedroom. Upon arrival, the handyman and I were directed up to the relevant room, and so walked straight in – on a couple engaged in an afternoon romp! It was the most embarrassing thing ever!
One wonders if any of these agents managed to keep a straight face during these encounters!

We at Cape Realty prefer to take a more realistic approach as well as a longer view, which we believe has already begun to bear fruit. We have to date concluded a number of World Cup bookings and have many enquiries pending, yet it would seem that many of the Cape Town rental agents who jumped on the World Cup band wagon have yet to conclude their first booking.

According to a current on-line survey (Cape Town Tourism), over 64% of respondents are charging at least 20% more than standard peak rates, some as high as 200% above, and 59.1% of all respondents do not, as yet, have any confirmed bookings.

Therefore, rather than to over-inflate rentals for this period, Cape Realty has decided to keep prices in-line with peak rates, particularly for the properties where the owner has given us control over the pricing structure.

It is true that rentals in Johannesburg are literally flooding in compared to Cape Town and, according to data from both our local and international sources, we believe the main reasons for this are:

1. Tourists are aware that Cape Town winters can be wet and miserable.
2. There are no teams staying in the Cape Town area and this means their vast entourages of doctors, media, fans etc will follow them.
3. We need to remember that, by and large, fans are not coming to SA to enjoy a beach holiday - they are coming to watch the World Cup.
4. Cape Town prices can be ridiculously high and tourists often feel ripped off and may well refuse to pay these rates.
5. The global economy is still very much in a recession, and many travelers simply can’t afford the high cost of flights (both international & local), accommodation, game tickets etc.

While we have no doubt that Cape Town is a fantastic destination for all seasons, we urge anyone who is thinking about renting out their property for the World Cup to be more realist with their pricing and to resist over-charging tourists who may well return for a great summer vacation if they feel Cape Town is a value-for-money destination.

And agents who are new to the game should look carefully at their service as well as their pricing to ensure that they are offering a thoroughly professional service, from reservations through to managing the clients’ stay. Cape Town has a fantastic opportunity to make a lasting impression on thousands of new visitors, and we should all make the most of it to encourage return business and a tourist boom for many seasons to come.

Many tour operators have reported a surge in bookings since the draw took place two weeks ago and, in fact, real estate transactions in South Africa have gone up 40 percent in the past two months alone, according to Property Abroad magazine. Earlier this month, South Africa was also in the media spotlight for making Home Overseas’ top ten investment properties for 2010.

Increased booking enquiries in have indicated that Cape Town is already benefiting from accommodation shortages in smaller host cities and that we are in the best position to attract the majority of the expected 450 000 visitors. This also means that Cape Town is also best placed to take advantage of so-called ‘last-minute travelers’ who fly in for a single game and return home within a few days.

All in all, the World Cup bodes very well indeed for Cape Town and, in particular, the property market.

The United Kingdom and The United States, two of the countries hardest hit by the credit crunch and global recession, are back in positive growth territory with quarterly price increases of 3,7% and 3,2% respectively, and Singapore reported the biggest quarterly jump in prices with growth of 15.2% in the third quarter.

South Africa currently ranks as the sixth fastest growing housing market according to Knight Frank’s index, with prices up 3.8% in the three months to September 2009.

Although South Africa is unlikely to see another residential property boom in the near future, the turnaround point and the beginning of the upswing have already been reached, and several encouraging signs are now already evident.

The draw will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, and an estimated 8000 people are expected to attend, including FIFA representatives, celebrities, international media and representatives of each of the 32 qualifying teams.

To help celebrate this momentous occasion, guests will be entertained by the likes of internationally acclaimed Johnny Clegg and the Grammy-winning Soweto Gospel Choir. Among the celebrities expected are English soccer icon David Beckham and South African-born actress Charlize Theron.
The world will be turning its attention to South Africa, and particularly the Mother City, like never before as the 90-minute event is set to be broadcast in 200 countries, reaching an estimated 700-million viewers.

It’s taken 3600 hours of manpower to set up the sprawling Draw Hall and 950 square metres of timber to construct the stunning African-inspired Draw stage, which stands 40m wide, 30 m deep and 8m tall. A total of 3 254 people have been involved in the project, including 1 587 security officials - police and private, 400 host city staff, 80 entertainers and 380 volunteers.

The draw forms part of a week-long celebration in Cape Town that saw the illumination of the festive lights in Adderley Street on November 29 and will include the opening of the Football for Hope Centre in Khayelitsha on December 5.

Cape Realty was invited to the official opening of the Green Point Stadium on 14 November and we are pleased to report that it was phenomenal – both the stadium and the occasion.

Over 2000 people attended this gala event, including FIFA representatives, local celebs and many local dignitaries, among them Cape Town mayor, Dan Plato and Western Cape Premier, Helen Zille.

The organizers, WBHO, pulled out all the stops as both the food and entertainment were exquisite. The evening started with a cocktail party where we were served truly delicious snacks which just kept coming, and even the speeches were entertaining and kept to a minimum.
Dinner was served al fresco and it was a delight to dine at the beautifully decorated tables on a balmy Cape summers evening.

The entertainment was also outstanding and ended in a stirring sing-along – at one stage 2000 people could be heard singing YMCA. The show ended with candles being held up by all the guests and at that point we’d never been prouder to be South African.

The whole event was exceptionally well organized; it was truly an amazing evening and it proved to us that South Africa can certainly pull off the World Cup in style.

The Cape Realty team extends a very warm welcome to Elaine Dendy Young, who recently joined us as our Constantia consultant. Although new to the company, she has long been a part of the family and worked closely with Sandy Wilson for many years.

No stranger to the field, Elaine has been involved in property locations for 10 years in all areas of Cape Town and she has also exclusively managed a house in Bantry Bay for over 6 years, which she recently renovated and refurbished single-handedly.

Before her foray into the property world, Elaine worked in the hospitality industry for many years and has run and managed some of the top hotels and restaurants in the Western Cape, including The Arniston Hotel and La Petite Ferme in Franschoek. She and her husband also owned a guesthouse and wine bar in Knysna call Dendy’s for a year before returning to the bright city lights of Cape Town.

Not willing to rest on her laurels, this busy mother of two also owns an art consultancy which sources artworks for corporate and private clients. Her keen artistic eye, meticulous attention to detail and years of experience in placing people in homes ensure client satisfaction time and time again and we are proud to have her on board.

If you have been following Cape Town Tourism’s campaign for 2010, then you’ll know it is time to start blowing the vuvuzela.

The use of the vuvuzela trumpet is not without controversy. There was talk of it being banned from the 2010 World Cup before FIFA gave it the official thumbs up in July this year. And there are many other points of debate raging over 2010. Will Bafana Bafana play like Banana Banana? Will the taxi associations behave themselves when the new transport infrastructure is put in place? Should prostitution be legalized for the 2010 World Cup?

In the property game, the question most South Africans are asking is this: should I be trying to cash in on 2010 by renting out my house, apartment, shack over the World Cup?

CRI representatives attended a presentation by FIFA’s accommodation and hospitality company, MATCH, in January this year. The stats presented were enlightening – between 250 000 and 400 000 visitors expected and 55 000 rooms needed. Much has been made of these stats, particularly by private homeowners whose eyes have glazed over with Dollar, Euro and Sterling signs. What many people tend to forget, however, is that South Africa already has 80 000 graded rooms on offer – more than enough to cover the amount required  - this should temper unrealistic expectations by avaricious homeowners and once-off rental enterprises alike.

There will, however, certainly be a shortage of accommodation in up market “in demand” areas in Cape Town, such as Clifton, Camps Bay, Bakoven, Llandudno, Constantia, and Bishopscourt. These are popular destinations for overseas travelers and they are not exactly saturated with an abundance of hotels to choose from. So, there is definitely an opportunity here.

If you are an experienced renter in any of the aforementioned areas, then it’s a no brainer – you market your property for rental over the World Cup period at a realistic premium to maximise the rental income return usually derived from your property.

The less seasoned renter needs to do some homework first. Perhaps asking the following questions is a good start: Is it convenient to vacate the property for a month? What is needed to prepare the property for short term rental guests? How does one manage the rental and service the property whilst the guests are in occupation? What terms need to be put in a rental agreement? What happens if the property is damaged? These questions are not posed to dissuade prospective once-off renters, but rather to make sure that you enter into the exercise with your eyes open and aware of the risk that comes with the potential reward.

Well, how is demand looking for accommodation at present? As teams have qualified, so the enquiries to the CRI nerve centre have steadily increased. At the time of writing, only 11 teams have thus far qualified. It will only be after 18 November that the world will know which 31 teams have secured their place at the 2010 World Cup event, and then shortly thereafter, where their pools games will take place. It is that point that we expect the enquiries to come in thick and fast.

We have already confirmed a healthy number of bookings. In respect of rates, we have finalised rentals ranging between the 2009 peak rate plus 30% and double the 2009 peak rate . Much will depend on the property in question and the length of stay required. Homeowners who are prepared to be pragmatic and not too greedy are going to be the ones who really benefit from the World Cup experience.

Here at CRI we have devised a “World Cup Response Plan”. So if you happen to be a first time or once-off renter who is looking for assistance in marketing your property, securing guests, and managing the rental, please do get in touch with us. Even if you are an experienced renter, we are happy to market your property along with our existing portfolio.

Whether you decide to rent or not, World Cup 2010 is certain to be a thoroughly exhilarating experience and all South Africans should be extremely excited about participating in the world’s greatest sporting event. Let’s deafen the rest of the world with blasts on our vuvuzelas!