EPG's Development Division utilised valuable lessons from their work across Africa

During difficult times, experience, reliability, transparency, delivery and reputation are all non-negotiables to look out for when you're working with a (property development) company. Fortunately, the Eris Development Division team has this in bucket loads. The key advantage is the business structure: a property development company that sits under a bigger property services group. The result? A comprehensive turnkey offering, allowing them to do everything from financing to property development, managing tenants and more - even during a pandemic.

 

"With over 30 years on the market, our vast experience is what really sets us apart," explains Niël Freislich, Head of Development for Africa at Eris Property Group. As the team works in both South Africa and across Sub-Saharan Africa ― in countries such as Ghana, Botswana, Senegal and others ― "everyone understands the different ups and downs of the market conditions and offers the best solutions that we can, given a specific set of challenges - such as the Covid-19 pandemic," he adds. "Our knowledge of local conditions and requirements needed in each place allows us to tailor-make solutions for our clients, enabling us to implement custom solutions from start to finish. We're basically a 'one-stop-shop'," he says.

 

"We also tap into the entrepreneurial skills from our entire team, which helps us to unlock value for our clients, as we're able to provide fresh solutions to old issues," explains Johan Ferreira, Head of Development for South Africa at Eris Property Group. "We really listen to our clients to understand their challenges and end-goals before we put together a plan for them," he adds.

 

The Eris Development Division focuses on:

-Commercial Properties

-Student Accommodation

-Petrol Stations

-Warehousing

-Logistic Centres

-Medical/ Hospital Facilities

-Retail

-Schools/ Educational Facilities

-Hospitality and Hotels

-Data Centres

-Showrooms

 

The pandemic has brought its own set of challenges for the Eris Development Division team. In the planning phase, a shift in supply and demand has had a massive impact ― and clients require smaller spaces that can be used more optimally. In the construction phase, lots of projects have had delays, which come with time and cost implications. Once projects have been completed, there has been an issue with occupancies, as many tenants don't want to commit to big rentals. During these uncertain times, however, clients are also turning to the Eris team for practical insights and expert advice such as building compliance, fire implications and design efficiencies, given the new way of working that the pandemic brought on.

 

"We've adapted well under the circumstances and managed to stay agile," says Niël. The resources that Eris already had in place for its developments across Africa - such as doing online team meetings, working with local partners and having 24/7 on-site cameras for clients to log into ― has really given the team an advantage during the various lockdown levels, when they were forced to work remotely and could not all physically be on-site. With these types of resources in place, it's pretty much been business as usual for Eris.

 

Despite all the challenges of the last year, the Eris team has had numerous successes. "We rolled out five solar projects at five of our shopping centres, which really rounds off our property development offering with a big reduction in energy consumption - something that our tenants, corporates and investors are grateful for, given the constraints on the current system," says Johan. The list of properties that have been completed is also extraordinary, given the current challenges. During a global pandemic, Eris completed developments and re-developments on offices such as 3 Gwen Lane and 25 Bath Avenue in Joburg, refurbishment of Silver Mall shopping centre and the extension of Taung Mall, plus a new build office, showroom and retail outlet for Jonsson's Workwear facility in Umgeni.

 

Looking forward, the team has secured a hospital development, where work will commence before the end of the year. "I'm very proud that our next focus is on student accommodation: upwards of 3 000 beds for the Cape Peninsula University of Technology District 6 Campus and upwards of 1 000 beds on Jorissen Street for the Wits student market. These are both substantial projects, within a short space of time, and a real milestone for us," says Johan. Across the continent, the team is developing Lilongwe Country Club Hotel in Malawi, The Rose in Kenya, Botswana Accounting College (BAC) in Botswana and the FNB Headquarters in Swaziland. Concludes Niël: "We've also started to concentrate more in the warehouse, medical and data centre development spheres, which have proved to be vitally important over the last year, as more and more people are working from home."

 

Eris' property development division offers a full turnkey solution ranging from:  

 

Project Costing

Project Management

Appointing Professionals

Architectural Designs

Management of Tenants

Asset Management

Property Management

Valuations

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Eris Property Group: 

Website ― https://www.eris.co.za/

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