Sapoa sets attendance record

A RECORD 1056 delegates attended the 39th annual convention of commercial property association Sapoa in Sun City last week, with the organisation being forced to turn away 150 prospective delegates because of space constraints.

This reflects the convention’s growing popularity — just more than 900 delegates attended last year’s gathering in Durban.

Sapoa CEO Neil Gopal said there had been many more international speakers at this year’s convention than in previous years. These included Carolyn Kepcher, former executive vice-president of the Trump Organisation, who became a household name in SA thanks to the television show The Apprentice.

Gopal said Sapoa had “raised the bar on the property industry’s impact on the environment and on the consumption of energy” at this year’s convention.

The organisation also showcased its Green Buildings Council, which encourages members to think about energy efficiency.

Gopal said there was a shortage of 3-million houses in SA.

He said the Green Buildings Council would work closely with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Eskom and service providers on issues such as placing solar panels in new houses.

Five of the exhibition stands belonged to government departments and agencies, including the treasury and the national housing department.

“We covered some pertinent issues (at the convention) affecting both the private and public sector, such as a shortage of skills, infrastructure, the maintenance thereof and local authority capacity problems,” said Gopal.