Construction World November 2021

PROPERTY

While COVID-19 dealt South African tourism a sucker punch with international travel obliterated overnight, we’re finally starting to see – while not quite a light – a glimmer of something at the end of the tunnel that points towards recovery. And the city most anticipated to lead this charge? None other than South Africa’s official legislative capital and not-so-official-but-indisputable beauty capital; Cape Town. By Jacques van Embden, MD at property development firm Blok. SEMIGRATION AND THE REINVIGORATION OF THE PROPERTY MARKET

A s a Mother City-based property developer, I admittedly have somewhat of a vested interest in our city’s bounce-back, but there are enough indicators to leave me feeling cautiously optimistic. Cape Town has an incredible value proposition and getting people back won't require too much convincing. The numbers serve as evidence. According to WESGRO’s research into Western Cape Tourism Recovery, visitors to the participating Western Cape attractions reached 343 727 in December 2020, a 35% recovery rate when compared to December 2019. In terms of flights, passenger arrivals through Cape Town International Airport domestic terminal saw a 51% recovery rate in March 2021, when compared to March 2019. Outdoor attractions such as Koggelberg Nature Reserve were extremely popular, with many having already exceeded 2019 visitor numbers in the November 2020 - March 2021 period. Domestic tourism is on the up, which is encouraging but not surprising – people can no longer travel internationally, and so we’re now grabbing every possible opportunity to get away and see more of our beautiful country – and if there’s a bit of outdoor activity in the mix, then even better.

But particularly interesting to me is the changing working paradigm, which is set to catalyse a wave of what has been dubbed ‘semigration’. The protagonist of this trend is the digital nomad, who is essentially an individual who is able to work remotely and travel or live wherever they choose, for as long as they choose. Covid has shown employers that people can work remotely and still get the job done, and many companies are moving towards a hybrid work model, which is anticipated to hang around long after the virus has packed its bags. Employees are happy because they finally have the flexibility they’ve been craving for ages, and employers are happy because they no longer need to shell out for pricey office rentals. Cape Town, which was recently listed in the 'best cities for remote working' list by Big 7 Travel, has long been a favourite with digital nomads, “yet this is almost our best kept secret,” said Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, recently. "Targeting digital nomads as part of our overall destination marketing strategy will become part of the City’s new

16 CONSTRUCTION WORLD NOVEMBER 2021