JT Ross Property Group pioneers of South Africa's economic growth prospects

The local economy is under pressure currently and many individuals and businesses are feeling financially embattled. The general outlook is one of doom and gloom with little to be cheerful about. This is because of the prospect of higher fuel prices and interest rates, double digit food price inflation following the drought, exchange rate uncertainty as the rating downgrade is played out and most concerning, an increasingly violent build up to the local government elections in August.

As the ruling party fight amongst themselves to determine who will be the next set of beneficiaries of state patronage, we the people are simply hostages to the rampant destruction of public property and “service delivery protesters” that are allowed to burn and block major roads and disrupt our lives.

In the midst of these chaotic times, a poignant prevailing sense of despair could serve to totally undermine private sector capital investment which is the most important driving force behind future economic growth.

Thankfully, there are pioneers with vision and commitment to the future of our country that take the risk of exposing themselves to the discipline of long term investment returns. One such pioneer is the JT Ross Property Group (“JT Ross”). They are in the process of redeveloping a historical industrial site in Congella that was home to the Dunlop Tyre factory for over 80 years.

The old and dilapidated Dunlop Tyre factory that was situated at 259 Sydney Road was bought last year by JT Ross and is in the process of being redeveloped into a state of the art logistics park. The end result will be just over 80 000 square meters under roof of warehousing space including offices. The logistics park includes a generous amount of yard space and well designed and integrated road access to minimise truck congestion on Sydney Road. A great deal of thought has been put into the refurbishment and integration of existing buildings that are protected by Amafa, with newly constructed buildings to optimise available land use. The project includes covering an existing canal with reinforced concrete as part of the optimisation plan.

The standard of the warehousing and office space on offer is typical of JT Ross that pride themselves in offering premises that are both functional and finished to the highest specifications. No expense has been spared in this redevelopment that is currently the single largest private capital investment into Port side logistics space in Durban.

The Port is congested and there is very limited supply of warehousing space on the key side. Hence the location of the development could not be better as it offers direct access to the Port and links to all major roads thereby lowering the cost of transport for logistics companies.

This development showcases ingenuity and forward thinking on behalf of JT Ross who have a long family history of commitment to growing the local economy through property development.

If you would like to know more about this iconic development and are interested in leasing space please contact Ryan Berry on 083 607 8128.