Barry Botha Breytenbach

Don’t be caught off-guard by the next crisis

While the possibility of a global pandemic was always at the back of our minds, its emergence still managed to catch us off-guard and wreaked havoc on every aspect of our lives, particularly the world of work. Therefore, it’s safe to say that Covid-19 has been a wake-up call for organisations to rethink their priorities […]

Prospects for new businesses amid COVID-19 trends

With many businesses becoming casualties of the Coronavirus pandemic in the last few months, there are gaps opening up in the market for goods and services that were found in abundance before the pandemic started. Discovering these sweet spots in the market and capitalising on new business opportunities are not that easy, though. You might be considering starting a new business or investing in commercial property […]

What are your rights when it comes to forced COVID-19 testing?

As the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading across the globe, Minister of Health, Zweli Mkhize has expressed his concern that there is not enough testing being done in South Africa. By the 14th of April, 83,663 tests had been conducted in South Africa according to www.worldometers.info. During the early stages of this pandemic, it was far clearer […]

Is it still a buyers’ market out there?

The property market for 2020 initially proved to be a buyers’ market. Though with the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown’s effects on the economy, the question is whether it still is. The transfer duty threshold was lifted by R100 000, loan approvals were higher than they had been in years and […]

Understanding force majeure in relation to contractual obligations

Common Law position – in absence of a “force majeure” clause A force majeure is an act of God or man (such as a war, strike, riot, crime, plague, or an event described such as a hurricane, flood, earthquake, volcanic eruption, etc.),  that is unforeseeable, out of the reasonable control of the parties to a […]

The new age of property viewings has arrived

The real estate industry has always been known for utilising the latest technologies available to bring buyers and sellers together. From announcements at Town Hall gatherings to the printing presses, the introduction of radios and television sets in households, and finally the World Wide Web, property practitioners have always been on the lookout for the […]