Are you an aspiring entrepreneur looking for the best property investment courses in South Africa to develop your skills?
Property investing has become a sought after wealth creation and legacy building asset class. Some of the wealthiest individuals in the world all own vast amounts of real estate in some form or the other.
But how do you decide between a good investment and a bad investment?
This is where knowledge and skill comes into play. Which is why you want to spend some time developing yourself to be in the best possible situation where you can make informed decisions
In this article we provide a breakdown of some of the best property investment courses in South Africa
Before we get into the details of each course, you have to understand your personal situation and goals when selecting a property course.
Time
Do you have the time?
If you have limited time due to work and family, then you might want to consider short courses that you can do Part time or online.
Or perhaps you have more time (and money) on your hands and you can take on a more intense course of study over a longer period.
Purpose of Study
Are you looking to study property investing to actually become an investor or developer?
Or are you looking to get into a property related career/job?
Degrees and long term courses are valuable but they are not always necessary to become successful at property investing.
The shorter courses should not be seen as less valuable simply because they can be finished in a few weeks or months. If your plan is to become an investor, then learning fast and taking practical action soon are your best course of action. Because on-the-job learning will always teach you more than a classroom ever will.
So do not put off your property investing journey until you finish a 3 year degree or 6 month course. If you have the time and budget, it can only help you if you can take on the courses, WHILE also taking action doing or trying to do deals.
This approach will shorten your learning curve dramatically.
Hence your best course of action is a combo approach where you LEARN WHILE YOU DO. University education is notorious for lacking practical application and only focusing on theory. This is why, if you can, your should focus on doing BOTH at the same time.
We will thus breakdown this article into two sections
- Full Time property investment courses
- Part Time property investment Courses
Best Full Time Property Investment Courses In South Africa
Wits – BSC Construction Economics
The University of the Witswatersrand offers an intense 3 year, full time degree, that covers a full spectrum to understanding the property sector.
Property investing requires an understanding of various subjects including legal, financial, regulatory, commercial and marketing.
This degree will equip learners with a solid foundation to enter the property investing and/or development sector.
The course is split into 5 broad categories:
- Economics
- Marketing and Market analysis
- Real Estate Financial Mathematics
- Construction and building studies
- Real Estate and Commercial Law
Entry requirements are English as a first language and Level 5 Mathematics
Cost: +- R65,000 per year (2022 pricing)
University of Pretoria – BSC Real Estate
The university of Pretoria allows students to study towards a 3 year degree to obtain a BSC in Real Estate.
The degree covers the following topics:
- Commercial Law
- Construction Law
- Construction Economics
- Building Drawings
- Civil Engineering
- Financial Mathematics and Financial Management
- Property Valuation
Entry Requirements: English, Mathematics Level 5 and Accounting or Physical Science Level 4
Cost: +- R50k – R60k per year
CPUT – Diploma in Real Estate
This Diploma course is offered by the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. You will be exposed to a broad spectrum of topics which are all essential in understanding the industry.
Topics included are listed as follows:
1. Property Valuation
2. Property economics
3. Financial Mathematics
4. Property Law
5. Property development
Entry Requirements: Senior Certificate with English (50 – 59%), Pure Maths (30 -39%) or Maths Lit (50 -59%)
Duration: 3 years (full time)
Cost: R25k – R28k per year
UCT – BSC Property Studies
In this degree course, students are exposed to a thorough knowledge base that will help you assess property transactions, property developments and the structure of finance for property deals
The curriculum covers the following:
- Economics
- Commercial Law
- Construction Technology and Management
- Engineering Drawings
- Construction Costing
Entry Requirements: Senior Certificate with 65%+ in Mathematics
Cost: +-R75k per year
Best Part-Time Property Investment Courses in South Africa
SAPOA – Certificate For The Commercial Property Practitioner
The South African Property Owners Association partners with various tertiary institutions to provide some of the best property education in the industry. Their flagship course is called the Certificate For The Commercial Property Practitioner (CCPP). This is considered one of the best courses to obtain an understanding of the commercial property industry.
The course was launched in 1996 and has been a staple recommended course among most players in the commercial property space.
Topics covered include:
- Financial Mathematics
- Management Accounting
- Economics
- Town Planning
- Property Finance
- Property Management
- Property Tax
- Property Marketing
- Property Valuation
- Investment analysis
Duration: 9 months
Cost: R54k to R71k (depends on whether you are a SAPOA member or not)
Wits Plus – Introduction To Property Investment And Practice
If you are completely new to the property investment sector, then perhaps a less intense option is this short course offered by Wits Plus. It provides an introductory level knowledge base that is easy to digest and is suitable for the newbies.
It covers the following topics:
- Introduction to property investing
- Property law and tax
- Marketing and research
- Economics
- Valuation of residential and commercial properties
- Town planning
- Property finance
- Property development
- Property management
Entry Requirements: Fluent English. Senior Certificate recommended but not compulsory
Duration: 14 weeks
Cost: R12,965
CPMD – Property Courses
College Of People Management And Development (CPMD) has three ONLINE courses that are very applicable to entering the investment side of the property sector.
- Introduction to Property Development
- Professional Property Development course
- Commercial Property Practice
Introduction To Property Development
This course will help you understand the Property Development Process and guide you in assessing the feasibility of potential projects.
a. Understanding the role players in the development process
b. Conceptualizing a new development
c. The property development process
d. Basic Feasibility Analysis
e. Measuring Returns of a new development
Duration: 4 Days
Cost: R4,950
Professional Property Development
For a more in depth understanding of property development, the PPD course will give you an edge in understanding and analyzing property developments and investments.
Topics covered are as follows:
a. Financial Mathematics
b. Feasibility Analysis
c. Town Planning
d. Taxation
e. Ownership structures
f. Property Finance
Duration: 11 days (spread over 4 months)
Cost: R8,950
Commercial Property Practice
If your focus is to enter the commercial property investment space, then this short course will help you analyse transactions before making acquisitions.
You’ll learn the following important topics:
a. Financial Mathematics
b. Town planning
c. Taxation
d. Cash Flow Analysis
e. Property Valuation
Duration: 6 Days
Cost: R5,350
Get Smarter (UCT) – Property Development and Investment Online Course
If you are searching for an online course in Property Development and investment, that is beginner friendly and most importantly, shot and practical, then Get Smarter offers a great option.
These are the topics covered:
a. Introduction to Property Investment
b. Identifying Opportunities
c. Property Law
d. Cash flow and Investment analysis
e. Property valuation
f. Property Finance
e. The Property development process
Duration: 8 Weeks
Cost: R12,400
Wrap Up: Best Property Investment Courses in South Africa
The best property investment education is one that gives you practical experience. And the only way to get that is from actually assessing and doing deals.
But, if you combine the practical with the theory, you will become a more well rounded property investor.
So all these property investment courses include great theoretical knowledge. But if you add in your own personal experience, you will develop a better understanding of the market and get on the road to successfully building long term financial freedom.
If you would like to learn more about property investing register for our weekly free webinars where we cover different topics each week to help you become a better property investor.
Sincerely
Aslam
Aslam is from Johannesburg, South Africa and graduated with a BComm degree from the University of South Africa and followed that up with a BComm Hons degree in Finance and Investments.
He has spent over 18 years in the financial services sector, with 12.5 years in the commercial property finance arena with 3 of the major banks in the country.
His specialty being deal structuring and finance solutions for commercial property investors and developers across the commercial property sector, including large scale retail developments, high density residential investments , industrial and office property.
Aslam was also a fast food franchise investor for 7 years, is experienced in digital marketing and online lead generation and has owned and managed multiple residential properties.
