Government malpractice is costing the state millions in inflated rental prices, while current commercial property owners are being forced to sell their properties to black economic empowerment (BEE) groups. This emerged when Afrikaans financial daily Sake24 reported that government officials are refusing to give market related rental agreements to white property owners – even if they comply with the empowerment requirements of the Department of Trade and Industry. Instead, owners are forced to sell their properties to BEE groups who lease the properties to the government at prices up to 49% higher than market related prices. Meanwhile, banks are willing to grant loans on the strength of the government contracts, allowing empowerment groups to snap up commercial property without investing any of their own money.

Bitter
Paul Steyn, a Durban property owner, has experienced this. “It has happened to three of my building in Vereeniging, Germiston and Durban. Our Government leases expired and we were approached by a man from the Department of Trade and Industry who asked us to sell the properties. He told us that if we refused, our long-term lease agreement with the government would not be renewed,” he said. According to Steyn, his company eventually bowed to the pressure and sold the buildings. “It makes me very bitter as I have been battling for over 40 years to build up a property portfolio and now corrupt officials want to take it away from me. My father and grandfather owned and developed property from scratch…we struggled to finance the property and to find tenants. Property ownership was not easy, but we succeeded. Now it is all being taken away from us,” said Steyn angrily.

Disproportionate
Sake 24 reported that the malpractice came to light when the Western Cape Provincial Government recently cancelled three rental agreements which would have cost government R54 million more per year than what they should pay. One of these contracts was cancelled when it was discovered that the provincial government were paying rent on a property considered to be hugely disproportionate to the current rental market. Acquired by BEE company Pacific Breeze Trading, the Maynard Building in Cape Town was costing the government R29, 3 million a year to rent – a price considered to be 49 % too high. Since then, Sake24 has confirmed that the practice is occurring country-wide, meaning the government is paying millions more than it should on rent – all at the taxpayer’s expense.

Modus Operandi
Robert Carlisle, spokesman for the DA, explained to Sake24 how the process worked. According to the article, the Department of Public Works contacts a property owner when the rental lease on the owner’s property is due for renewal. The property owner is informed that his lease will not be renewed until and unless he gives a BEE company the option to purchase the affected property. The buyer – having obtained the right to buy – returns to the government departments and concludes leases at 30 – 49% higher rental than what was being paid before. Banks are willing to grant loans on the strength of the government contracts meaning the BEE companies are acquiring valuable properties without investing any capital.

A loophole in loan agreements means that landlords with mortgage bonds registered over their rental properties may have unknowingly surrendered their right to sue defaulting tenants for unpaid rent.

“Landlords must check their loan agreements carefully – on both commercial and residential property,” warned John Roberts, CEO of the Just Property Group, holding company of Just Letting.

Warning
The warning comes after the Supreme Court of Appeal overturned the Durban High Court’s decision that a landlord could sue his tenant for unpaid arrear rentals. In Picardi Hotels Limited versus Thekweni Properties (680/7) (2008) ZASCA 128, the tenant won the court battle by claiming that because his landlord had ceded his rental income to the bank as security for a loan, only the bank had the right to take action against him. The court agreed and ruled that unless otherwise stipulated, the landlord had given up his right to sue for unpaid rent by ceding this income to the bank when concluding the mortgage agreement.

Loophole
The court also ruled that this stood even when a loan agreement stipulated that the bank would suspend its right to act unless the landlord contravened his loan agreement. Roberts advised property owners to examine their mortgage agreements and close this loophole as soon as possible. “In the current economic conditions, it is possible that more tenants will find it difficult to pay their rent on time,” said Roberts. Therefore, landlords with mortgage bonds registered over their leased properties should check the wording of their loan agreements.

Cession
If the agreements include such a cession, landlords should obtain the banks’ written revision of the cession before entering legal action. Alternatively, a landlord could ask the bank for a written agreement stating that the bank would re-cede rentals to the landlord on request if the landlord wanted to take legal action against a defaulting tenant. “As the presiding judge, Judge Boruchowitz, states, if (a landlord) wished to sue for unpaid rentals (he) would have to obtain a recession of the ceded claims from the bank,” said Roberts.

Despite the near-recessionary conditions experienced by economies world-wide, commercial property in South Africa remains buoyant. Mark Connett, MD of Just Commercial – part of the Just Property Group – believes the current economic landscape has yet to have a major negative affect on commercial property in South Africa. “However, that is not to say that South Africa’s commercial property hasn’t seen a few adjustments,” he said. According to Connett, a few factors need to be considered.

Weakening
“Now that we are into a recession, we will see a sharp slowdown in office and industrial growth because of the weakening demand for space,” explained Connett. “Also, there is still a supply left in the pipeline and therefore vacancies will eventually begin to rise – even though the levels of vacancies are still low. However, we have noticed that there is much less over-supply of non-residential properties in the current market,” he said. Connett said that some companies who require larger office space are delaying the move because of the current economic climate. “We have seen a definite trend in companies to rationalise, consolidate, downscale and centralise,” said Connett.

Solid
However, at the first signs of a real recovery in the economy, the strong growth that the office sector has experienced in the past will resume; mainly because of its solid fundamentals. According to Connett, it seems the industrial sector will suffer more than the office sector. “There is still a demand for industrial land nationwide in the major industrial areas. However, I believe that industrial rentals will slow and keep pace with inflation as the economy slows and construction costs begin declining,” said Connett.

Retail
“In terms of the retail market, we expect this sector to follow a similar path to that of the housing market. Both are consumer dependant – therefore retail rentals remain flat with possibly no real growth as a result of the slowdown in retail spending,” he said. “Developments, both actual and in the planning stages, will come to a stop as developers look to buy existing buildings with potential,” he said. According to Connett, potential sellers of prime properties are not desperate to sell. Consequently, the market is still in a process of price discovery and has ground to a standstill.

Although residential property prices are back to where they were in 2006, demand for property is likely to remain low as the world-wide recession hits hard. This according to the FNB House Price Index – released on May 4 – which shows residential property falling by more than 10 % year-on-year as of April. The Index shows that the average house price level for April 2009 (R 674 885) has receded back to a level more-or-less equal to the average price recorded in December 2006 (R674 669). FNB home loans’ senior property strategist John Loos states that the deterioration is a result of a massive oversupply built up in the residential market, and recessionary conditions in the South African economy which have impeded residential demand growth.

Interest rates
Even the recent interest rate cuts have not had much effect on property demand. According to the Loos, prime rates have been reduced substantially since December 2008, making home loans much more affordable. However, with the economy in recession and with greater job insecurity, banks are more cautious than ever and are unlikely to ease lending criteria. “At best one should expect interest rate cuts to have a mildly positive impact on residential demand,” states the Index. And, it seems the market is oversupplied due to financial stress selling. “It is no secret that bank repossessions have increased, and with them the level of auction selling from this source,” said Loos. Estate agents (surveyed in the FNB Property Barometer) report that 26% of owners are selling their properties because of financial pressure. The ongoing mismatch between demand and supply means that house price deflation will be with us for this whole year. “We may only return to some mild national average house price inflation in 2010,” said Loos.

Forecast risks
According to Loos, the biggest risk to all forecasts is the current state of the economy. The financial crisis has become a major driver of South Africa’s recession, and our recovery goes hand-in-hand with global economic recovery. While interest rate cuts provide some sort of economic stimulus, it is bound to be limited in the face of such negative global forces. “We project only very mediocre average house price inflation of around 6% in 2010,” said Loos.

Domestic Risks
It is not just the global economy which has contributed to the current situation. Domestic problems like upcoming political issues, the ANC’s Polokwane Conference and the Eskom crisis have all added to the significant increase in emigration selling. “In a thin market such as the current one, emigration can become a key driver of weakness,” reports Loos. People will be looking towards Parliament now that Jacob Zuma is the new president. “In the mean time, come what may, the price deflation situation in 2009 is likely to keep banks conservative on loan-to-value limits (implying significant deposit requirements) for some time to come, as they work towards reducing their losses in the event of default,” concluded Roos.

With just over 350 days to go before millions of excitable fans descend on sunny South Africa, it seems the Soccer World Cup has already had an impact on the South African property market and will continue to do so for a number of years.
This is according to Western Cape Just Property Group Director, Dino Joannou. The Just Property Group is the holding company of Just Letting – the leading rental company in South Africa.

“The 2010 event has definitely had an impact already…mostly through the upgrading of stadiums and the building of infrastructure and hotels surrounding the stadiums,” he said. According to Joannou, the World Cup has encouraged people to have greater confidence in the future economy.

Beating rival bidders Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya, South Africa was awarded the right to host the 2010 event four yeas ago – a decision that generated an excitement not seen since the first democratic election in 1994.

Preparation
In preparation, South Africa is in the process of upgrading five existing venues and building five new stadiums for the 32-team event. Initially, it was estimated that six billion rand would be set aside for stadium construction and renovation, while a further R13.6bn will be invested into infrastructure directly related to the tournament. Joannou said that the residential property market will benefit both in the short and the long term.“We are seeing a huge demand for B &Bs, guesthouses and hotels and it is likely that South Africa will continue to feel the effects of the World Cup for years after the event,” he said.

Investment-friendly
According to Joannou, visitors will see that South Africa is an investment-friendly country. Tourists are bound to establish new business connections here and possibly even branch out into industrial and commercial property. “Visitors will see that South African hasn’t been as badly affected by the economic recession as other Western countries and will realise that they can make money here,” he said. With an estimated three million people expected to visit South Africa during the 2010 event, the demand for accommodation will be huge.

High demand
Joannou is not certain whether South Africa will be able to keep up with this demand and believes rental stock for local tenants will be greatly reduced. “I am aware of larger complexes like condominium hotel apartments being completely booked up and we are expecting the demand for smaller properties to increase greatly in the near future,” he said.
However, the difficult economic conditions have already provided the market with additional stock. “We are finding that tenants are constantly looking at ways to reduce accommodation costs. Some younger tenants are moving back in with their parents while others prefer to share with friends,” he said. Yet this might still not be enough.

Opportunity
Match Event Services, which organises tourist accommodation for the World Cup, lists all approved establishments on its international websites and to date it has only signed up about half of the 55 000 rooms it needs.
“This provides all property owners in South Africa with the chance to make money during the event,” said Joannou.
And don’t think it is just urban dwellers who have the opportunity to cash in.
“Most people are expecting that the effects of the World Cup will only be felt in the central, urban areas in close proximity to the venues. However there have been enquiries from visitors who want to stay in outlying towns,” he said.

The Just Property Group is set to conquer the South African property market. It is the first property company in the country to offer its clients a comprehensive range of services designed solely to make their foray into the property world painless and easy.

“The Just Property Group is like a one-stop shop for our clients. We have instituted several changes over the last few months that will cater to all the needs of our customers…I honestly believe that there is no other company like us at the moment,” said CEO of the Just Property Group, John Roberts.

Just about everything
The Just Property Group has expanded substantially over the last year, incorporating many other businesses under its banner. Including Just Commercial, Just Insure, Just Letting and Just Finance, the company is able to offer clients a host of services, from residential and commercial letting to insurance and financial advice.

Just Insure
Just Insure, the newest service to join the Group, was started officially in January this year when the company saw an opportunity of offering their clients preferential rates on short and long-term insurance. “When a tenant moves to a new property, he needs to inform his insurance company of the change of residence…The Just Property Group realised they could offer their clients the opportunity to review their insurance and possibly qualify for lower rates,” said financial advisor Adam Kriel. “Our aim is to try save the client as much money as possible,” he said. According to Kriel, clients can also opt for long-term insurance, which includes life cover and disability cover and retirement annuities.

Functionality
The redesign of the company’s website was another initiative devised to make the client’s experience a good one. “Created in the last couple of months, the new layout of the website definitely increases its functionality. For example, if a person is looking to rent in an unknown area, he can access maps which show nearby schools, shops, and main roads,” explained Roberts. “We also provide customers with property alerts. If, on their first visit, they can’t find what they are looking for, we will alert them to new properties which fit in with their requirements,” said Roberts. The area-specific advertising also sets the website apart. “For example, if you are looking at Pinetown properties, businesses based in that area will advertise on the same page. Customers will have access to local moving companies, restaurants, builders, security companies and more,” said Roberts.

As the Soccer World Cup approaches ever near, the hungry gleam of prospective earnings begins to shine brighter in the eyes of property owners around the country.

The 2010 event is a wonderful opportunity for South Africans to cash in on the sporting extravaganza by renting their homes, or part of their homes to tourists. The chance to earn extra money is an exciting prospect – especially in these difficult financial times.

Risk
“However, this can increase the risk of loss and damage to your property and, more worryingly, exposes you to liability claims from paying guests and tenants,” said Gerhard van Jaarsveld, MD of Just Insure – which forms part of the Just Property Group. “The upcoming World Cup is widely spoken of as a quick way to increase the disposable income of property owners in South Africa, but it does have its associated risks,” he said.
“Many people want to earn as much money as possible, but are not prepared to properly insure their properties. I would strongly advise against this,” he said. For example, under the general Domestic Policy (insurance on house and household contents), if a drunken tenant breaks a window you cannot claim from your insurance.
“You can only claim in the case of forced entry or break-in. No matter how much damage a tenant does to your property, you simply will not be able to claim,” said van Jaarsveld.
This also applies to the theft of household goods.

Astronomical
“Look it’s easy to forget about insurance and simply let your home to tourists. But if they fall and injure themselves they might sue you for damages. Bear in mind that these claims can be astronomical as the claimant will be able to claim for past and future medical expenses incurred and/or loss of income,” he explained. It is sobering to note that the claimant will sue in their currency, not the South African rand. “So if a British man falls, breaks his leg and sues you, you will have to settle the claim in pounds,” said van Jaarsveld. “Without insurance, you might earn R60 000 in two months, but what does that mean in the long-term? That’ll pay for two nights in hospital for an injured tenant,” he said.

Register
According to van Jaarsveld the solution is to register your home as a Bed and Breakfast establishment, apply for business cover and move out of your home during the tenancy.
“There are policies specifically designed for the hospitality industry which covers the risks associated with leasing your property to visitors. Although this will involve certain costs and procedures, it will be worth it in the long run,” he said. According to van Jaarsveld, you also run the risk of tenants not paying the rent, another risk not insurable in the short-term personal lines market. ”I would say that your best bet is to take payment upfront,” said van Jaarsveld.

The banks have become a lot more cautious when assessing self-employed mortgage bond applicants.

Gone are the days that an income letter from an accountant, supported by six-month bank statements, sufficed. In this challenging economic climate, banks want to scrutinise the stability of the organisation before they will consider a self-employed applicant as a viable debtor, irrespective of the security offered as collateral.

It's now all about affordability and sustainability! So how do self-employed entrepreneurs ensure that they are first in line when it comes to laying their hands on some of the available funds in the banks' coffers?

It is advisable to have separate business and personal current accounts. The turnover through these accounts will be compared with all financial statements and income declarations. If these figures don't coincide, self-employed individuals must be prepared to submit their latest income tax assessment as proof of income.

Effective administration systems are vital, with all documents up to date, accurate and readily available. The banks will require a full set of signed-off financial statements with comparable year-on-year (y/y) figures and management accounts from the previous financial year to date. And as if this is not enough, certain banks are even calling for cash flow projections.

Banks will only accept income letters and signed-off financial statements from a registered accountants or bookkeepers. Business owners must ensure that their accountants or bookkeepers are registered with one of following institutions:
- The Institute of Administration and Commerce of Southern Africa
- The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
- The Southern African Institute of Chartered Accountants.
- The Southern African Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.
- The Chartered Association of Certified Accountants.
- The Southern African Institute of Business Accountants.
- South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA).

Lending policies differ from bank to bank, with some banks only accepting application for self-employed individuals who have a business account with them, while others will only consider this if the applicant is willing to put down a substantial deposit. Where some may be tad more flexible, others will stick to their rules no matter how strong the mortgage bond application may be.

Mortgage bond applicants will only be made aware of which of the four commercial banks is more likely to approve their application if they deal with a professional independent mortgage bond consultant (originator).

In recent months, we have seen many a small and medium enterprise (SMME) downsizing, consolidating and restructuring, with some even having to close their doors altogether. This, coupled with the banks' lack of appetite for risk, has led to some of the most stringent credit criteria being applied to self-employed entrepreneurs. Good governance and sound business practice is the rule of the game.

Unfortunately, those with the money to lend lay down the rules and those in need will just have to comply. – Tess Rodrigues

Original article appeared on http://www.propertyfactor.co.za/article_detail.php?article_id=53

Andrew Lucas is the owner of two Just Letting branches. He has owned the Midrand branch for seven years and recently acquired the Centurion South branch in October 2007. He tells us about the rental trends in his areas.

Lucas believes the current recession has had a huge impact on the rental market.
“Many people have downgraded from more expensive properties to less expensive and smaller units to save costs. At times we have seen that people would rather share a home and the rent to try ease the financial burden,” he explained.

Positive
It seems the economic downturn has had a positive effect on the rental market.
“Rentals have generally increased in our area by about 15% from a year ago. The current renters, who are in reasonably priced properties, tend to pay their rent on time to keep the owners happy,” said Lucas.
However, those tenants who are under considerable financial pressure are struggling to pay their rent in a timely manner.
“This has caused the branches to tighten up on their collection procedures and unfortunately we spend time, money and effort trying to avoid losses for owners,” he said.

Midrand
Lucas said that Midrand has been a continuously cosmopolitan area and he has seen development in both infrastructure and residential buildings.
“I understand that it is one of the fastest growing areas in the country. It is a mixture between expensive and lovely small starter homes. Developers have also provided good rental stock as there was and is a growing need for this,” he said.
According to Lucas, only in the past six or seven months have they seen rents increasing. “Owners who bought units two or three years ago are only now beginning to break even or become cash positive on their investment. Generally speaking, owners of recently bought properties (before the “crash” and at the height of the “ownership/investment rush”) are suffering. They are getting between six and seven percent yield on their properties,” said Lucas.

Competition
Lucas said that he has noticed a huge increase in “new rental agencies” which have opened in his areas – and he is worried.
“We are aware that there have been several cases of owners losing money as many of the newer agents are not registered with the Estate Agents Affairs Board and do not have fidelity fund certificates - least of all the qualifications to act as principals and or agents.
“It has impacted on us because these agents generally offer inferior service, no back-up and make promises of cutting agent fees.
“Often, owners who are trying to reduce costs are not wise to the ways of these non-registered agents and are not able to ask the agent pertinent questions. The owners believe they are getting the services of registered and reputable rental agents, only to be disappointed when they are not paid,” said Lucas angrily.

Andrew Collins: is the owner of Cape Town’s City Bowl branch and has owned his branch for five-and-a-half years.
He tells us about the rental trends in his area.

Collins said that he is beginning to see an over-supply of stock and a slow-down in tenant activity.
“One explanation for this (as it seems to run contrary to the general belief that rentals will do well since no one can buy at the moment) is that tenants do not want to move from their current leases. Moving normally entails an increase in rent, an increase in deposit and the costs of the physical move. Tenants are unsure about their job security and are trying to keep their expenses to a minimum,” explained Collins.
According to Collins, their last six months have been slow, although they experienced an excellent month in February

Slowing
Collins said that the strong rental increases they have seen over the last while are now slowing as the supplies of stock increase.
“I expect rentals will be fairly flat over the next year,” he said.
Apparently, some landlords in the City Bowl area are asking for unreasonable rentals.
“Most landlords expect there to be a huge number of tenants knocking down their doors because they know banks are turning down bond applications and asking for 25% deposits. However, this is not the case and we have to explain they need to be reasonable with their asking rentals,” he said.

Under Threat
Collins concurs with Lucas, and has noticed a lot more competition springing up in the City Bowl area.
“However, Just Letting is recognised as the rental experts and provided we offer a superior service we are not under threat.
Collins mentioned that although they are seeing many people struggle financially, they are still renting some very expensive properties.

It might be the Cape’s laid-back attitude, or Helderberg’s small-town atmosphere – it could be that the fierce South Easter blew it away – but the fierce global financial melt-down that everyone is up in arms about seems to have had little effect on the Helderberg so far. Possibly it has had an effect but we are a bit slow in picking up the signs – or maybe we are too busy to notice.

The Helderberg – including the Strand, Somerset West and Gordon’s Bay – is right on the N2; 50kms from the Cape Town CBD and only 20 minutes from Cape Town International Airport. It is situated right on the most beautiful beach you’ve ever seen (why do you think it’s called the Strand?), is right in the mountains, and is only 15 minutes from the Stellenbosch wine route (here we go…).

Helderberg is one of few areas in the Cape where there is actually still room for development. It is a place where you work close enough to town to do proper business, yet still live close enough to your place of work to go home for lunch!

Compare an early morning walk on the beach (with Ma and the dog) to a couple of hours spent on the Ben Schoeman Highway. Add to that some of the best schools and tertiary institutions in the country and crime levels that allow you to braai snoek and sip Chardonnay in your garden without needing an armed reaction company to watch over you. Then there is the freedom to drive out in any direction and to enjoy some of the best scenery and lifestyle our beautiful country has to offer (somehow I keep on going back to the wine…)

We “Capies” are a weird bunch to the rat-racers in the cities. Maybe we are! The girls down here don’t wear full make-up and gold chains when they go to the gym – in fact they don’t even dress up to go to the mall! Weird. We walk on the beach before and after sunset…without a 9mm gun! And time! “Jeezzzz – these Capies have no sense of urgency! Service delivery is zero! Their reaction time is too slow, in fact, it is non-existent! How do you exist? How do you make money? Where we come from…” the city-slickers say importantly. Groot rooimiere in die broek.

Can a genuine hard-core rat-racer be converted into someone a little more laid back? Will they ever learn to stop and breathe the mountain and sea air? Can they be taught to appreciate a glass of good wine, a snoek on the coals and braai broodjies? (You must be joking - “‘n steak moet so op sy kant kan staan op die kole…”)

Yet, every second customer looking for Retail or Industrial space in the Helderberg seems to be from rat-race country – and they are not moving down here in support of the Stormers, that is for sure! Slowly people are realising that when you die, you don’t go to Loftus. Maybe there is more to life than Cycads, smart cars, gold chains and going to the Dros on a Friday evening. Maybe they want to add life to their years . . .

The rental business? Business is good; it has been for some time.
Thanks for asking.

By Eugene Joubert

Unless you’re living on a palm-strewn, sunny island somewhere in the Indian Ocean, with nothing to worry about besides where your next strawberry daiquiri is coming from, you’re likely to suffer from stress at some stage in your life.
Most people spend hours in traffic on busy roads, deal with irate clients or demanding bosses on a daily basis and still have to go home to cook dinner, make love and read their children a bedtime story.
Eish. It sounds hectic doesn’t it?
According to Lesley-Anne Pedlar, a counselling psychologist from Greenside Johannesburg, stress can have a huge impact on your physical well-being.
“The effects of stress on the body are many…premature ageing, a weakened immune system, illness, fatigue and burnout,” she said.

Common
“Stress is extremely common for most adults and could be said that it has reached epidemic proportions in our modern-day environment.
“The current economic climate has dramatically increased stress levels in most people due to increased financial pressures and worries,” commented Pedlar.
Pedlar said that most people suffer from chronic stress which is constant emotional pressure over time – a stress that is very harmful to the body and mind.

There are many causes of stress:

• The actual job that a person does can be stressful. For example, dealing with irate customers on a regular basis; being responsible for large amounts of money; doing more than one person’s job; working shifts or working in environmentally unfriendly conditions such as noise, pollution or lack of ventilation.
• Being under financial stress.
• Being under emotional stress such as relationship or marital strife.
• Being ill or caring for someone who is ill.
• Living in a busy city and having long or difficult commutes to and from work.
• Fear of crime and concern for security.
• Lack of work and family balance.
• Difficulties with parenting.
• Not taking sufficient holidays or breaks away from work.
• Not caring for your health (not eating correctly and not exercising sufficiently).
• Retrenchment.

Customers and Stress
Working in a customer service environment can be especially stressful. And in most jobs, one has to deal with clients on a regular basis.
Pedlar has some valuable tips on how to deal with stress when faced with a rude client:

• Don’t take comments personally. Rude or irate customers are par for the course. Don’t provoke a situation by reacting to another person’s anger. Stay calm and polite. Not all clients can be pleased – but this should not stop you from going all out to please them anyway.
• Don’t react before thinking. Take a deep breath, count to 10 and respond with a neutral, objective reply.
• Apologise and empathise. Even if you do not agree with a client’s complaint or have not done anything wrong – saying “I’m sorry you feel that way” is a good foundation for further empathising such as “I can see how upset you are”. Once the upset party feels validated by you, it is much easier to work towards a solution.
• Separate the emotion from the problem. Once you have apologised and empathised, restate your understanding of the problem at hand.
• Follow up with clients even if you do not have an answer or resolution for them. This shows them that they are important to you and that you are actively working towards getting a solution to their problem.
• Use unpleasant client interactions as a learning experience. View these as opportunities for change, for checking whether your methods are the best that there are and for getting to know how to deal with and understand different personality types.
• Have regular debriefs with colleagues to constructively discuss difficult situations and to “off-load” the emotional baggage.
• Don’t forget to have a sense of humour.

A clear mind
You have appointments coming out your ears; your boss is pressuring you to complete that report; an unexpected expense has reared its ugly head and you are having problems with your mother-in-law.
In this situation, your stress levels increase while your ability to think clearly decreases with each additional drama.
According to Pedlar, this is quote normal.
“When stress levels are high, your short-term memory is compromised, and your speed of learning decreases.
“You are not as “mentally sharp” as you would be in calm situations – in other words it takes longer to think things through and it is more difficult to deal with several mental tasks at once. Concentration levels are hampered dramatically by stress and so is good, rational decision-making,” said Pedlar.
In other words, stress can make any sane person a little crazy.
So how do you deal with such a debilitating mental condition?

How to cope
Pedlar said there are several ways to cope constructively with stress

• Identify what you have direct control over and what you have no control over and focus your energy and actions towards the things you can control. For example, if you are stressed about your finances, spend time and energy on working out a new budget and sticking strictly to it, because this is entirely within your control. Spending days anxiously wondering when the economic tide will turn and having sleepless nights worrying about how much worse it will get is wasted energy because you have no direct influence over those circumstances. Retaining a sense of control and mastery over your own life is important in keeping stress levels down.
• Do not rely on substances such as alcohol, drugs, sleeping tablets, excessive eating and tranquilizers to reduce your stress.
• Have a good, reliable support system in place and make use of them. Talk about your concerns, as this gives you perspective. Don’t bottle them up.
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet and take vitamin and mineral supplements. Your body requires more energy during stressful times and you need to supply the correct high quality fuel if you want it to get you through the stress in a healthy manner.
• Exercise regularly (4-5 times a week). This is the only way to “burn off” the destructive side – effects of the stress hormones that pump through you body when you are stressed. Research has found that after just 30 minutes on a treadmill, subjects reduced their anxiety levels by 25%.
• Get sufficient sleep.
• Take regular holidays or mini-breaks.
• Have hobbies or interests outside of work that you can enjoy and “lose yourself in” for short periods of time. These activities help to re-charge your batteries and, like exercise, make you more resilient to stress.
• Seek professional help if you no longer feel as if you are coping, or phone Life- Line (086 132 2322).

Contact Lesley-Anne Pedlar on 011 646 6816 if you feel you need to speak to someone about the effects of stress on your life.

Eustress:
Did you know that not all stress is bad for you?
“We all need a certain level of stress to perform at our best,” said Pedlar.
“The technical term for this ‘good’ stress is called “Eustress” (as opposed to “Distress” which is negative).
Eustress is experienced as excitement, motivation, stimulation, interest, and a comfortable stretch or challenge. Too little stress leads to listlessness, boredom and de-motivation. Only when demands outweigh your PERCEIVED ability to cope, does stress turn from having a positive to having a negative effect.

Symptoms:
Common symptoms of stress are:

• Headaches.
• Gastro-intestinal problems like constipation, diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome and ulcers.
• Sexual difficulties like low libido, fertility problems and erectile problems.
• Skin problems such as acne, rashes or eczema.
• Over-sensitivity, crying, emotional roller-coasting, rapid mood swings, or increased aggressiveness.
• Loss of interest in things that used to be important.
• Fatigue.
• Sleeping problems.
• Eating problems (loss of appetite or excessive eating).
• Substance abuse.
• Inability to wind down, relax or sit still.
• Nervous habits such as nail biting, nervous tics and scratching.
• Ill health.
• Breathlessness or heart palpitations.
• Increased blood pressure.
• Excessive sweating.
• Clumsiness, unnecessary mistakes or being more accident prone.
• Procrastination.
• Difficulty completing a task.
• Social withdrawal.
• Muscle tension.
• Stiff jaw or grinding teeth.

Is Mr Right out there in cyberspace?

As a single 32-year-old, I am finding it more and more difficult to meet eligible bachelors. My girlfriends complain that it is impossible to meet decent men in nightclubs; they are all too high, too drunk or too attached. So in the interests of all womankind, I decided to test the waters of internet dating to see if my Prince Charming was waiting in cyberspace.

As a first step, I set up a profile on a dating site. It took me about an hour. Am I a beauty contest winner, attractive, below average or dog-ugly? What types of movies do I love? What do I like to eat for dinner? How much money do I make? Do I take my tea with one sugar or two?

I searched my photo album for my best photo – from about three years ago – and loaded it on to my profile. I sat back satisfied, and waited for my future husband to find me.
The next day I was surprised to find I had 11 messages in my inbox. Some of the names put me off immediately. I hastily deleted messages from SteamySexyLover45, JustLookingForNow, BallAndChainMagnet, WhamBamThankYouMa’am and WannShag69. Hmmm…things were looking gloomy.

Some of the pictures with the messages were equally scary. I had men as old as my father contacting me, and I will admit to laughing hysterically at a few of the propositions.
“Hi dis Randy, I view ur profile with interest and I really need you to be my lover cos I search 4 a lovely and humble lady dat will do all I say. I don’t wanna sound inquisitive, but I need da affirmative answer. I still have lots to say when we do da meet. Kisses.”
A few days later, after I had recovered from my initial shock, I logged on again and saw a further 25 messages.

Score! My ego was taken down a few notches when I saw my profile had been viewed 1 768 times. Why had the other 1732 people not written to me? What does that mean? At least in the bar environment you can fool yourself into believing all the men are secretly in love with you.

Fortunately, this batch of messages held more promise and I quickly replied to two men that I liked. After a week of e-mailing, we set up dates.
What fear! What terror! I couldn’t believe I was subjecting myself to this! The first rendezvous was on a Friday afternoon. My date wanted to meet at the local coffee shop. I arrived early and sat anxiously waiting for him to arrive. Eventually I saw a well-dressed man walking up to my table; he introduced himself and sat down looking as nervous as I felt. There was silence for a full minute.

I cleared my throat and began to ask him questions. Apparently he joined the site as a “lark” and followed the example of his American counterparts.
“You know, there was a study done in America where 29% of all relationships were started online,” he said, nodding his head knowledgeably.

He was actually a nice guy, but I was distracted by his manner of speech. “Ja, I was like soooo amped to jol, but my ex was like nought, there is no way you are jamming without me,” he said while explaining the reasons for his last break-up. He also looked a bit different from his last photo. He had clearly grown in girth from when the photo was taken. Although I enjoyed his company, I knew there was no chance of anything romantic developing.

So I looked forward to date number two. We met on a Saturday, and also decided to go for coffee. He was quite attractive but had absolutely no social skills. He had an unfortunate spitting problem and I found myself having to wipe specks of spittle from my face on more than one occasion. He was obviously very nervous and rambled on and on about playing snooker. I didn’t realise there were so many tactics involved in the game. My eyes glazed over and I was very happy to get away.

I realised that internet dating is possibly more difficult than normal dating. At least when you meet a man at a bar you know what he looks like and you know that there is some attraction between the two of you. There is nothing worse than having to make small talk with Mr Clearly Wrong. However, it is not true to say that only “losers” go online to date. Many normal-looking men and women use online dating to meet friends and partners. It just takes time and patience. I felt disheartened at my attempts to find love online. Maybe if I had searched for longer, I would have been more successful. However, I wanted results now, so I turned to a professional: Fiona Dorse.

Fiona is a woman who can set you up on a date with a whole host of eligible – and rich – bachelors. Her service is called Corporate Dating and for R3 500 you will be on her books until you enter a relationship. During the initial interview Fiona will decide whether you have a chance of snagging a man. If she likes you, and you like what she has to offer, you are asked to pay the subscription fee. “Men on internet sites clearly have no social skills,” said Fiona. “The men I set woman up with are simply too bust to get out there and meet someone. They are successful, good-looking, decent men that you will be happy to meet. The essence of my business is to take away the disappointment factor that comes with internet dating.”

During the initial interview, I was immediately daunted by Fiona’s polished glamour. I felt very conscious of my scruffy jeans and simple T-shirt. Her eyes travelled from my toes to my hair, and it wasn’t long before she made her first disapproving assessment.
“Your toenails aren’t painted. Men want to be with women who look like women. Paint the nails and you’ll be instantly more attractive.” I wondered if my lack of painted toenails had contributed to my previously disastrous dates.

I nervously awaited Fiona’s next assessment. “You have the deer-in-the-headlights look going for you. Men would find that attractive. You also dress like your 18-year-old self, which is good. Far too many women dress like their mothers. Let go. Show the world you have no emotional baggage,” she said. I breathed a sigh of relief. It looks like I had passed the test.
Fiona has some interesting views on what men look for in women. “Men want women who are uncomplicated,” she said. “Some women have too many issues with their body. It’s off-putting.

“Women should have a point of view, but not be opinionated. And please, stop emasculating men! They like to fulfil their traditional roles. Men want their girlfriends to get along with their mates. They want women who have a sense of humour, and, most importantly, they want women who look like women.

“This might sound crass, but overweight girls remind men of their mother or aunt. They take on the image of Mother Earth, and men certainly don’t want to date that.
“Also remember that men like sensuality not sexuality. Women mustn’t look overtly sexual, but they must look bonkable.”

Dos and Don’ts.

• Do exchange photos. You want to see what your date looks like before subjecting yourself to an hour of small talk with a man who looks like the hunchback of Notre Dame.
• Don’t post a photo from your sexy days back at university. Choose a flattering picture, but please don’t advertise goods you can’t deliver.
• Don’t look for people out of your league. As a 50-year-old overweight man, you are unlikely to bag a 19-year-old lingerie model. And if someone seems too good to be true, then they probably are.
• Do respond to every message you get. If you were walking down the street, and someone said hello, you would respond. It is the same online. Respond, even if your answer is “No thanks”.
• Don’t reveal confidential information in your messages. You don’t know who you are talking to.
• Don’t meet the person until you have talked on the phone. Voice and sound is a good way to judge chemistry.
• Don’t use clichés in your profile. You might love long walks on the beach, but who doesn’t? Say something that is true and unique to you.
• Don’t forget to run a spell-check. Misspelled words show that you don’t care about what you are doing.
• Do offer to pay for a date, gentlemen. Chivalry is not dead; it impresses women and shows good manners.
• Do meet for coffee on your first date. It means you won’t have to spend an hour with someone you dislike while you battle through lunch.

Deeply profound thoughts by men.

Two men are out just fishing quietly and drinking beer. Almost silently, so as not to scare the fish, Bob says, 'I think I'm gonna divorce my wife. She hasn't spoken to me in over 2 months.'

Charles continues slowly sipping his beer then thoughtfully says, 'You better think it over, Bob. Women like that are hard to find.'

An amateur footballer was given a yellow card for distracting a penalty taker by breaking wind. The referee decided the Chorlton Villa player made the noise deliberately and booked him for "ungentlemanly conduct". The spot-kick, which was saved, was retaken. The second time it went in, reports the Daily Telegraph. Villa's goalkeeper was then sent off for saying the referee was "the worst he had seen in years". And another Villa player was dismissed minutes later for questioning the earlier decision.

Despite finishing down to eight men, thanks to another sending off, Villa beat International Manchester 6-4 in the match in Stretford.

The referee, who asked not to be named, said: "The players who I sent off did obey my instructions and left the field. They were not a nasty lot. It was just a normal day at the office. No one physically assaulted me and they took the sendings off."

Ian Treadwell, Villa's manager, said: "It was a mistake for any of my team to get involved. The referee has applied the letter of the law to the absolute button.

"What you would hope for is that there can be room for some common sense as well."

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