October 8 2026 14:15
SUN CITY, SOUTH AFRICA
Last month, South Africa’s listed property funds, private developers and architects shared the spoils at the 2026 South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA) Property Awards for Innovative Excellence, with winners ranging from a Reserve Bank headquarters to a rural Eastern Cape mall and a student residence.
The awards were presented at the annual SAPOA Convention, held at Sun City from 29 September to 1 October 2026. This year’s convention marked the association’s 60th anniversary and ran under the theme: “Elevating Property. Elevating South Africa. 60 Years & Beyond”.
Awards in thirteen categories were handed out, recognising developments across offices, industrial, retail, residential, mixed-use, student accommodation and refurbishments. Entries were judged by a panel drawn from the property and architecture professions on factors including financial performance, design, function, user satisfaction, tenancy, sustainability and social impact.
The listed funds
Growthpoint Properties continued its strong run at the SAPOA awards. Ninety One’s head office, developed by Growthpoint with Paragon Group as architects and interior architects, won Interiors Development of the Year.
It follows a standout 2025 for South Africa’s largest Reit when it took three awards, including the overall title for Canopy by Hilton Cape Town Longkloof and Best Student Accommodation for Thrive @ Crescent Studios in Johannesburg.
Octodec Investments won Residential Development of the Year for Yethu City on Sisulu, its affordable housing development in the Pretoria CBD, designed by GASS Architecture Studios. It is the latest accolade for Yethu City, which was named Best New Affordable Housing Development at the 2025 Africa Property Investment (API) Awards for combining genuine affordability with considered design, proptech and a co-living model.
West Property Fund took Industrial Development of the Year for the Goscor Lift Trucks facility at Lords View Industrial Park, designed by Empowered Spaces Architects. The win keeps the industrial category in the logistics-heavy Gauteng market after last year’s award went to Improvon’s Rhenus Logistics facility, developed with Actis and Nedbank.
Exemplar REITail, the JSE-listed township and rural retail specialist, was a co-winner of Rural & Small-town Development of the Year for Mbashe LG Mall, developed with McCormick Property Development and designed by MDS Architecture and Architects Unbound. It continues a strong showing for rural retail at the awards: Moolman Group’s Princess Mkabayi Mall won the same category and the Transformation Award in 2025.
The developers
Atterbury Property Group won Commercial Office Development of the Year for Bendehuis, developed with Twin City and designed by Slee+co. and Francois van der Merwe Architects. Atterbury is a regular on the SAPOA winners’ list and won the mixed-use category in 2024 with Divercity.
Divercity Urban Property Group won Mixed-use Development of the Year for The Herringbone, another GASS Architecture Studios design. Divercity, which specialises in inner-city rental housing and urban regeneration, has repeatedly been recognised by SAPOA for its precinct developments.
Century Property Developments won Retail Development: ‘Large Regional’ of the Year for Mushroom Farm Shopping Centre, designed by Bredenkamp and Reid Architects.
Abcon Developments won Retail Development: ‘Small Boutique’ of the Year for Sandton Gate Central, designed by Boogertman + Partners Architects. Sandton Gate is the 10ha mixed-use precinct on Winnie Mandela Drive developed by Abcon and Tiber. Abcon has now won the small retail category in consecutive years, after taking it in 2025 for Leaping Frog Retail Centre.
Bow+Arc won Student Accommodation Development of the Year for Volley Roper, designed by Tann Architecture, underlining the continued investor appetite for purpose-built student housing.
Institutional and owner-occupier projects
The South African Reserve Bank’s head office campus redevelopment was one of the night’s biggest winners, taking both Corporate Office Development of the Year and Refurbished Development of the Year. GASS Architecture Studios was the architect.
The University of Johannesburg’s Rescue Simulation Centre, designed by Impendulo Design Architects, won Innovative Development of the Year.
The Emeris Sandton Campus, designed by SNA Architects, won ‘Other Development’ of the Year.
Architects of the year
If there was one clear standout across the categories, it was GASS Architecture Studios. The practice was credited for four winning projects: Octodec’s Yethu City on Sisulu, Divercity’s The Herringbone, and the SARB head office campus, which won two categories.
Full list of 2026 category winners
| Category | Winner | Developer, owner and/or architect |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Office Development of the Year | Bendehuis | Atterbury Property / Twin City / Slee+co. and Francois van der Merwe Architects |
| Corporate Office Development of the Year | SARB head office campus redevelopment | GASS Architecture Studios |
| Industrial Development of the Year | Goscor Lift Trucks, Lords View Industrial Park | West Property Fund / Empowered Spaces Architects |
| Innovative Development of the Year | UJ Rescue Simulation Centre | Impendulo Design Architects |
| Interiors Development of the Year | Ninety One HO | Growthpoint Properties / Paragon Group |
| Mixed-use Development of the Year | The Herringbone | Divercity Urban Property Group / GASS Architecture Studios |
| ‘Other Development’ of the Year | Emeris Sandton Campus | SNA Architects |
| Refurbished Development of the Year | SARB head office campus redevelopment | GASS Architecture Studios |
| Residential Development of the Year | Yethu City on Sisulu | Octodec Investments / GASS Architecture Studios |
| Retail: ‘Large Regional’ of the Year | Mushroom Farm Shopping Centre | Century Property Developments / Bredenkamp and Reid Architects |
| Retail: ‘Small Boutique’ of the Year | Sandton Gate Central | Abcon Developments / Boogertman + Partners Architects |
| Rural & Small-town Development of the Year | Mbashe LG Mall | Exemplar REITail, McCormick Property Development / MDS Architecture and Architects Unbound |
| Student Accommodation Development of the Year | Volley Roper | Bow+Arc / Tann Architecture |
alistair@propertyflash.co.za
