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SAPOA Annual Property Journalism Awards to Take Place next month

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South African Property journalists, media web portals and print magazines lead the pack of nominees heading into next month's coveted annual SAPOA Property Journalism Awards taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

Reaffirming its intent to enhance investor knowledge, the South African Property Owners’ Association (SAPOA) will be announcing the winners at its property event, the 46th Annual SAPOA International Convention and Property Exhibition to be held from 10-12 June 2014.

This year, SAPOA has seen entries increase to 37, up from 27 in 2013 – a rise of 40 percent. Entrants face higher stakes too, with prize money doubling to R20000 for 2014 winners.

SAPOA CEO, Neil Gopal stressed that beside their writing skills, journalists in the field of property would have to be highly analytical in other areas such as in legal, financial, economic and environmental spheres.

“Property journalism is a highly specialised field that requires a detailed understanding of the built environment,” says Gopal.

Nomzamo Radebe, Managing Director at JHI Properties, the main sponsors of the Awards, says the property industry in South Africa is complex and dynamic, encompassing a wide range of issues and aspects, all of which places a high demand and responsibility on the media who report on these.

“As such they deserve recognition for the key role they play in communicating to the stakeholders in the industry and readers at large, and the company is pleased to sponsor this event,” she adds.

Judging Panel

Award winners are decided by a panel of judges representing the fields of both journalism and property. Entries are assessed against a checklist of key criteria such as clarity, accuracy and consistency.

This year, judges from the property sector include Nomzamo Radebe and Brian Azizollahoff - director of Capstone Property Group and Chairman of the SAPOA Property Journalism Awards Committee.

From the media sector, judges include: Business Day TV head of news Vernon Matzopoulos; Business Times editor Rob Rose; and Mark Pettipher, managing director, Design & Photography Services.

The two winning journalists will each walk away with R20000 and a trophy, while winning print and online web portal news sources will receive trophies.

Last year, the winners were:

 - the late Micel Schnehage of Moneyweb for Property News Journalist of the Year;

 - Kerry Dimmer of Earthworks South for Property Feature Journalist of the Year;

 - SA Real Estate Investor Magazine for Property Printed Publication of the Year; and

 - SA Commercial Prop News for Online News Coverage of the Year.

Commercial property sector representative body, the SA Property Owners Association (SAPOA) was founded in 1966 as member-driven organisation formed to promote the collective interests of its members as well as the commercial and industrial property sector as a whole.