Words: Ann Ellis Brown

Happy New Year – this is our January edition after all, even if you’re reading it in December. This year’s going to be interesting, what with an election coming up, interest rates coming down and the property market bottoming out, hopefully, towards the end of 2009. There are still tough times ahead, make no mistake, but at least you’ve got The Property Magazine to look forward to – you see, the best things in life are (largely) free!

Like the Pica award we won for Best Consumer Magazine – Largely Free. It’s been a great year for The Property Magazine: a 28 per cent increase in our readership (and don’t go thinking it was off a low base; that increase took us from 326 000 to 410 000), the SAPOA Property Publication of the Year award, two ‘highly commended’ certificates for feature writing excellence (well done and thanks to Ed Suter!) and now a Pica from our peers at the Magazine Publishers Association of South Africa. I am enormously grateful to have worked with the marvellous team who make such achievements possible.

There’s a lot to celebrate as we send off 2008 to the sound of popping corks and, I suppose, a lot we’ll be happy to say goodbye to. 2009 is going to be challenging, but we do have some things going for us. We live in the best country on God’s Earth, surrounded by the only people who, whatever their home language, understand the essence of the phrase, ‘boer maak ’n plan’.

Add ubuntu to that and you’ve got a winning formula.

As Pam Golding says in this month’s Property Profile: ‘You have to remain straight and honest in your dealings. If you abide by those principles and work damn hard, you must succeed in this lovely country.’ She also makes reference to poker. There’s not much we can do about the cards we’re dealt, but we can ensure we play that hand cleverly. (And, guess what: property is still trumps in the long term!)

So, as 2009 dawns, we will make our New Year’s resolutions and our planne; in the year to come we will farm a line that’s straight and true, and our innovation, integrity and hard work will see South Africa through the hard times. A toast to this beautiful country and to all of us!