A Healthy Investment Option

Investors in medical real estate developments are looking at new ways to incorporate healthcare facilities into communities and reap the benefits of the sector’s stability and growth that is driven by an increasingly high demand for medical care.

While the need for expert medical care is a given, investors in hospitals, day facilities, specialist care and frail care centres are adopting a fresh approach.

“A shared vision is extremely important to our company’s success,” says Dirk Engelbrecht, CEO of Safari Investments, “and a clear and proper strategy to ensure that assets perform well under economic pressure.”

These elements are a lot to deliver on, but achievable. The Soweto Day Hospital project is the only medical facility in Safari’s portfolio of nine commercial properties. Advanced Health handled the concept and design of the hospital with Safari Investments responsible for acquisition.

“With part of our strategy involving property investment in low LSM peri-urban areas, we believe medical facilities can, ultimately, be a value-added service,” says Engelbrecht. “Our market relies heavily on public transport.

“A one-stop destination for service offerings, such as shopping, offices, medical care facilities, health clubs and libraries, significantly strengthens our nodes and supports our communities’ needs.

“Soweto Day Hospital provides state-of-the-art medical facilities, including a specialised opthamology facility, in a previously disadvantaged area and contributes to the provision of advanced healthcare to the community,” explains Engelbrecht.  

De Waldorf Lifestyle and Retirement Estate in Stellenbosch is the brainchild of the HDK Property Group. The project is breaking the mould in terms of integrating community with medical care and differentiates De Waldorf from other lifestyle estates on the market in the area. 

“By including medical facilities, we ensure that once residents move to De Waldorf Lifestyle Estate they never have to move again,” says Pieter Horn, managing director of HDK Property Group.

“Medical services – for a wide array of needs – are not restricted to the medical centre itself and can be provided in residents’ homes.”

Once complete, De Waldorf will include a frail care centre, memory care clinic, assisted living apartments and assisted living care packages, all managed by medical services provider, Medwell SA.

Assisted living facilities are planned for Durbanville, Strand, Paarl and Wellington. “COVID-19 has shown us that health, safety and medical care is of the utmost importance,” explains Horn.