Fairvest delivers exceptional distribution growth and resilient portfolio
Highlights
• 12.3% growth in distribution per B share to 25.94 cents
• Distribution per A share of 71.82 cents
• 100% pay-out ratio maintained
• Like-for-like net property income increased by 8.0% (Mar ‘25: 5.1%)
• Vacancies at 5.1%
• Positive rental reversion at 5.7%
• IFRS NAV per share
o Per A share R18.05 (Sept ‘25: 18.35)
o Per B share R5.18 (Sept ‘25: 5.16)
• Low loan-to-value at 26.6% (Sept ‘25: 25.6%)
• Distribution per B share expected to increase by between 11% to 13% for the year
Fairvest Limited announced results for the six months to 31 March 2026, with an interim distribution per A share of 71.82 (Mar’25: 69.66) cents and 25.94 cents (Mar’25: 23.10) per B share. The latter represents a 12.3% growth rate, significantly outpacing the Consumer Price Index.
Fairvest owns and manages a direct property portfolio comprising 130 retail, office, and industrial properties, valued at R13.5 billion (held directly and through subsidiaries). As at 31 March 2026, Fairvest held a 23.6% interest in Dipula Properties Limited (“Dipula“) and a 55.3% interest (September 2025: 79.9%) in Onepath Investments (RF) Proprietary Limited (“Onepath“). Onepath owns fibre infrastructure in townships, which is rented to a fibre network operator to provide high-quality internet access to township homes and communities.
Chief Executive Officer Darren Wilder said: “Fairvest is making consistent progress in its strategy of repositioning toward a retail-focused portfolio through the disposal of non-core assets and selective, accretive acquisitions, enhancing long-term earnings visibility and sustainability. More than 70% of revenue is already generated from retail properties.
During this period, the portfolio continued to benefit from the disciplined execution of property fundamentals – vacancies remain consistently low, tenant quality and rental reversions have improved, and the portfolio remains operationally robust.”
Solid property fundamentals
Like-for-like net property income increased by 8.0% compared to the previous period. Fairvest experienced positive letting activity, with 240 new deals and 210 renewals concluded over the six months. The new-deal weighted average lease expiry (WALE) was a pleasing 44.4 months. Positive rental reversions continued to improve from 4.8% to 5.7%. The weighted-average lease escalation across the portfolio remained stable at 6.7%, with a weighted-average lease expiry of 29.4 months. While vacancies have edged up from 4.1% to 5.1%, they remain low, with a tenant retention of 83.8%.
During the period 147 new leases were concluded in the retail portfolio totalling 27 017m2, the office portfolio’s average gross rental on new deals concluded was at R140.64m2 (Mar’25: R114.95), with a WALE of 52.0 months. The industrial portfolio saw a jump in positive rental reversions of 8.4% on renewals compared to 6.8% at year-end. The Group continued to exercise strict control over its expenses, with the 6.3% for the period, largely driven by additional properties acquired.
Improving the quality of the portfolio
Fairvest disposed of one commercial property valued at R65 million in Goodwood, Western Cape, during the period. Fairvest is in the process of acquiring two Malls owned by the Muller Group, the Jozini Mall and the Tugela Ferry Mall, in KwaZulu-Natal for R700.4 million.These transactions are in line with Fairvest’s medium-term strategy to dispose of non-core assets and recycle the proceeds into rural and non-metropolitan retail properties that serve previously underserved markets and are strategically close to commuter nodes and transport interchanges. The Group continued to invest in its property portfolio, with total capital expenditure of R126.9 million incurred, of which R18.4 million relates to further investments in solar initiatives.
A strong balance sheet and improved cost of funding
As of 31 March 2026, the Group’s outstanding loans amounted to R4.3 billion (Sep’25: R3.9 billion). After accounting for cash and cash equivalents, this results in a Group SA REIT loan-to-value (LTV) ratio of 26.6% (Sep’25: 25.6%). The weighted average cost of debt at the end of the period improved to 8.76%, down from 9.05% in September 2025, and the weighted average maturity of the loans is 2.1 years. Currently, 61.3% of the debt is hedged through interest rate swaps, with a weighted average maturity of 1.0 years (Sep’25: 93.6%).
Fairvest remains compliant with both the Group and portfolio LTV covenants, and its interest cover ratio is at least 4.0 times, significantly exceeding the minimum requirement of two times set by its funders. As of 31 March 2026, the Group had R926.7 million in cash on hand and undrawn debt facilities available for growth initiatives.
After the period end, Fairvest raised R900 million through a book build, which will be utilised to partially settle the purchase consideration for the Muller Group acquisition, to fund ongoing investment in Onepath Investments (RF) Proprietary Limited, and to reduce debt in anticipation of pending asset transfers.
Substantial progress in ESG resilience
The Group has continued to invest in renewable energy, increasing the number of solar plants to 54, with a total installed capacity of 23.8 MWp. These solar plants generated 17.5% of the combined portfolio’s electricity needs during this period. In total, the clean, renewable energy produced amounted to R40.2 million. An additional 13 plants are currently undergoing assessments, approvals, and implementation, which will add 3.9 MWp of capacity. Overall, 46.4% of the portfolio’s gross leasable area (GLA) has access to either partial or full backup power.
Water management continues to be a key priority with several projects aimed at improving water management and conservation. These include 25 operational groundwater harvesting plants, which account for 14.9% of total water consumption, measured in kilolitres. Fairvest has also strategically installed 36 smart monitoring devices to facilitate early leak detection. In areas where groundwater harvesting is not feasible, we have set up ten backup water plants, complete with storage tanks and extraction pipes.
Township fibre infrastructure dividends: scaling up
During the period Onepath, a subsidiary of Fairvest, invested an additional R667.4 million in township fibre network infrastructure, bringing the total investment to date to R1.2 billion (of which Fairvest contributed R693.8 million).
The fibre infrastructure is leased to a fibre network operator that provides high-quality internet access to township homes and communities. The rental income generated from this arrangement offers an attractive, accretive dividend yield for Fairvest. This investment also grants Fairvest valuable access to information and insights that benefit both its current retail portfolio and potential new retail opportunities. By promoting digital inclusion in underserved communities, the initiative fosters opportunities for education, employment, entrepreneurship, and entertainment. As these communities thrive, it further enhances Fairvest’s core retail market.
The total dividend received from Onepath for the period rose significantly to R37.8 million (March 2025: R3.0 million).
Positive growth expected
CEO of Fairvest, Darren Wilder, said: “The Group’s portfolio continues to demonstrate resilient operating performance, supported by low vacancies, disciplined asset management and stable rental growth. While the macroeconomic environment has become more uncertain, solid property fundamentals, combined with conservative balance sheet management, position the Group for sustained growth”.
Given the strong operational performance and the positive contribution from recent accretive transactions, the Board has updated its full-year guidance. It expects distributable earnings per B share for the 2026 financial year to be between 53.4 cents and 54.4 cents, an increase of between 11% and 13% (2025 financial year: 48.15 cents per share). Distribution per A share will increase by the lesser of 5% or the most recent Consumer Price Index.

























































