Stor-Age delivers resilient FY26 earning growth
Stor-Age delivers resilient FY26 earnings growth, strengthens balance sheet and advances growth pipeline.
JSE-listed Stor-Age Property REIT Limited reported a resilient performance for the year ended 31 March 2026, with distributable income per share increasing by 5.1% to 129.29 cents and a final dividend of 56.62 cents per share declared. The result was underpinned by excellent trading in South Africa, disciplined cost and balance sheet management, and continued progress across the group’s acquisition, development and third-party management platforms. While the UK portfolio experienced tougher cyclical conditions, the group maintained high occupancy, strengthened liquidity and expects distributable income per share growth of 5.0% in FY27.
FY26 KEY HIGHLIGHTS
· Distributable income per share increased 5.1% to 129.29 cents; annual dividend per share increased 5.1% to 116.36 cents
· SA rental income increased 10.5% and net property operating income increased 11.1%, with closing occupancy of 93.4%
· UK rental income increased 1.1%, while net property operating income was down 0.8%
· Owned portfolio occupancy closed at 90.8%, with the JV portfolio adding 10 100m² of occupancy across SA and the UK
· SA REIT loan-to-value reduced to 26.7%, supported by a R500 million equity raise completed at a premium to NAV
· Strategic progress continued across acquisitions, developments, joint ventures and third-party management
“FY26 again demonstrated the resilience of our operating model and the depth of the platform we have built across South Africa and the UK,” said Gavin Lucas, CEO of Stor-Age. “The South African business delivered an excellent performance, our balance sheet remains conservatively positioned, and we made meaningful strategic progress across acquisitions, developments, joint ventures and third-party management. While the UK trading environment was tougher, the long-term fundamentals of the market remain attractive.”
The South African portfolio was the standout performer. Rental income increased by 10.5% and net property operating income increased by 11.1%, supported by high occupancy, strong customer demand and continued pricing momentum. On a same-store basis, rental income increased by 9.6%, driven by an 8.6% increase in average rental rates and a 0.9% increase in average occupancy. Occupancy closed the year at 93.4%, while the SA joint venture portfolio increased occupancy by 8 100m².
Stor-Age said the SA market remains attractive, supported by strong demand, the scale and visibility of the Stor-Age brand, a fragmented competitive landscape and a growing pipeline of acquisition and development opportunities.
The UK portfolio experienced a more challenging year after a strong FY25. UK rental income increased by 1.1%, while net property operating income was down 0.8% and occupancy closed at 81.6%. Management said the result reflected macroeconomic pressure and cyclical normalisation after the exceptionally strong post-pandemic trading period from 2021 to 2023, rather than a weakening of the sector’s long-term fundamentals. The UK joint venture and managed portfolios performed better, with occupancy increasing by 2 000m² across the JV properties and by 1 200m² across the five managed properties operational at the start of the year.
Strategic progress was a key feature of the year. Stor-Age secured R200 million of trading store acquisitions across Lock-Up Storage and Execustore in Kwa-Zulu Natal, and West Coast Storage in the Western Cape, representing 24 050m² of gross lettable area. It also secured a new development opportunity with prime M5 highway exposure in Maitland in Cape Town.
The group’s South African development activity includes a new flagship property in the sought after De Waterkant area, which sits at the entrance to the Cape Town CBD, Atlantic Seaboard and V&A Waterfront, as well as Melrose in Johannesburg, and the expansion of its Sunningdale property in partnership with Garden Cities.
In the UK, Stor-Age continues to build out its capital-light growth model through joint venture and third-party management structures. Acton, co-developed with Moorfield, opened for trading in June 2025. The group also secured a management contract in Exeter with Time Investments and is progressing with developments at Chelmsford and Aylesbury with Hines, where Stor-Age acts as turnkey developer and operator. A new sale-and-manage-back development in the South East of England is also expected to conclude in FY27, subject to final planning approval.
Third-party management remains an increasingly strategic component of the growth model. Although total management fees were lower at R61.8 million due to reduced non-recurring development and acquisition fees, recurring management fees increased by 15.6% to R60.7 million, reflecting the improving quality and durability of the fee base. The platform enables Stor-Age to leverage its operating infrastructure and sector expertise with limited capital outlay.
The balance sheet remains conservatively positioned. Stor-Age ended the year with SA REIT NAV per share growth of 3.7%, a SA REIT loan-to-value ratio of 26.7% and meaningful available liquidity. The R500 million equity capital raise completed in December 2025 at a premium to NAV was used to reduce debt and strengthen capacity for growth.
Looking ahead, Stor-Age expects distributable income per share for FY27 to grow by 5.0%, with the payout ratio expected to remain at 90% of distributable income.
“What is important about FY26 is not only the earnings growth, but the quality of the platform we are building for the next phase of growth,” Lucas said. “We strengthened the balance sheet, advanced our pipeline, continued to mature our third-party management capability and maintained disciplined capital allocation. As a result, Stor-Age is well positioned to continue creating sustainable long-term value.”
The share closed on Monday at R17.39.



























































