The chairman of the committee drawing up the charter, Andi Tondi, said at a property charter indaba yesterday that the committee was about “95% towards agreeing on targets”.

He said the steering committee was so optimistic about progress on the charter that, when it meets today, it expects to reach final agreement on targets including ownership, procurement and employment equity.

The unfolding developments imply that the historically white-dominated property industry is a step closer to completing its long-awaited transformation process and will lay the framework for more black participation.

Tondi said: “There are heated debates and many hours have been spent to reach agreement.”

Following today’s meeting, the steering committee would start releasing property charter documents with targets.

The charter hit rocky ground earlier this year when the South African Institute of Black Property Practitioners, of which Tondi is a member, accused the largest property association, Sapoa, of hijacking the process and said it would pull out.

Sapoa had said in January that it would cover the shortfall in costs related to drafting the charter, and pay as much as R500000 in consultants’ fees.

The two groups have since publicly reconciled.

But Marna van der Walt, CEO of Gensec Property Services, sponsors of the indaba, expressed concern about the small turnout at yesterday’s session. About 70 people attended, yet organisers had expected about 400.

She said most of those in attendance were “aspiring” young black players in the sector. “There is a real business imperative to transform, and as sponsors of the event we were quite disappointed about the support the industry showed in attending the event.”

She said the property industry should “mobilise itself” and show “true commitment” to the transformation process.

Van der Walt, who represents Sapoa and property managers on the steering committee, said the committee was on the brink of finalising the charter document and scorecards.

“This is the last public meeting for collective public input, and I believe it is a missed opportunity,” she said.

“Some companies will be faced with a final, completed document in which they did not give any input.” Van der Walt said property players which still wanted to lodge their comments could do so.

But Tondi said that most companies were represented by their associations.

Tondi said that the industry was “very large”, but that it was not labour-intensive.