The Reach Group is experiencing impressive growth in the telecoms infrastructure management sector, especially as property owners increasingly look for specialised services to manage this type of infrastructure.
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Significantly expanding their portfolio to over 1,100 managed properties throughout South Africa and across various sectors, including retail, commercial, industrial, and healthcare, Reach Group are positioned as a significant player in the market.
Their recent partnerships with additional major Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) such as Accelerate Property Fund solidifies their position and drives further growth. This expansion shows the rising importance of managing telecom infrastructure efficiently, especially as demand for connectivity grows in various industries.
Some of their managed properties include centres such as East Rand Mall, Kenilworth Centre, major retail and commercial centres within the prestigious Sandton node and the profound Portside Building situated on the famous Cape Town Foreshore precinct.
A growing industry leader
The company’s recent client acquisitions have established them as the preferred partner for South Africa’s major JSE listed property REITs. As a niche provider with its national service offering to landlord-focused telecoms management solutions, the Reach Group has secured itself as a critical player in the property market.
“Reach Group is addressing the immediate demand from landlords who need more specialised services. As telecom infrastructure becomes more complex, our ability to manage a variety of property types and sectors gives us an edge in maintaining that demand. With the increasing reliance on telecom infrastructure for businesses, healthcare, and other sectors, the demand for reliable management of these networks has never been higher,” says Kavish Imrith, Operations Manager at the Reach Group.
“We manage everything from lease compliance, comprehensive asset registries, installations, to energy metering, streamlining what has historically been a tedious task for landlords and traditional property management agents. With the Reach Group’s exceptional technical expertise, it allows property managers to focus on their core business and ensure their telecom systems are efficient, scalable, and up to date”.
Optimising recovery costs
For many landlords the utility recovery costs associated with mobile network operators (MNO’s) and Internet Service Providers’ (ISPs) active infrastructure presents a persistent challenge. Legacy lease agreements often overlook the electricity billing component associated with these installations and the lack of individual energy meters being installed. This discrepancy leads to both landlords and service providers effectively cross subsidising the energy consumption costs that are being incorrectly billed, resulting in financial losses for all parties over time.
“Post-pandemic, landlords are still increasingly seeking various income sources to contribute towards their operational costs,” says Gavin Stewart, Business Manager at the Reach Group. “Telecommunications infrastructure is often seen as a secondary or even tertiary priority, yet it holds potential to assist as a cost recovery source.”
Beyond utility recovery, the Reach Group identifies underutilised assets and integrates them into broader property management strategies, turning telecommunications infrastructure into a dynamic component of their clients’ portfolios.
Property and telecoms industries
As its portfolio grows, the Reach Group remains committed to innovation in communications infrastructure management. By combining expertise in property and telecoms industries, the company takes a refreshing approach in partnering with landlords to manage these assets whilst aiding the mobile network operators and infrastructure providers in expanding their national coverage footprint.
This strategic expansion positions the Reach Group at the forefront of a growing industry, offering landlords and MNO’s a pathway to improved efficiency and profitability in an increasingly connected world and to assist in eradicating the digital divide.
Top picture: Gavin Stewart and Kavish Imrith.
