Rode & Associates on Hospitality and Game Reserve Values
Spring has arrived in South Africa, and as lodges, hotels, guest houses and game reserves gear up for a busy summer holiday season, Sandton-based Rode & Associates is highlighting the valuation and advisory services it offers to the hospitality and eco-tourism sector. The firm delivers independent, certified valuations for both market and insurance purposes, and it pairs that work with a range of specialised services covering hospitality properties, wildlife and conservation land, a combination that few valuation practices can provide from a single office.
For owners and operators in this sector, October is a sensible moment to pause and assess. Budgets for the peak season are being locked in, insurance cover is under review ahead of the summer storm months, upgrades or expansion plans are on the table, and some are deciding whether to buy or sell. Every one of those choices rests on an accurate understanding of what the underlying assets are worth.
Valuing more than bricks and mortar
Seldom is a hospitality business just one asset. A lodge or game reserve may comprise land, buildings and improvements, furniture and contents, vehicles and equipment, artworks and, in the case of reserves, the wild game itself. All of these fall within the scope of what Rode & Associates values. The firm's valuation work spans retail, commercial, industrial and residential property, plant, machinery, equipment and technical assets, fine art and antiques including contents, and other general and specialised assets.
According to the firm, it specialises in the hospitality industry, including hotels, B&Bs, lodges and game reserves. Over a number of years it has tied its valuation services to ecology management for game reserves and agricultural farms, supporting conservation management and responsible, sustainable development. That offering spans wildlife consulting, including the valuation of wild game, environment management, and eco-tourism and general development advisory.
What this means for owners is that Property valuations can be weighed alongside the value of the other assets that keep the business running, rather than being treated in isolation. That approach proves especially helpful when a property changes hands as a going concern, when a reserve is reorganising its holdings, or when an insurer requires a full picture of everything at risk.
Insurance, risk and the summer season
Valuations carried out for insurance purposes form a central strand of the firm's work. Rode & Associates additionally provides risk survey analysis, which includes pre and post risk surveys involving a full inspection of the risk to be insured, as insurance underwriters require. Its risk assessments examine the spread of fire, exposure to flooding and incident preparedness, and it supplies risk mitigation services including action plans, risk management guidelines, emergency response procedures and occupational health and safety guidance.
As hospitality operators move into summer, when guest numbers climb and much of the country enters its rainy season, a current valuation paired with a clear understanding of risk can help confirm that cover matches present-day replacement costs and that staff are ready should an incident occur.
Buying, selling and business valuations
Knowing an asset's true value underpins any successful purchase or sale. Rode & Associates steers clients through these deals with in-house valuations, independent advice on where to buy or sell (whether via agents, brokers or auction houses), condition reports when needed, and an online sale service for certain assets. Throughout, the firm points out, confidentiality is preserved.
When a whole business is being sold, the firm's business valuation service conducts an in-depth analysis of the operation, taking in financial and other relevant information, and applies the market approach, income approach or asset approach, or some combination of them, to reach fair value. The same business valuation division also values intangible assets, among them brand recognition, goodwill, trademarks and customer lists, which can carry real weight for a well-established hospitality brand.
Grounded in research and market evidence
Dependable valuations rest on trustworthy evidence about the South African property market. Rode & Associates connects its clients to its Rode Reports and Time Series, accessible through Rode Media. Within the subscription zone sit the Rode Report, the Rode Retail Report, Rode Property Trends and the Rode Time Series in Pro and Lite versions, together with news coverage spanning the industrial, office, residential, retail and mixed-use sectors.
For owners, investors and advisers, these property reports offer a means of situating an individual asset within its broader market setting. Reliable property data helps account for why a value has shifted, backs up conversations with lenders and insurers, and hands decision-makers a firmer footing for their planning.
A single partner for the full asset life cycle
Rode & Associates considers itself more than simply a valuation company. On top of valuations, it offers asset management consultancy that covers a Life Cycle Management Programme and a Maintenance Management Programme, including establishing or updating a Financial Asset Register with bar coding and optional RFID tracking. The firm further provides compliance services for GRAP 103 Accounting Standards for Heritage Assets, and it has carried out projects with heritage sites such as museums that must meet standards including GAAP, GAMAP and IFRS.
A mining consultancy team also operates within the firm, handling valuations for financial reporting and insurance, project evaluation, feasibility studies, capital project estimates and risk management. Its team has delivered valuations and advisory work for private, listed and government organisations, and the company holds certification as a Level 2 BEE company.
In the firm's experience, clients would rather deal with one company able to handle valuations, buying and selling consultancy and asset management in concert, particularly where confidential information is at stake. For a lodge owner or reserve manager, that translates into a single point of contact for questions about property, contents, wildlife, risk and insurance.
Planning ahead of the peak season
With the December holidays drawing near, hospitality and eco-tourism businesses keen to have independent figures ready before the season opens can get in touch with the Rode & Associates team now. Those contemplating a sale, a refinance, an insurance review or a shift in how they manage their assets can talk through their needs and the kind of valuation or advisory service best suited to them.
Further details on the firm's valuation, advisory and consulting services can be found at https://rode.co.za/
About Rode & Associates
Rode & Associates is a South African valuation, advisory and consulting firm headquartered in Sandton. It delivers independent and certified valuations of fixed and movable assets for market and insurance purposes, covering property, plant and machinery, fine art and antiques, businesses and intangible assets. Its broader services take in GRAP 103 heritage asset compliance, asset registers with bar coding and RFID, risk survey analysis, buying and selling consultancy, mining consultancy, and hospitality, wildlife and eco-tourism advisory. The firm is a certified Level 2 BEE company and works with private, listed and government organisations.
Media Contact
Rode & Associates
Email: info@rode.co.za
Phone: +27 86 122 4488
Website: https://rode.co.za/