The Government has placed a high priority on implementing legislative reform to increase regulation and the pace of transformation across all business sectors. This has made the need for strong advocacy on behalf of the timeshare industry more important than ever before.

By representing the legislative interests of its members, VOASA is focused on maintaining an environment where timeshare vacation ownership can thrive, while contributing to tourism and economic growth.

Currently, the new Property Practitioners Act and Regulations is the most notable regulatory reform impacting how timeshare is sold, marketed and the management of timeshare properties.

The first hurdle was the lack of understanding of how timeshare operates, and that timeshare sales in South Africa is vastly different to that of the real estate sector. The realisation by the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA) that timeshare required its own education and qualification criteria was in itself a huge win.

Furthermore, the PPRA’s reliance on VOASA for guidance on the qualification criteria, the development of the practical training modules and applicability of the real estate Code of Conduct for timeshare, has been instrumental in avoiding unnecessary ‘red tape’ and costs for VOASA members.

Also importantly, until the training material is developed, an education compliance exemption was applied for and  approved. This means VOASA members (who applied) will be exempt from any costly non-compliant penalties being imposed on their business.

The successful outcome of VOASA’s lobbying has created a valuable entry point for ongoing dialogue with the PPRA as well as for future participation in legislative matters impacting the timeshare industry.