The Southern Cape Garden Route is a very active and growing point when it comes to the residential property market. This has motivated the presence of a niche Bank providing finance to respective property developers in the region stretching from Storms River to Stilbaai. Imperial Bank has identified the Southern Cape as a growing area and thereby established an office in George, central to the growing area. Bennie van Loggerenberg manages the office and Southern Cape Coast.

Imperial Bank was established in 1996 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Imperial Holdings to operate as a financier to clients of the Imperial Group. In January 2001, Imperial Bank became a subsidiary of Nedcor, the diversified banking group, with Imperial Holdings retaining a 49.9% shareholding.

The primary area of operation of the Bank was motor finance initiated by motor dealerships, but has since branched out into the financing of selected other assets such as aircraft and property with the emphasis on Residential Developments and Commercial Property.

Imperial Bank are presently involved in numerous projects in Plettenberg Bay, Knysna, George and Mossel Bay. Some examples are Diaz Strand, Sedgefield Island Village, Phantom Village, Montery, River Club Mews, Stanley Island etc.

What has Imperial Bank got to offer to the client out there? " We as Imperial Bank pride ourselves on service and entrepreneurship. We see ourselves as differentiating from our competitors in the market place. We use the latest technology at our disposal to ensure sufficient turn-around time. We offer excellent service at an affordable price", stated Bennie.

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Imperial Bank boasts the ability to put a professional team together to assist in a development supported by a knowledgeable legal team in environmental aspects namely Stadler & Swart Attorneys. Two key members namely André Swart and Scholtz Bruwer manage the firm and offer the following professional services:

Property Law.

The great strength of Stadler and Swart Attorneys is their Property Law division. Their firm has built up vast experience in all aspects of Property Law, Environmental Law, Planning Law, property development, re-zoning and sub-division of property, notarial work and conveyancing and have experience in respect of servitudes, other real property rights and Water Law. For the past ten years, they have been involved in major coastal and other property developments in our region. They are electronically linked with the various deeds offices countrywide and any information can be retrieved without delay.

Environmental - and Planning Law

One of the other major strengths of their practice over the past years has been the fact that they get involved with their property developers' developments at a very early stage in the planning process. This enables them to continuously monitor compliance by their developers with all statutory provisions relating to the planning and environmental processes including the monitoring of the EIA process in terms of the regulations to the Environmental Conservation Act. They also on a regular basis furnish their clients with advice in respect of the historic water rights on their properties including agricultural properties that stand to be developed for commercial purposes. They also furnish advice to clients in respect of possible risks in obtaining planning and environmental approvals on properties in the process of purchase. As a result they have been appointed as project attorneys on various major property developments including Oubaai Golf Estate (Ernie Els signature golf estate).