South Africa’s premier residential property gathering, Reside Summit, is returning in 2025 with a bold focus on PropTech and opportunity.

In an industry long perceived to be change resistant, a behind-the-scenes revolution is reshaping the residential landscape – PropTech, which once a marginal convenience, has become a core engine of growth, driving down fixed costs, unlocking new efficiencies and powering innovation across residential property portfolios.

From virtual leasing to AI-powered analytics, technology isn’t supporting the sector, it’s steering it.

As South Africa’s residential property market confronts mounting pressure and fresh potential, the 3^rd annual Residential Investment & Development Summit, which takes place at the Sandton Convention Centre on the 9^th and 10^th of July, is set to shine a spotlight on the rapidly accelerating role of PropTech.

The summit’s AI-infused PropTech sessions is one of its most anticipated highlights, given developments in this arena redefining how properties are marketed, managed, and developed. Thought leaders including Jess Moyer, Director: Strategy & Research at Cushman & Wakefield Broll; Sneha Kumari, CEO of Merlin AI; and Sean Godot of SA PropTech are leading the charge.

A sector under construction and reinvention

Kumari, who will open the session, believes that those who embrace AI today will be the leaders of tomorrow in real estate and property development. “AI in PropTech is no longer a futuristic concept—it’s an evolving reality. While the industry has traditionally been slow to adopt technology, AI is now unlocking new levels of efficiency, predictive insights and cost savings.”

Moyer’s powerful presentation is titled PropTech Evolution: Smart Solutions to Drive Efficiencies and Scale:“PropTech has become essential for creating affordable, efficient and scalable housing. In the residential sector, success often hinges on effectively minimising fixed costs, and generally the best way to do this is to harness the power of efficiencies and scale. With integrated PropTech solutions, we can create more affordable, efficient and secure housing. Virtual marketing and leasing platforms, integrated management systems, and data-driven analytics to identify high-potential areas, can remove friction to enhance the overall user experience, enable economies of scale and improve returns.”

Closing the segment is a power-packed panel featuring South Africa’s leading PropTech minds including industry thought leader Godoy. “PropTech is no longer a nice-to-have or side runner to the property industry. It’s part of what we do – whether on a large scale or in subtle ways we may not even realise,” he says.

Reside Summit is South Africa’s only multisector residential investment and development event, designed to connect the entire residential ecosystem from affordable and student housing to retirement, multifamily and social housing. With participation from both the public and private sectors, the event delivers unparalleled networking, knowledge, policy insight and investment facilitation.

Attendees can expect a comprehensive programme of plenary sessions, technical breakouts, the ABSA Investor Breakfast, the Reside Awards Gala Dinner and the Reside Expo, which, for the first time this year, includes a visitor open day.