Selling homes to tourists is smart

The people of Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece will all tell you that the best tourist is the one who buys property.

Apart from the initial cash injection the country earns, it also earns rates and taxes for the entire year from people who only use municipal services for a month or so.

It also creates gardening and maintenance jobs for locals out of the tourist season.

In addition, foreign property owners are repeat tourists - there is no need to advertise to attract their holiday spending money.

The proposal to ban foreigners from buying houses in South Africa can only disadvantage the already disadvantaged.

Is the suggestion to ban them from owning property driven by ANC fat-cats who want cheaper holiday houses for themselves, or does xenophobia start at the top?