Why buy (Dikholo) South Africa

Hi everyone I see lots Dikholo, own by memebers. It seems to trade like nothing else. Can someone comment on it. Is it worth it to buy some please you will never want to go. I mean to buy just for the trade?
Thank you
Linda:rofl:

Some people buy just to trade because the MF are so low and they don't want to be tied to one resort all the time. I purchased places where I want to go most all the time, and I purchased points (Wyndam) that allow me to chose someplace within system for reservations. I don't like going to the same place every year, even if its the same area, I like to stay somewhere different for a different experience, and sometimes mix it up. If you see that you are going to be a constant trader, than purchasing that resort (as long as the MF are low) may work for you as it has worked for others. There are other options, but the best option is to purchase someplace you would like to go most of the time, that has reasonable MFs, that is a good tradeable time/location what that means to you it will mean something else to someone else.

It used to be a very good trader

We sold off all our South African weeks in 2005.

We had 11 assorted that worked very in 1999-2002, then they started to drop off in trade power.

So we used them as PFD in RCI points, it worked well for a couple of years.

RCI changed the rules to cut down on PFD, charging to deposit, and generally devaluing their points program.

We sold out points ownerships, and our SA units and now own where and when we want to travel.

I would be very careful about buying anything in SA expecting a good trader.

Might want to read the SA board for a while 1st.

jmho,

Greg

armrecsys said:

Hi everyone I see lots Dikholo, own by memebers. It seems to trade like nothing else. Can someone comment on it. Is it worth it to buy some please you will never want to go. I mean to buy just for the trade?
Thank you
Linda:rofl:

Click to expand...

Dikhololo = The Original Tiger Trader Timeshare.

Dikhololo -- based on an insider-type tip from way back in TUG history -- was regarded by many as the original "tiger" trader, so called because (back then, they said) It Trades Like A Tiger.

On the strength of that tip, The Chief Of Staff & I sprang for our own South African non-Dikhololo timeshare that formerly traded like a panther, now more like a bobcat.

Times change & nothing stays the same -- except the name. Dikhololo -- extremely cool name. Fun to say out loud. Dikhololo.

So it goes.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

AwayWeGo said:

Dikhololo -- based on an insider-type tip from way back in TUG history -- was regarded by many as the original "tiger" trader, so called because (back then, they said) It Trades Like A Tiger.

On the strength of that tip, The Chief Of Staff & I sprang for our own South African non-Dikhololo timeshare that formerly traded like a panther, now more like a bobcat.

Times change & nothing stays the same -- except the name. Dikhololo -- extremely cool name. Fun to say out loud. Dikhololo.

So it goes.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

Click to expand...

I never heard of a bobcat trader. It just sounds silly enough to be good.

We purchased 4 Mount Amanzi units in South Africa, both 1br and 2br, that we bought on eBay primarily to trade with RCI. Part of the value, was getting extended years of RCI membership at South African rates, condiderably lower than we would pay in the good ol USA. The 1br and 2br traded exactly the same. We were able to get 2br trades with our 1br deposits, so the extra cost of the 2br unit and higher levies did not justify the ability to limit online searches to 2br units. Dikoholo was the other resale option we considered at the time. Originally, the purchase prices and annual levies were very low on both of these standard resorts, compared to exceptional trading power. We were always able to get 2br Gold Crown resorts in Hawaii, Aruba, Mexico, Sedona, etc. Over the years, the maintenance fees increased substantially. To make matters worse, the quality trades, following Black Friday (RCI's method of calculating trade power) disappeared. The party was over! We sold all 4 weeks in 1995 and were glad to unload them!

armrecsys said:

Hi everyone I see lots Dikholo, own by memebers. It seems to trade like nothing else. Can someone comment on it. Is it worth it to buy some please you will never want to go. I mean to buy just for the trade?

Click to expand...

The answer is maybe: depends on where you want to go, when, how often, and what exchange co. you want to use. But I wouldn't characterize it as "trading like nothing else."

Currently it sometimes trades really well in RCI, but sometimes not at all, and there's no reliable way to predict by week reserved. So if you can use it sometimes to get easy trades, like Orlando but not prime holiday, and sometimes to get more difficult trades, and don't mind the uncertainty, it's still a lower maintenance fee than most US resorts.

With other exchange companies that don't use trade power formulas, I can't see a downside.

I still own one as an RCI weeks trader, and have mixed moments - sometimes thrilled, sometimes disappointed and frustrated, but when I start out frustrated, usually I ultimately find a good use for it - getting me something decent where I want, when I want - for less $. Sometimes a prime week in prime season, sometimes not-at-all-prime. So, I would only own one as a trader, if it's one of a few more reliable ones. That's what I've got now.

And so far, I own nothing where I want to go, and all for trading. It's still working really well for me - but not as easily as in the past, which I chalk up (with 99% certainty) to RCI renting out more and more owner deposits.

South African Trades

My SA has given us some good trades... I know the levies (MF) have doubled in the past several years, but I have been happy. I just pulled a 3 bd at Orange Lakes for President's week.... Orange Lakes has always been an easy trade, but for a 3 bd for a prime week... I was thrilled.

I was looking for other areas next year and pulled several Hawaii two bd. Gold crowns for most months.

While we were thinking of selling due to the high MF's, they are still less than most of the ones in the US, so we are re-thinking this.

Dikhololo Trades

My Dik and Mt Amanzi weeks have been nice traders. Of course, you must be a little flexible at times. I can't complain though. Many 2 BR Gold Crowns and gorgeous places in Mex,. Central America, Caribbean and even Europe.

I think there was a down time when they over-reacted at RCI to the S. Africa bargain traders. HOWEVER, that seems to be over and the weeks are trading fairly well again.

Even still, you can always use Dial-an-Exchange (especially for Europe and Australia) if you are an overseas traveler.

Very few timeshares have MF of $220 or $260 a year and trade so well.

I'm happy to answer any more questions...

I think a lot of people purchased in SA a few years ago when the Rand was at pretty much an all time low so prices were very cheap, as were maintenance fees. At the time SA resorts were also in high demand which added to the frenzy.
Since then SA is seen by some as a less safe place to visit, rightly or wrongly, and the rand has recovered somewhat. Trading power at the same time seems to have diminished.
As others have said - nothing stays the same for ever.

I am very happy with my Dikhololo too. I bought three SA weeks in 1999. For the first 5 years, our kids were not in school. We traded to many nice resorts in the shoulder/off season. Then the kids started school, we sold two weeks and kept one 1 bedroom Dikhololo week. I traded my 07 and 08 week for two weeks at Massanutten for 08 Christmas. I traded my 09 week for Spring break 2010 two bedroom GC in Grand Cayman. These are not the toughest trades. But we can use them and I do not know where else you can find MF this low.

Another nice thing about the SA week is that the transaction fee is very low if you want to sell. The resort handles the transaction for less than $100. I found it easy to sell it myself.