Outstanding women were recognized within the regional property industry. Sandi Mbutuma, WPN National Chairperson and Managing Director, Azzaro Quantity Surveyors, says, “We are proud to be able to roll out the event, not just in Gauteng, but in other regions - KZN and the Western Cape. Through our dedicated sponsors, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), we were able to create the platform to recognize women nationally.”
“The caliber of women that have been nominated prove to the industry that we not only have worked hard to achieve success, whilst balancing a career and family, but we earn our rightful place within the sector,” says Mbutuma. To celebrate women women’s achievements in the the South African property sector WPN is holding a gala dinner at the Polo Room, Inanda Club on 18 October 2017.
Prior to October’s national event, regional events were held in Durban - Tuesday, 22 August 2017; Cape Town - Thursday, 24 August 2017 and upcoming event in Johannesburg
- Thursday, 31 August 2017. The regional nominees for the award categories will be announced at these events, and the regional award finalists in the respective categories will then go through to the national judging process.
“The award categories reflect a wide spectrum of work these deserving women from the public and private sectors are involved in. This includes CEO’s, executives and leaders in corporate South Africa, SMME’s, government departments and agencies, as well as entrepreneurs,” says Sandi Mbutuma.
The following nominees have been recognized in their respective award categories for the Western Cape:
YOUNG ACHIEVER AWARD (under 35 years old)
Candice Bouwer - Work Space Consultant - Tower Bridge
Rorisang Mzozoyana - Senior Associate - Norton Rose Fulbright
Ashleigh Meyers - Commercial Broker - Ryan Joffe Properties
Gemma Moore - Director - De Leeuw Valuers
Chandre Meyer - Assistant Leasing Manager - Cushman Wakefield Excellerate
The Western Cape regional finalist for this category is: Gemma Moore.
BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR – ENTREPRENEUR AWARD
Isabella Peens - Founding Member & Director - Pro Turnkey
Xoliswa Daku - CEO - Daku Group of Companies
The Western Cape regional winner for this category is: Xoliswa Daku
PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR: CORPORATE / PRIVATE SECTOR AWARD
The regional finalist in this category is Joan Solms, Chief Operating Officer, Ingenuity Property Investments.
A panel of judges representing a range of industry disciplines adjudicates the regional awards. and Tthe Western Cape judges included:
Ruby Gelderbloem, Director Property Management, Assets and Facilities Management: City of Cape Town
TC Chetty – Country Manager, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
Genevieve Naidoo – Head of Real Estate Finance Credit, Standard Bank CIB, and WPN Ex Officio Chairperson
Added to recognizing women making strides in the sector, October’s gala dinner will act as a fundraiser, with table sales raising funds to support the WPN Educational Trust’s bursary scheme into 2018 and beyond. The WPN has awarded just fewer than 70 bursaries to previously disadvantaged female students since 2008, with 11 bursaries for property-related degrees or diploma’s being awarded in 2017.
Ms Mbutuma says that educational and mentorship initiatives are core to WPN’s drive to spur demographic change across the property sector. Further, this demographic change isn’t just necessary for change sake. As the World Economic Forum finds, companies including women at top leadership levels tend to outperform those that don’t. Moreover, in South Africa’s current context, deepening economic engagement of women as half of the country’s labour resource, talent and idea-set is vital to lifting the long-term socio-economic outlook.