The South African Institute of Black Property Practitioners (SAIBPP) is nurturing the next generation of black property leaders and professionals through various initiatives such as its Bursary Fund and Young Professionals Forum, property education and coaching as well as matching talented students to internship opportunities with corporates. These initiatives give them the chance to pursue various careers within the property sector and live bright futures.
Slindele Msibi, a 24 year old, who is from Piet Retief in Mpumalanga, is a SAIBPP Bursary Fund beneficiary. She is currently in her Honours year of her BSc in Property Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand.
As a child, I was always fascinated by how buildings are put together and I would be curious about things such as: How are the materials picked for a building as to fit its individualistic characteristics? How are they able to determine an actual value of a property? How are the tall buildings able to withstand every weather for what seems like eternity? And when I grew up, the questions extended to why do some buildings have cracks on their walls? Why is the Real Estate market different? How do you make money in this industry?
I then decided I would love to be part of the teams that build buildings one day, in any aspect, whether it is how they are financed, valued, managed or being part of the actual property development process and when I discovered the Property degree at the University of the Witwatersrand, I was so thrilled.
As a woman, what has been your biggest learning curve or challenge?
I am specifically interested in property development and realising that the industry is male dominated was not inspiring at all. There is a perception that males are just more capable, especially because they have been exposed to that industry longer than women have and that for me, meant that I am going to need to work two times harder because it will not just be about my capabilities but also about proving that I belong. I am just as competitive and I am just as competent. Generally, people often think that the industry is just more ‘suitable’ for men because it has to do with buildings and as a woman, it is always unsettling to some people that I am pursuing an industry that is regarded as a ‘Man’s World’ which can be extremely demotivating at times.
What are you most passionate about in life, other than property?
I am mostly passionate about business and economics in general. I actually produce a show called Business Buzz on Vow FM, it entails weekly updates of what is happening in the business and economics world in South Africa and includes inviting a lot of young professionals who have businesses or who are doing exceptionally well in their respective industries for interviews. I am also very passionate about travelling/sightseeing, I believe that the world was meant to be explored and that life is about collecting experiences.
Who has been your mentor and why?
I do not have a mentor as yet. However, I have people I look up to in the industry. Vuyiswa Mutshekwane, the Chief Executive Officer of the South African Institute of Black Property Practitioners (SAIBPP), is one of those people because she is a woman who is actively fighting for transformation in the Property Industry, not just for her generation but for every generation to come that would like to pursue this industry and that inspires me because I am a woman who shares similar goals and who aspires to dominate and excel in the industry in the near future.
I also look up to Rali Mampeule, who is one of the top black Real Estate entrepreneurs in the country. He inspires me because he believes that “You do not need money to make money in Real Estate” and actually started his business without raising any external funding. Today he is doing exceptionally well in the industry as both an entrepreneur and Real Estate mogul.
What’s your end-goal, vision for yourself?
As someone who is passionate about sustainability development, I believe that even though we absolutely need advanced or high technology buildings, we need to ensure that the ecosystem is not destroyed, and the environment is not harmed at all times. Therefore, I see myself working in building or remodelling already existing buildings to be more sustainable without losing the modernity element all over the country, the African continent and eventually internationally. My absolute end goal is to own a wide range of buildings in different places, be one of the top black female Property Developers and Real Estate entrepreneurs who is actively advocating for transformation and assisting or teaching individuals who have aspirations of joining the Property Industry.
READ: Fierce Women in Property | 'I'm often the only female in the room'
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