SAPOA President’s year-end message
Advocacy taking priority Ipeleng Mkhari talks to Property Review about the first half of a presidency that’s seen huge amounts of travel, of taking issues to mayoral committees, and of striving to get a better understanding of members’ concerns. SAPOA continues to be the most prominent property authority in Africa, occupying a strategic location in global markets as the gateway to Africa’s changing landscape of property management By Mark Pettipher
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emaining true to its vision of being South Africa’s nationally accepted leading property association, SAPOA is committed to actively and responsibly representing, protecting and advancing its members’ commercial interests within the industry, and continues to provide tangible deliverables to its stakeholders that safeguard capital investment and industry growth. “SAPOA members are at the epicentre of South Africa’s economic growth,” says Ipeleng Mkhari, SAPOA President and Chief Executive Officer of Motseng Investment Holdings. “They are major contributors to job creation, dependable holders of inclusive industry opportunities, and the true voice of the property industry.” This is the message SAPOA is taking to government. “As a member-driven organisation, we continue to champion conversations around transformation, air the continuing debate on expropriation of land without compensation (EWC), and promote policies of further education,” says Mkhari. “We cannot ignore the real issues we have in South Africa – such as unemployment, and the lack of gender inclusivity and skills development.” Her first six months as President have been travel-intensive. Along with SAPOA CEO Neil Gopal, Mkhari has been getting to grips with issues such as land invasions in KZN, where members were “forced” to leave their sites. The pair also travelled to the provinces to gain an understanding of the obstacles that developers, landlords, managers and property stakeholders are facing around the country. They have engaged with the mayors of Nelson Mandela Bay, Mpumalanga, Tshwane, Polokwane and eThekwini. “There is real concern about the impact that ‘mismanaged and dysfunctional 8
SOUTH AFRICAN PROPERTY REVIEW
municipalities’ are having on the industry,” says Mkhari. “Taking back what we’ve learnt, we need to see how and why municipalities are not working. We must get the attention of Deputy Minister Andries Nel and the Corporate Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) ministers, as well as the Finance Ministry, to show that these matters are aligned not only with a province’s growth but with the growth of the country as a whole.
