Attacq and Property Point, a Growthpoint initiative, are pioneering a real estate industry collaboration for meaningful and transformative enterprise development with a ground-breaking new partnership.
"Collaborating for meaningful transformation in the property sector by growing small business is central to enterprise development. "Property Point, established by Growthpoint Properties for significant enterprise development that delivers real, industry-specific results, will now manage Attacq’s Enterprise Development Programme. Attacq will fund an intake to the value of R2.4 million to participate in a business incubation programme.
This is according to Norbert Sasse, CEO of South Africa’s largest JSE-listed REIT, Growthpoint Properties, who says Property Point started in 2008 as an initiative to further Growthpoint’s transformation goals through crucial enterprise development. He says even then they knew the initiative had the potential for greater impact on a much larger scale.
Today, with a well-established track record of proven results and positive impacts, he says Property Point has become a partner for like-minded industry leaders and organisations. Sasse says they are delighted to welcome Attacq as Property Point’s first partner.
Morné Wilken, CEO of the JSE-listed real estate capital growth fund Attacq, says collaborating for meaningful transformation in the property sector by growing small business is central to enterprise development.
He says this is exactly what they aim to achieve by partnering with Property Point. By using a proven programme that is already delivering excellent results to South Africa’s largest listed property counter, they can have the biggest possible impact in the shortest time, without having to reinvent the wheel, he says.
Shawn Theunissen, Head of Property Point and Growthpoint’s Corporate Social Responsibility, says this maiden collaboration, partnering with Attacq, will boost successful transformation and enterprise development in the property industry.
“Attacq’s enterprise development investment will have desirable and far-reaching positive effects, not only for everyone directly involved, but the entire sector and South Africa as a whole.”
For almost seven years, driven by Growthpoint, Property Point has been a catalyst for successful enterprise development in the South African property industry, steadily growing its capacity and results, he says.
So far, 86 businesses have participated in Property Point’s two year programme, enabling them to generate results, well over the national average, of over R214.4 million in procurement opportunities and report revenue growth of 27.5%.
Property Point’s incubation programme has already made strides in enterprise and supplier development through creating 904 jobs, while empowering 2 500 people with best business practices.
In addition, he says 43% of programme beneficiaries are black women owned enterprises and 95% of businesses continue running sustainably after graduating from Property Point.
Thanks to this new partnership, Attacq’s enterprise development programme will now include targeted interventions to help develop SMEs based on Attacq’s unique needs.
Wilken says Property Point’s model and approach to enterprise development unlocks opportunities that will benefit Attacq, and entrepreneurs serving the entire industry too. He says they have joined this programme because it creates real supply chain opportunities, ensuring sustainable transformation and job creation.
It will help meet their goals and targets for enterprise development and transformation, and enhance their understanding of small businesses in South Africa, says Wilken.
While Attacq is a relatively young company, he says it has strong roots in economic and social empowerment and is developing a solid track record of driving transformation.
“Transformation is a business imperative for us. The benefits of our collaborative effort with Property Point go beyond a matter of mere compliance. With our like-minded partners, we’re helping create an environment where SMEs strive for excellence and where all businesses on the supply chain run at a higher level.”
When that happens, he says everyone wins.
