The Women’s Property Network (WPN) continues to celebrate phenomenal and outstanding achievement within the property industry. They hosted the 2016 SA Women in Property Awards Cape Town finalists and category winners at a cocktail event at the Cape Sun Southern Sun Hotel.
To celebrate women’s achievements in the property sector, WPN is holding a gala dinner at Montecasino’s Sun Square Ballroom on 26 October 2016.Outstanding women were recognised within the regional property industry.
Genevieve Naidoo, WPN National Chairlady and Head of Credit Risk for Real Estate at Standard Bank, says they are proud to be able to roll out the event, not just in Gauteng, but in other regions like KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.
She says through their dedicated sponsors, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, they were able to create the platform to recognise women nationally. Naidoo says they also acknowledge Tsogo Sun for their incredible efforts to assist with rolling out these prestigious awards.
"The calibre of women that have been nominated prove to the industry that we have not only worked hard to achieve success - while balancing a career and family, but that we earn our rightful place within the sector," says Sandi Mbutuma, Vice Chair of WPN.
To celebrate women’s achievements in the property sector, WPN is hosting a gala dinner at Montecasino’s Sun Square Ballroom on 26 October 2016.
Ahead of October’s national event, regional events were held in Durban (11 August) and Cape Town (18 August), and there will be an upcoming event in Johannesburg on 26 August. Nominees for various award categories will be announced at these events, with regional award winners progressing to the national judging process.
"This is the first year we have seen in excess of 50 women being recognised countrywide," says Naidoo.
"This bears testament to the incredible women who are driving change within a predominantly male industry. This is an especially significant appreciation and tribute to women as the country celebrates a month of recognising women."
The following nominees have been recognised in their respective award categories for the Western Cape:
Young achiever award (under-35 years old)
Lara Schenk - Asset Manager, Horizon Capital
Jessica Fendick - Property & Legal Co-ordintaor, Blok & Prime Residential
Hayley vann-Herbert - Director: Operations, Galetti Knight Frank
Joy Millar - CBD Investment & Retail Broking Specialist, Swindon Properties
Lindsay Morris - Senior Portfolio Manager, Broll
Kirsten Sloth-Nielsen - Project & Programme Manager, Greater Tygerberg Partnership
The Western Cape regional winner for this category is Kirsten Sloth-Nielsen.
Business woman of the year: Entrepreneur award
Busi Nzo - Partner, Lakhanya Quantity Surveyors
Sanett Uys - Director, Serendipityremix
Kim Faclier - Managing Director: Property, GoIndustry DoveBid South Africa
Salma le Roux - Isikolo
The Western Cape regional winner for this category is: Busi Nzo
Professional of the year: Corporate / Private sector award
Liezel Conradie - Director: Western Cape, JHI Properties
Jill Coetzee - Head: Valuations, Swindon Properties
The regional winner for this category is Liezel Conradie.
Professional of the year: Public sector award
Rachel Shnackenberg - Manager: Property Holdings, City of Cape Town
Ruby Gelderbloem - Director: Property Management, City of Cape Town
The regional winner in this category is: Ruby Gelderbloem
The regional awards are adjudicated by a panel of judges representing a range of industry disciplines. The Western Cape judges included:
Antoinette Basson - Financial Director, SA Corporate Real Estate
Amelia Beattie - Head Stanlib Direct Property Investments
Genevieve Naidoo - Head of Real Estate Finance Credit, Standard Bank CIB, and WPN Chair
Added to recognising 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 2017 and beyond.
Backed by the WPN Educational Trust’s financial support, the WPN has awarded 54 bursaries to previously-disadvantaged female students since 2008, with 10 bursaries for property-related degrees or diploma’s being awarded in 2016.
Naidoo, also Standard Bank’s Head of Real Estate Finance Credit, a RICS board member and former WPN Rising Star Award Winner, says educational and mentorship initiatives are core to WPN’s drive to spur demographic change across the property sector.
She says 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, she says.
