Partnering with the WPN are dedicated sponsors Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and Tsogo Sun. The event was held at Tsogo Sun’s 54 on Bath Hotel in Rosebank.
“It is fantastic to be able to recognize and celebrate women in the property sector that have impacted, inspired, influenced and changed the face of the industry for 2016 in an exceptional way. The caliber of women we have seen over the last few weeks through the adjudication process signifies the remarkable impact women have made, in what has been a predominant male environment. The awards are further celebrated over the symbolic month of August, Women’s month” says Genevieve Naidoo, WPN Chairlady and Head of Credit for Real Estate at CIB, Standard Bank
The Gauteng regional awards are adjudicated by a panel of judges representing a range of industry disciplines. The Gauteng judges included:
Bronwyn Corbett- CFO, Mara Delta Property Holdings and previous winner of Excellence in the Property Sector Award 2015
Zola Malinga – Founder & Executive Director, Jade Capital Investments, and previous winner of the 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year awards
Genevieve Naidoo – Head of Real Estate Finance Credit, Standard Bank CIB, and WPN Chair
Women in Gauteng were recognized and acknowledged for the remarkable impression they have made on the industry.
YOUNG ACHIEVER AWARD (under 35 years old)
Hulisani Madala
Jackline Okeyo – Business Development & Operations, Nthwese Developments
Christy Hobson – Legal Manager, AttAfrica
Marianka Victor – Managing Director, Finlay Mall Leasing (Pty) Ltd
Thenjiwe Zondi – Centre Manager, JHI
Chele Moyo – Vice President – CPF Research & Business Development, Barclays Africa Group
Alet van Rensburg – Associate Director, Pentad Quantity Surveyors
The Gauteng regional winner for this category is: Marianka Victor
BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR – ENTREPRENEUR AWARD
Vatiswa Mjiba – Managing Director, VMQ Property Services
Fundi Mazibuko – Director Marketing & Business Development, FullServe
Khululwa Muthwa – Director, KHB Consulting
Bongiwe Baleni – Director, Growth Circle Construction
Monalisa Sam – Founding Managing Director, Tungwa Retail Holdings
The Gauteng regional winner for this category is: Monalisa Sam
PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR: CORPORATE / PRIVATE SECTOR AWARD
Danisa Shetlele – National Leasing Manager, Mowana Properties
Lebogang Shole – Executive Head Facilities & Real Estate, Vodacom
Madeleine Truter – Legal Counsel, Pivotal Fund
Nthabiseng Ramoipane – Finanacial Director, Dijalo Property Services
Reyhana Satar – Associate Director, Turner & Townsend
Noluthando Moloa – Associate Director, Turner & Townsend
Riane Booysen – Associate Director, RLB Pentad
Rakhi Nundkoomar, CFO, Pareto
Cindy Marais – Director Commercial, JHI
Lee-Anne Bac – Director, Grant Thornton
Jess Cleland – Divisional Head Strategy & Consulting Business Unit, Broll
The regional finalists for this category are: Madeleine Truter and
Noluthando Moloa.
PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR: PUBLIC SECTOR AWARD
Mmamaloko Seabe – General Manager Real Estate, Eskom
Tshepiso Raletsemo – CEO, Gauteng Deprtament of Infrastructure Development
Helen Botes – CEO, City Of Johannesburg Agency
The regional winner in this category is: Helen Botes
All the Regional winners now go into a judging process, where winners will be announced at a glamourous gala event to be held on the 26th of October 2016.
Genevieve Naidoo, 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, 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 Sandi Mbutuma Vice Chair of WPN.
This is the first year that we have seen in excess of 50 women being recognized countrywide. 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 recognizing women.
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 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 ten bursaries for property-related degrees or diploma’s being awarded in 2016.
Ms Naidoo, a RICS board member and former WPN Rising Star Award Winner - 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.