The joining of a black-owned property services company, Zwelitsha Pty Limited, with Trafalgar Property & Financial Services spells great things for the new entity.

This new company, Zwelitsha Property Services, is one of a handful of national empowerment property companies in the country with a black majority shareholding.

This majority share of 55% is held by the original Zwelitsha directors together with Patricia Kondile, and the balance by Trafalgar, which employs in excess of 2 500 employees in the property services industry.

The new company was launched on the back of an R2-million a year cleaning contract for Old Mutual's headquarters in Pinelands in the Cape. The contract is being shared with Trafalgar but will be handled exclusively by Zwelitsha within a 3-year hand-over period.

According to Zwelitsha CEO Lance Manala, this contract is typical of the size and scale of work the new company is aiming to attract.

"Sophisticated national infrastructure, expertise, and buying power, enabled by our partnership with Trafalgar, is opening up doors for us," said Manala.

He added that in the next 12 to 24 months, Zwelitsha would add facilities and utility management to its range of property services, which are currently focused on cleaning and security. "The company is structured in such a way that it is able to empower other emerging contractors as the business grows."

Manala believes a strong technical background of construction and utilities, and how these operate in a property management environment, will provide the company with a further competitive edge.

Neville Schaefer, chief executive of Trafalgar, commented: "With the transfer of expertise and skills from Trafalgar to Zwelitsha, we are investing in the future of both our business and our country.

"The development of a newly formed black empowerment company is exciting." - The Star