Women Property Network announces W Cape award winners

Women’s Property Network (WPN) hosted the Western Cape region for the fourth annual South African Women in Property Awards (SAWIPA), in conjunction with Airports Company South Africa (ACSA).

The South African Women in Property awards honours women’s leadership and talent in the property sector. They are aimed at inspiring women, to ensure growth in women participation and transformation in the sector.
 
The economic participation of women in the property sector is of vital importance and the WPN says it has demonstrated its commitment not only in driving the inclusion of women in the sector but also recognising the progress that women have made in the diverse role they play. It said in a statement that the subject of gender diversity is a worldwide challenge, but significant strides are being made in various industries.  

“Women still endure hardships and discrimination in corporate boardrooms of property companies. We must work together as an industry to accelerate the change needed to increase the number of women in leadership roles, and encourage the growth and development of future female leaders in the property," said Sandi Mbatuma, managing director of AZZARO and chair of WPN.

"According to this year’s report released by the Property Sector Charter Council (PSCC), it has shown that the rate of women participation in the sector is low.”

“Airports Company is very proud of our continued relationship and involvement with WPN and SAWIPA. We know that the property sector is dynamic, evolving and economically impactful, but still very much untransformed from both a race and gender perspective," said says ACSA’s senior manager infrastructure and property development Zinhle Ntanzi.  

"We, therefore, need to invest in generating long-term value for the industry, ensuring that we attract, keep and recognise highly impactful, skilled and motivated women, so that the change we talk of and want to see is effective and sustainable.”

Winners of all the regions will, by default, be entered into the national awards, which will take place in October 2018. The national awards and gala dinner is a platform the WPN uses to raise bursary funds for previously disadvantaged young women embarking on property related studies. WPN recently awarded over R1.5m towards the bursary initiative.

The Western Cape Region 4th SAWIPA winners are:

•  Young Achiever category - Maryke Hennig, associate at Smith Tabata Buchanan Boyes;
• Business Woman of the Year category - Sibongile Booi, managing director of Second Office;
• Professional of the Year in the Private Sector category - Chloe Merrington, senior associate at Norton Rose Fulbright;
• Professional of the Year in the Public Sector category - Gisela Kaiser, executive director at the City of Cape Town.