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25Jun

Hyprop delivers strong operational performance

Hyprop delivers strong operational performance and is on track to meet growth in distributable income per share of 10% to 12%

Hyprop Investments, the retail-focused REIT with premier portfolios in South Africa and Eastern Europe, today announced a strong pre-close operational update for the five months ended 31 May 2026. The Group’s operational performance highlights the success of its focused strategy, operational excellence and ability to capitalise on new opportunities.

Key metrics are up in the South African portfolio

Across the SA retail portfolio, tenants’ turnover increased by 5.5%, while trading density grew by 4.4%. Foot count increased by 2.1%, underscoring the growing appeal of these centres. Retail vacancies are at an industry-beating 3.3% and cash collections rose to R1.7 billion over the five-month period.

In the Western Cape, Canal Walk (the Western Cape’s only super-regional shopping centre) continued its growth trajectory, driven by strong leasing momentum and high-profile store openings. Notable recent openings include Anta, True Religion, and Liverpool FC’s first African store. Since opening the retail portion of its Phase 2 expansion project in November 2025, Somerset Mall has welcomed several new brands, including Anta, Truworths, and Office London. The food and entertainment element of the Phase 2 project is progressing well. CapeGate is enhancing its retail offering through targeted upgrades and strategic tenant relocations, including an Edgars redevelopment project that entails rightsizing the Edgars store, expanding Sportscene, and introducing JD Sports and Freedom Adventure Park. Table Bay Mall, acquired in October 2023, has continued its strong growth trajectory, attracting a dynamic mix of retailers such as Faithful to Nature, MiMi-Q, and Krumble, and has executed meaningful upgrades.

In Gauteng, Hyde Park Corner welcomed Bootlegger Coffee, Marc’s by Marc Jacobs Café, the first-ever permanent Marc Jacobs café and the first designer café on the African continent, as well as UNIQ. Rosebank Mall has reduced its vacancy rate from 2% to 1.3%. Recent store openings include FARO, Wellness Warehouse, Lupis, and Livo. Clearwater Mall has completed several projects, including a dedicated e-hailing zone, installation of new upper-level parking systems and infrastructure, and new ClearVu fences around the centre’s boundary. At Woodlands, the passage widening project and reconfiguration of the area around Pick n Pay are progressing well and on track for completion in November 2026. With key upgrades including new tiling, lighting and store facelifts, the project will unlock valuable new retail space, enhance the shopper experience, and drive increased foot traffic. The Glen added an Ai-CHA kiosk (an international ice cream and beverage brand) and is relocating the Dial-a-Bed store to accommodate the Value Co expansion project.

Eastern European portfolio builds on sturdy foundations

Hyprop’s four retail centres in the capital cities of Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Croatia are cementing their status in the region. Tenants’ turnover increased by 4.4%, while trading density rose by 4.2%. Foot count increased by 5.0%. Demand for space remains exceptionally high, with a 0% vacancy rate in May 2026.

City Center one West is strengthening its market position through strategic tenant upgrades and space optimisation. Jeordie’s (men’s fashion brand) expanded into a new flagship store, and Shoetique opened in the former Jeordie’s space. Deichmann’s store revamp, the completion of a 9,000 m² retiling project in March 2026, and the planned bathroom upgrade project, due to be completed at the end of October 2026, will enhance the centre’s appeal.

At City Center one East, the highlight for the period was Sephora launching its first Croatian store in April, attracting a record number of shoppers. Skopje City Mall has commenced a major 12-month redevelopment project for Inditex, creating expanded flagship stores with the latest Inditex concepts for all its brands. At The Mall, new food offerings (Cake Collection, which replaced Nedelya Pastry Shop) and fashion brands (Obuvki’s new concept and the addition of Storm) have improved the tenant mix.

Morne Wilken, CEO of Hyprop Investments, commented: “We are encouraged by the continued resilience of our portfolios in South Africa and Eastern Europe, which is evident in our latest operational update. Our strategy to focus on high-quality retail centres, optimising our tenant mix, and disciplined capital management is delivering pleasing results.”

Expansion in Eastern Europe

In May 2026, Hyprop announced the acquisition of Galleria Burgas in Bulgaria, in line with its diversification strategy and leveraging regional macroeconomic tailwinds. The transaction aligns with Hyprop’s strategy to increase exposure in Eastern Europe, a region the Group has identified as offering superior risk-adjusted returns. Fully funded by Hyprop’s available cash and proceeds from the sale of the 50% undivided share in Woodlands Boulevard, the acquisition is expected to enhance earnings and support long-term value creation. The transaction is still awaiting regulatory approval, which is progressing well.

Hyprop makes progress on environmental projects

Hyprop’s energy management strategy is aimed at delivering operational resilience and long-term value. The solar-PV project at The Glen was completed in June 2026, while the projects at CapeGate and Hyde Park Corner are nearing completion. At Canal Walk and Somerset Mall, the solar-PV projects have commenced, and together they will significantly increase the SA portfolio’s total solar capacity. At several centres, solar-PV is being integrated with battery energy storage systems, also known as BESS – a critical step in derisking centres’ operations, reducing grid dependency, managing energy costs, and ensuring business continuity for tenants. These investments directly support Hyprop’s ESG objectives and position the assets for long-term growth.

Back-up potable water storage projects are underway at all four Western Cape centres, providing increased capacity to safeguard against regional supply risks. These installations are targeted for completion by August 2026.

Balance Sheet Strength and Capital Management

The Group’s liquidity position remains strong, with R1.7 billion in cash and R2 billion in available bank facilities as of 31 May 2026 and the Group’s LTV has been reduced to below 30% following the disposal of the 50% undivided share of Woodlands Boulevard. Recent refinancing of bond and loan facilities at lower margins, combined with strong investor demand, has further reduced the cost of debt. The Group’s disciplined approach to interest rate hedging ensures continued financial resilience.

On track to meet guidance

Looking ahead to year-end, Hyprop remains on track to deliver growth in distributable income per share (“DIPS”) for the year ending 30 June 2026, in line with its guidance of 10% to 12% growth in DIPS, supported by operational momentum and a strong balance sheet.

“Hyprop’s robust financial position and consistently improving operational performance are a direct result of our focused strategy and strong execution. Looking ahead, we are well-positioned to seize opportunities and drive continued growth for our stakeholders”, concluded Wilken.

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Chief Executive Officer – Growthpoint Properties SA

Estienne de Klerk

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Estienne de Klerk is a qualified Chartered Accountant with 25 years’ experience in the listed property sector. During the 25 years, he has been involved in various corporate action such as take-overs, mergers and acquisitions, transformation deals and capital raises. De Klerk started his career at Eskom Durban Distribution in a marketing role. In 2002, he joined the Investec Property Group’s property fund management business where he was appointed Fund Manager and Executive Director of Metboard. Later on, he became Executive Director and Group Managing Director of Growthpoint before being appointed Chief Executive Officer (SA). Estienne is Chairman of the SA REIT Association and a longstanding member where he served as Chairman of the Taxation and Regulatory Committee since SAREIT’s inception. He is a former President of the South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA) and represented the industry in the Property Sector Charter negotiations.

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BCom (Hons) Accounting (University of Johannesburg)
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Ian Vorster completed articles at PKF Johannesburg Inc and qualified as a chartered accountant in 2006. In 2007 he joined the PKF Corporate Division, where he was appointed a partner in 2009. Following the PKF and Grant Thornton Johannesburg merger in 2015 Ian was appointed the Head of the Grant Thornton Corporate Finance Division.

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Chief Financial Officer – Vukile Property Fund

Laurence Cohen

Laurence obtained his bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Witwatersrand in 1993 and his bachelor’s in Accounting in 1995 from UNISA. He has more than sixteen years’ experience in listed property asset management in South Africa, having previously served as CFO of retail-focused REIT Hyprop Investments from 2003 to 2018. Cohen joined Vukile in March 2019 and was appointed to the board as CFO in July 2019.

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Henry Kuhn

Henry Kuhn is a qualified chartered accountant who after being involved in a number of property company audits during his articles pursued his passion for property in joining the Atterbury Property Group. Since then, he joined the Attacq Limited group assisting the company with the listing in 2013 as well as conversion to a REIT in 2018. He is currently performing the role of Group Financial Manager for the Attacq Group.

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Chief Financial Officer - Burstone Group

Jenna Sprenger

Jenna joined the Fund in August 2014 and became an integral part of the management team in supporting the growth of the business. Jenna has well rounded experience in the business being responsible for Finance, Reporting, and Balance Sheet, and acts as a strategic partner in all decision making. She also assisted in driving the Fund’s Environmental Social Governance (ESG) strategy. She fulfilled the role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) from 1 December 2018 to 30 November 2020, at which time she stepped down from the role to spend more time with her young family.  On 1 July 2022, Jenna assumed the role of interim CFO and was appointed permanently in the role on 20 January 2023. Jenna has extensive experience in managing the balance sheet and treasury function across both South African and European businesses. Prior to joining the Fund, Jenna was the Financial Manager at Annuity Properties Limited, which she joined shortly after it listed until its sale to Redefine Properties. Post-graduation, Jenna completed her accounting articles and gained experience at KPMG Johannesburg and KPMG New York.

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Partner – Fasken

Conor McFadden

Conor McFadden advises both domestic and international clients on direct and indirect taxation matters relating to corporate and business law, including the tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions, securities, corporate restructurings, cross border transactions, transfer pricing, thin capitalisation, employee share option schemes and State royalties on mineral resource transfers.He is regularly involved in making representations to the National Treasury on draft revenue legislation and applying for Advance Tax Rulings on behalf of clients from the Advance Tax Ruling Unit.Conor also has extensive experience in tax litigation and alternative dispute resolution and deals with the South African Revenue Service on a regular basis. He represents clients with regard to the South African Exchange Control Regulations and assists clients in obtaining exchange control approval from the Financial Surveillance Department on both inward and outward investments.
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Partner at Fasken

Werner de Waal

Werner De Waal is a Partner at Fasken in the Corporate & Commercial, and Real Estate practice areas.

He advises on M&A transactions, general corporate law, infrastructure projects, joint ventures, partnerships, private equity, corporate restructuring, due diligence, commercial law and real estate transactions. In addition, he acts for sponsors, funders and investors in the energy and infrastructure space.

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Partner at Fasken Banking and Finance

Pierre Swart

With a BComm (in Economics) degree and a master’s in corporate law, Pierre Swart specialises in the complete spectrum of debt and equity finance activities, including capital markets, DCM products, structured finance, regulatory work and market infrastructure-related work (such as the JSE and other exchanges).

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Lizelle Pottas

Lizelle Pottas has been the Financial Director at Vukile since 2018. In this role, she oversees group reporting, IFRS compliance, JSE compliance, and internal and external audits.

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Riaan Gous

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His legal knowledge in the property sector has proven invaluable in the listing process and the many significant transaction Equites has concluded to date.

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Legal Manager – Fortress REIT

Dov Green

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Samantha Jardine

BCom LLB, LLM (corporate law)

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National Legal Executive – Hyprop Investments

Desirée Nafte

Desirée Nafte joined Hyprop in 2011, and before that, she was a practising attorney.

Nafte entered the commercial property industry in 2001 as a Legal Advisor, specialising in property law as well as landlord and tenant law.

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Farhana Haffejee is the Head of Legal at Liberty Two Degrees.

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Nazeem Ebrahim

Nazeem Ebrahim has a B.Soc.Sci. and a B. Proc and in 1996 was admitted as an Attorney to the High Court of South Africa. He has been involved with the Board of Oasis Group Holdings in an advisory capacity since its inception in 1997.

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Partner: Real Estate – Fasken

Johan Coetzee

Johan Coetzee is Head of the Real Estate Team and a leading Commercial Attorney in Fasken’s Johannesburg office, with recognised expertise in competition law. He also specialises in commercial property transactions and all related real estate law matters. Johan advises the REIT sector, and his experience includes advising some of the largest commercial property developments and mergers in the REIT sector in South Africa over the last few years.

With more than 30 years of extensive experience as a commercial attorney in the real estate sector, he acts for numerous clients in South Africa. His work in this area consists of all aspects of real estate work, including conveyancing and notarial work, commercial property developments, sectional title schemes, registration of leases, servitudes and mortgage and notarial bonds for lenders in renewable energy projects, property legal, due diligence investigations and clients in the mining and manufacturing industries.

Within competition law, Johan works with clients from a broad range of sectors. He prepares merger notifications to the South African competition authorities, including in the steel, manufacturing, property management services and REIT sectors; provides compliance advice and training to clients; and provides opinions on competition law considerations in the consumer goods, agricultural services and aviation sectors.

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Head: Marketing & Communications – Growthpoint Properties

Cindi-Leigh Breed

Cindi-Leigh Breed has over 25 years of experience as a real estate and financial services marketing professional. She has spearheaded high-impact marketing initiatives with ambitious campaign goals across diverse channels. Her work experience includes developing effective brand strategies, promotional events and marketing campaigns aligned with strategic corporate objectives.

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Global Head of Marketing at Burstone

Cheryl Leicher

Cheryl brings over 25 years of experience in the marketing industry, with deep expertise spanning the full spectrum of the marketing landscape. Her approach is grounded in the power of storytelling, creativity and data-driven decision-making, consistently delivering brand experiences that resonate and produce measurable outcomes.

As Global Head of Marketing at Burstone, Cheryl leads with purpose, driving sustainable growth across the global business. She connects teams to a shared vision, champions innovation and oversees the development and execution of integrated marketing strategies that align with the organisation’s long-term goals.

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Head: Marketing & Stakeholder Affairs – Redefine Properties Ltd

Doug Mayne

BCom in Marketing, Advertising and Business Administration (University of KwaZulu-Natal)In his current role, Doug leads a world-class team, responsible for marketing the Redefine Properties brand, mall brands, and all other sub-brands. His role includes managing alternative income and driving stakeholder engagement across the company’s key stakeholders.

Doug joined Redefine in 2016 as a National Non-GLA Sales Manager, where he was responsible for the company’s income across retail, commercial, and industrial property sectors. In 2021, the role of Retail marketing manager was added to his responsibilities, where he focused on digital, community, and tenant support. One year later, Doug was appointed as head of the marketing department.

Doug is also highly skilled in new business development, brand management, people development, project management, budgeting, innovation and new idea execution, negotiation, commercialisation, sales revenue, and stakeholder relations.

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Marketing Executive – Equites Property Fund

Shirley McMurray-Wolmarans

Shirley McMurray-Wolmarans holds an Honours Degree in Business Management: Marketing as her highest qualification. Since 2008, she has gained extensive experience in marketing event management at an international level, including executing large-scale exhibitions and trade shows for significant brands, before moving more specifically into senior marketing executive roles, with a focus on brand positioning and exposure.

Shirley joined Equites in 2021 and has applied creative and strategic thinking, to establish Equites in the digital space and grow the REIT’s online footprint across platforms, driving engagement and growth.

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Partner – Fasken

Janke Strydom

Janke Strydom is a Corporate and Commercial Real Estate Partner at Fasken with eight years post qualification experience.Her practice comprises commercial real estate agreements and conveyancing transactions, including bond registrations, transfers, subdivisions, consolidations, township establishment and the opening of sectional title schemes for a range of clients, including REITs, financial institutions and property developers.

Janke’s experience includes advising on complex commercial real estate transactions and corporate and commercial advice concerning sectional title developments, large intra-group restructures, the sale of commercial letting enterprises and real security transactions. These include, amongst other things, the registration of mortgage bonds, notarial bonds, ship and aircraft mortgages and the cancellation and cession of these bonds.

She has broad experience in commercial real estate transactions and corporate law, including drafting sale agreements, co-ownership agreements, shareholder agreements, bespoke MOIs and commercial lease agreements.

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Head of CSI and Transformation – Fortress REIT

Jodie Ellinor-Dreyer

Jodie Ellinor-Dreyer FCA CA(SA)

Financial Manager and Head of Corporate Social Investment & Transformation
Fortress Real Estate Investments Limited
Jodie, an ordinary person with extraordinary determination, has been working within the Fortress group structures for over 20 years doing what she loves.
“Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” St Francis of Assisi

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Funding Officer – Attacq

Pierre Le Roux

Pierre Le Roux is a Chartered Accountant with over 15 years of expertise in the financial services sector, with Commercial Property Finance and Treasury specialisation. He joined Attacq in 2018 as the Funding Officer, with overall responsibility for Attacq’s debt funding and interest rate risk management.

Before joining Attacq, Pierre spent seven years with First National Bank as a Dealmaker in New Business Acquisitions and Commercial Property Finance in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to originating new commercial property finance business, he assisted the FNB African subsidiaries in designing solutions for clients, obtaining approval from the relevant credit committees, and drafting and implementing their commercial property finance risk management policies.

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General Manager (Inland) – Property Management, Redefine Properties

Poovendran Reddy

Poovendran Reddy is the General Manager (Inland) of Property Management at Redefine Properties, where he oversees the property management of the inland property portfolio across office, retail, and industrial sectors. With a background in BCom Accounting and PGDA from the University of KZN, Poovendran joined Redefine Properties in 2020 as Head of Operational Finance, bringing with him over a decade of experience in the hospitality sector.

In his previous role, Poovendran managed the day-to-day operational finance functions, including taxation, before being promoted to his current position in March 2023. In addition to managing the property portfolio, he also provides oversight of BBBEE initiatives and their monitoring.

Poovendran’s expertise lies in combining financial acumen with operational excellence, making him a valuable member of the Redefine team. He is actively involved in the Management Committee and the Management Risk Committee, contributing his insights and leadership to drive the company’s success.

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HR & Transformation Manager, Vukile Property Fund

Nomsa Kole

Nomsa is the HR & Transformation Manager at Vukile Property Fund Ltd. In her current role, she manages the human resources processes, drives the B-BBEE goals and superintends the skills development initiatives. She is a Professional Accountant (SA) with degrees in Financial Accounting and Accounting Sciences. She is currently enrolled for a post-graduate degree in HR and Business Management with the University of Witwatersrand. She is passionate about people management and fostering transformative change in the workplace.

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Associate Professor at the University of Pretoria

Dr Douw Boshoff

BSc Construction Management, MSc Real Estate, PhD Real Estate, Business Leadership Certificate, Project Management Professional Certification

Douw has close on 30 years of experience in the property and construction sectors. He started his career in project management with Barrow Projects and Property Finance with Rand Merchant Bank. Also, he spent about 10 years in academia with the University of Pretoria. During that time, he supervised 20 research students at the master’s and doctoral levels and published more than 50 papers in academic journals, conference proceedings and other trade publications. He is a Professional Valuer (SACPVP) and Chartered Valuation Surveyor (RICS).

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Chief Investment Officer, Spear REIT Limited

Kim Pfaff-Karg

Kim is the first female member of the Spear Executive Committee. Kim has 18 years experience in the listed and non-listed real estate sector.

Kim’s qualifications include a BSc (Hons) Property Studies (UCT), a Certificate in Lease Negotiation (University of Pretoria), is a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS), a Registered Valuer of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and a Professional Valuer (SACPVP).

Kim performs a strategic role across the business at Spear, focusing on acquisition, disposals, portfolio valuations and other corporate business requirements.

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Founder, Philbar Consulting; Director, Pooled Data Services (Pty) Ltd

 

Phil Barttram

A thought leader and independent consultant on real estate investment and ESG strategies, Phil Barttram has over 27 years of experience in the financial sector, having worked in the UK, South Africa and the Middle East.
He spent nearly a decade as an Executive Director at MSCI and is currently in the start-up stage of building a collaborative data business.

Phil’s interest lies in investment strategy and portfolio optimisation, and on utilising the value of data virtualisation to improve strategic investment decisions. Since going out on his own, Phil has taken an interest in the impact of ESG risk and opportunity factors on portfolio buy-sell-hold strategies.

As an established authority on South African real estate and ESG, Phil is a regularly invited conference speaker and frequent contributor to trade and mainstream media publications. He holds an MBA from UCT’s Graduate School of Business and currently serves as Deputy Chair of the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA), is a past Non-Executive Director of the SA Council of Shopping Centres (SACSC), and is a member of the SA REIT Association’s Research Committee.

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Head of Research – Sefikile Capital

Naeem Tilly

Naeem holds a qualification as a Chartered Accountant (CA SA) and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter holder. With 11 years of experience in the listed property sector, he embarked on his professional journey after earning a Bachelor of Accountancy degree from the University of Witwatersrand. Naeem’s career took off at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Before joining Sesfikile Capital, Naeem was executive director and senior listed property analyst at Avior Capital Markets. His outstanding expertise was acknowledged by the Financial Mail, where he received the top-rated analyst award for three consecutive years, as recognised by industry peers.

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Economist – STANLIB

Ndivhuho Netshitenzhe

Ndivhuho Netshitenzhe obtained her undergraduate degree in Economics and Politics from Rhodes University and has two Masters’ degrees: one in Economics from University of Pretoria and a second in Finance from Cambridge University. Ndivhuho has 7 years’ experience in the property sector and began her career at the South African Reserve Bank, where she joined as a graduate in 2013 in the Financial Stability department. Since then she has worked on macroeconomic policy, helping develop South Africa’s macroprudential policy and financial stability monitoring framework.

In her current role at STANLIB which was effective in 2019, Ndivhuho is responsible for conducting macroeconomic research and forecasts with a focus on South Africa and China. As a research economist, she has authored a number of research papers which have been presented at The Economic Society of South Africa conferences.

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Associate Professor – University of the Witwatersrand

Kola Akinsomi

Professor Kola Akinsomi has over 15 years’ experience in the property sector and holds a PhD in Real Estate Finance and MSc in Real Estate from the National University of Singapore as well as a BSc in Real Estate Management with Honours from Oxford Brookes University, England. He has been a visiting researcher at the National University of Singapore, University of Tokyo, Japan and the University of Western Sydney, Australia. Kola is the Vice-President and board member of the African Real Estate Society and on the board of directors of the International Real Estate Society. He is on the Advisory Forum of the South African Council for Property Valuer and Profession (SACPVP). In addition, Kola is the Chair of the future leaders of the American Real Estate Society (FLARES). He has served on the program committees for the African Real Estate Society, American Real Estate Society and European Real Estate Society conferences.

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Partner – Fasken

Jacques Marais

Advisory Member

Jacques Marais is a Senior Associate at Fasken and works in the Real Estate team in Johannesburg, advising clients on commercial property transactions, renewable energy project developments (infrastructure and development) and all related real estate law matters. He has a proven track record of being a part of legal teams advising some of the largest commercial and residential property developers and REITs in South Africa over the last few years.

Jacques’ work in the field of law consists of all aspects of real estate work, including conveyancing, property finance, commercial property developments, renewable energy project developments (infrastructure and development), sectional title schemes, retirement villages, mergers and acquisitions.

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Chief Executive Officer – Vukile Property Fund

Laurence Rapp

Chairman of the Investor Committee

He is a well-respected thought leader with over 12 years of experience in the property industry. As a forward-thinking and results-driven leader, he has successfully navigated the complexities of the corporate landscape and made significant contributions to the real estate sector. With a keen focus on general management, corporate finance, capital markets and real estate, Laurence has garnered a reputation as a dynamic and strategic visionary.

Previous roles include Head of Insurance and Asset Management at Standard Bank and Chairman of Synergy Income Fund Limited. Currently, Laurence serves as Chairman of Castellana Properties SOCIMI SA and holds directorships in various Vukile group entities. His dedication to innovation makes him a driving force in the real estate sector, and his leadership and passion inspire the next generation of property professionals.

He was appointed Chief Executive Officer at Vukile Properties on 1 August 2011.

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Portfolio Manager – M&G Investments

Yusuf Mowlana

Yusuf Mowlana holds a Bachelor of Business Science and is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst. He is currently responsible for all property funds at Prudential Investment Managers. Additionally, Yusuf co-manages the Prudential Equity Fund and the institutional general equity funds for South African and Namibian clients.

Mowlana spent the first five and half years of his investment career at Allan Gray, covering companies across various sectors, before joining Prudential in October 2018. Prior to that, he worked at Deloitte, where he completed his articles.

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Head of Investor Relations – Attacq Limited

Brenda Botha

Brenda started her career as a music teacher (BMUS HED, UP) and taught at Waterkloof Primary School, Pretoria. In 2004 she decided to change her career and joined Colenbrander Inc, Pietermaritzburg as an article clerk. Brenda has been the Financial Manager for PrivateProperty.co.za, Atterbury Property Holdings and Attacq Limited, before being appointed in the role of Head of Investor Relations in 2017. Brenda is a qualified CA (SA) and holds an MBA from the Graduate School of Business, UCT.

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Chief Executive Officer – Fairvest Limited

Darren Wilder

Darren Wilder is currently the CEO at Fairvest Property Holdings Limited and has over 30 years’ experience in all aspects of the property industry. His various portfolios include Asset Management, Property Management, Leasing, Property Development and Management. He worked for Seeff Properties in various positions from 1991 until 1997. In 1997 he was appointed to the board of the then JSE-listed company, Capital Alliance Properties, and was a participant in its management buy-out. Wilder was part of the team that listed Spearhead Property group on the JSE and was appointed COO in 1999. Darren’s work experience also includes National Leasing Director for Madison Properties, Business Development Director of the V&A Waterfront and a Consultant to the Chief Executive Officer of the V&A Waterfront.

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Head: ESG, Strategy & Investor Relations – Growthpoint Properties

Lauren Turner

With over two decades of experience in the financial sector, Lauren has an exceptional understanding of local and international financial markets, products and participants.

Starting her career in the financial services division at Deloitte and Touche, she went on to structure and sell interest rate products for institutional investors at the Fixed-Income Desk of Standard Bank. Coming from a third-generation stockbroking family and driven by her passion for the equity markets, Lauren then made strategic moves to the JSE and, gaining valuable insight into the offshore investment community, to BNY Mellon as Vice President of their American Depositary Receipt Business for Sub-Saharan Africa.

Today, as Head of ESG, Strategy & Investor Relations at Growthpoint, she applies her strong relationships and expertise to fostering a culture of excellence in the various aspects of her high-performance role. Lauren is a CA(SA), a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) and sits on the Group Executive Committee of Growthpoint.

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Founder and Managing Partner – REdimension Capital

Peter Clark

Peter is the Founder and Managing Partner of REdimension Capital, an investment manager focused on technology and innovation companies solving challenges for the built environment. He also serves on the Africa Proptech Forum advisory board and the SAPOA Proptech committee.

Previously, Peter was Head of Property Investments for Ninety One, where he managed a range of portfolios in South Africa and globally valued more than $1bn. Peter is a CFA charter holder with an honours degree from the University of Cape Town and a master’s degree from the University of Cambridge.

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Chief Executive Officer of Attacq Ltd

Jackie van Niekerk

Chairperson of the Marketing and Conference Committee

Jackie joined Attacq as the Chief Operating Officer in June 2017 and was appointed to the board in June 2018. Jackie has over 14 years of experience in the property industry and prior to joining Attacq, was the Chief Executive Officer of Pivotal.

At the end of 2016, she successfully concluded the merger between Pivotal and Redefine Properties. Jackie joined Pivotal Property Fund in 2009 and became the youngest and only woman Chief Executive Officer in the property sector at the time, growing the fund to a R12 billion listed development fund.

She established Pivotal’s offshore strategy by successfully concluding the merger of Mara and Delta Africa to create the MaraDelta Africa fund and acquired an equity stake in Echo Property Polska based in Poland.

 

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Chief Operating Officer at Diversifi

Eric Ackroyd

Eric has 11 years' experience in B-BBEE and Transformation and before that 12 years' experience in Financial Auditing. Prior to joining Alternative Prosperity he was the Verification Director at a leading B-BBEE Verification Agency. He started his career as a Chartered Accountant and Auditor during which time he worked in the UK and Germany for 3 years. He is experienced in the Automotive, Advertising, Financial, Construction and ICT industries.

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Company Secretary & Legal Executive at Equites Property Fund

Thabo Vilakazi

Experienced Property and Development professional with a demonstrated history of delivering major Negotiation and developments for clients. Strong strategic capability, professional skilled in Asset Management Asset Management across the Due Diligence and development sectors including residential (including high-rise), commercial properties, industrial property, retail land, hotels and master planning. Significant experience in managing large scale complex multi-use projects. Broad understanding of urbanism and its impacts on people and property

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Research Analyst and Assistant Property Portfolio Manager at Truffle Asset Management (Pty) Ltd

Pranita Daya

Pranita is a qualified chartered accountant, having completed her undergraduate at WITS and honours at the University of Johannesburg. She has served three years of articles at KPMG, working in the consumer markets and technology sector where some of her biggest clients were Yum Restaurants and Business Connexion, to name a few. She joined the sell-side covering listed property at Anchor Stockbrokers in January 2018 where she served four years before joining Standard Bank Securities. Pranita has participated in the Financial Mail Analyst Awards since 2019 and was ranked third in 2019, second in 2020, 2021 and 2024 and first in 2022 and 2023. She has also served on the SA REIT Research Committee and is currently the vice chairman of the Women’s Property Network having served on the exco since 2020. Pranita joined Truffle in January 2025 as a Research Analyst and Assistant Property Portfolio Manager.

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