MAIN IMAGE: Fundiswa Mazibuko, chairperson of the women’s association of the SA Institute of Black Property Practitioners (SAIBPPA); Thato Ramaili, founder of Loara Realty, PPRA board member
Danie Keet
With August being Women’s Month, we focus on some of the top female movers and shakers in the industry. This week we posed some questions to Fundiswa Mazibuko (FM) and Thato Ramaili (TR). Fundiswa is the chairperson of the women’s association of the SA Institute of Black Property Practitioners (SAIBPPA), while Thato is founder of Loara Realty and a PPRA board member.
Which woman taught you the most about life?
FM: My mother taught me about resilience. We were raised by a single mother and grew up poor however she ensured that we didn’t go to bed without food, we went to school and realised our potential. Above all, she taught me to be humble!
TR: I am truly a reflection of the women who have been in my life in different stages and seasons of my life. From childhood years to the woman I am today. Women of outstanding morals, discipline, and remarkable characters. There are many from all corners of the world, but my mother is definitely worth a special mention. A resilient, selfless, and confident Zulu Queen. I am because she is.
If you could change one thing in the real estate industry, what would that be and why?
FM: The fact that the industry is still male dominated is evident that the transformation is on a slow pace. We still have to few women on boards and those participating at an executive level in the industry. Access to markets for women entrepreneurs is also limited. Gone are the days where woman should only own cleaning companies, we want to participate in property ownership, in instances of leadership as well as to increase our procurement share.
TR: Until the REI represents everyone, particularly women and individuals from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, then there is still work to be done in the industry. Transformation and representation of demographics in South Africa. Representation matters, period.
What is your message/advice to other women in the industry?
FM: Learn to hunt in a pack. We always encourage collaborations. Embrace your femininity and don’t try to be a man, you are enough!
TR: Invest in your craft, I cannot stress this enough. Be an expert in your field and always conduct yourself with the utmost level of professionalism. Your health, in particular your mental health, has a direct impact on the health of your firm’s balance sheet.
What is the most important lesson you have learnt from the REI – both for your life and in the industry itself?
FM: It is important to do your due diligence before investing your time in anything and always understand what you are signing up for.
TR: A referral is the highest honour a business can receive from a customer and it’s FREE. With a referral from a friend, relative or previously serviced client, you are at the 90% mark of any transaction.
If there is one thing you can do to create equal opportunities/equality in the REI, what would it be?
FM: It would be to canvass for greater buy from corporate and big business as far as initiating and implementing the priorities of the transformation codes in our industry. It is important to cultivate a developmental culture within industry, rather than a tick box exercise that creates transformation on paper.
TR: The rolling out and Implementation of Property Incubation Programs through public and private partnership that will create opportunities for upcoming property practitioners.
Have you been discriminated against – in your job and in private life – how?
FM: In professional organisations, discrimination is subtle. Even in the current age, women still experience discrimination in their places of work and despite having similar skills as their male counterparts, they still can earn up to two thirds of what the men can earn irrespective of their qualification and experience which might be equal or more than that of men.
TR: I have never faced discrimination as a young professional or property practitioner. I always had to be above exceptional to justify my place in the hierarchy.
Do you think events such as Woman’s Day make any difference?
FM: Oh, most definitely. Apart from their traditional roles as mothers, wives, and caregivers, more and more women are reaching top positions. This month is a chance to enhance women empowerment and remind the world that on 9 August 1956 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings to fight against a system designed to limit and control women.
TR: I would say not entirely, as it’s a rhetoric by society at large. We are not really addressing the real issues affecting women, particularly in this county and finding solutions.
What is the one stereotyping of women that irritates you most?
FM: Where do I even begin… The list is long… here are a few: women are natural nurturers, men are natural leaders, women with children are less devoted to work, women don’t need equal pay because they are supported by their spouses.
TR: Women are passive and cannot be in certain leadership positions.
What in SA gives you hope for the future – for the REI and in general?
FM: We have a constitutionally grounded system that is beginning to prioritize gender equity and it is through the consistent enforcement of these regulations that we will begin to see the change that women are looking for. This is what gives hope that South Africa is gradually shaping into an equal society.
TR: The promulgation of the PPA seeks to redress the imbalances of the past and should be an inclusive industry of all South Africans. We have our challenges as a country, but South Africa is the best place to be for rising entrepreneurs and property practitioners!
