MAIN IMAGE: Jan le Roux – CE of Rebosa, Thato Ramaili – PPRA CEO
Op-ed by Jan le Roux
The Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA) stands at a crossroads as it enters 2025, grappling with significant challenges inherited from its past while striving to forge a path of progress and transformation.
Under Dr Steven Ngubeni’s stewardship, the previous board inherited an entity teetering on dysfunction. The board was tasked with navigating the critical transition from the Estate Agency Affairs Act to the Property Practitioners Act while also overseeing the appointment of a new CEO. Despite these monumental challenges, significant strides were made. However, much remained unresolved, leaving an incomplete foundation for the incoming leadership to build upon.
The newly appointed board is yet to officially take office, leaving the institution under the willing leadership of CEO Ms Thato Ramaili. Having joined the board on November 24, 2021, Ms. Ramaili assumed the role of Acting CEO on February 1, 2023, and was formally appointed as CEO on March 14, 2024. Her tenure has been marked by renewed energy within the PPRA, characterised by open dialogue with industry stakeholders and improved communication channels. These efforts have positively shifted industry perceptions and inspired hope for the future of the institution.
While her achievements over the past two years are commendable, Ms Ramaili and the incoming board face an uphill battle to address lingering issues and deliver measurable progress. In 2025, the focus will inevitably shift from assigning blame for past shortcomings to demonstrating effective leadership and accountability.
Key challenges ahead
The challenges confronting the PPRA are formidable, with the following areas requiring urgent attention:
1. IT system overhaul
The PPRA’s IT system has long been a source of frustration, proving inadequate and frequently malfunctioning. This systemic issue has often served as a valid excuse for poor service delivery. Despite a commitment in 2017 by the previous board to replace the system, minimal progress has been made. The likelihood of achieving a complete overhaul in 2025 remains extremely unlikely. This is particularly concerning as approximately 50,000 property practitioners’ certificates, valid for 2023, 2024, and 2025, will need to be renewed between July 1 and October 31 this year. Practitioners cannot legally operate without these certificates, making the IT system’s reliability a critical priority.
2. Service delivery and operational efficiency
In addition to IT challenges, the PPRA must address broader inefficiencies in service delivery. Resolving bottlenecks and ensuring smooth operations will be vital to restoring industry confidence and compliance.
3. Transformation
The PP Act empowers the PPRA to transfer millions from the Fidelity Fund to the Property Transformation Fund to drive industry transformation. Despite this and numerous proposals from the sector, the PPRA has yet to demonstrate meaningful progress. This is evident in the persistently low number of registered black estate agents, highlighting the urgent need for decisive action to achieve the Act’s transformative goals.
4. Accreditation fees
The payment of accreditation fees—or fees under any similar guise—imposed by homeowners’ associations remains a contentious and damaging practice within the property sector. This system not only affects all property practitioners but also serves as a significant barrier for black practitioners, creating inequitable hurdles to their success. Despite the promulgation of the Act and Regulations three years ago, little progress has been made in eliminating this practice, highlighting the need for urgent intervention to ensure fairness and inclusivity across the industry.
5. Qualification standards
Nearly three years after the Act’s promulgation, confusion continues to reign over qualification standards. Consultations with the industry were concluded long ago, yet the PPRA has failed to provide a clear, actionable framework for practitioners. To date, decisions made by the PPRA have exacerbated the financial burden on aspiring property practitioners and further stifled transformation in the sector, turning a resolvable issue into a critical failure. The lack of decisive leadership and clarity is crippling progress, leaving the industry’s future hanging in uncertainty.
The road ahead
2025 will serve as a litmus test for the PPRA’s ability to overcome its historical hurdles and demonstrate effective leadership. Ms Ramaili and the incoming board have an opportunity to redefine the institution’s trajectory, but this will require decisive action, unwavering commitment, and tangible results.
The PPRA’s success this year will not be measured by intentions but by outcomes. Resolving the IT system crisis, delivering on service expectations, and strengthening industry relationships will determine whether the PPRA emerges as a revitalised regulator or continues to grapple with its legacy challenges.
