Property Point
Around 1,000 young people from Soweto gathered at Property Point’s Real Estate Incubator Programme roadshow to learn how to find jobs and opportunities in South Africa’s real estate sector.
The event held at Safe Hub in Jabulani was designed to help young people enter the property industry by connecting them with information, support, and application opportunities.
Hosted as part of Property Point’s drive to widen access to the property sector, the session was designed to help young people understand how the programme works, what support it offers, and how they can begin building a future in real estate. Attendees heard about the programme’s opportunities, engaged with representatives and partners, and were invited to apply.
At a time when millions of young South Africans remain excluded from formal economic opportunity, the strong turnout underscored both the demand for practical pathways into work and the growing interest among young people in entering the property sector.
The roadshow also highlighted the programme’s scale and reach. The programme is already active across all nine provinces, working with 26 property brands and 96 agencies, and has placed 298 candidates to date. The candidate base is predominantly young, Black and diverse, reflecting the programme’s role in widening access to a sector that has historically been difficult to enter.
Property Point said its decision to focus on Soweto was deliberate. As the programme expanded nationally, it became clear that many strong candidates from township communities were applying, often with prior sales experience and post-school qualifications, yet access to placements remained uneven. That led to deeper insight into Soweto as a real, active and formalised property market with significant but under-recognised potential.
“Too many young people still see the property sector as something that is out of reach,” said Shawn Theunissen, Founder of Property Point. “The response in Soweto showed just how much appetite there is for real opportunity when access is brought closer to the community. What we saw was energy, ambition and a clear willingness from young people to step forward and explore a future in the industry.”
The Real Estate Incubator Programme focuses on helping young South Africans overcome common barriers to entry into the property sector by connecting them with skills development, mentorship, industry exposure, and practical support.
The programme was launched with support from the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) through the National Pathway Management Network Innovation Fund, a grant initiative of the Department of Employment and Labour under the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative. It is also supported by investment group E Squared and endorsed by the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority.
For Property Point, Soweto represents more than a venue for outreach. It is a community with visible talent, entrepreneurial energy, and a property market ready for deeper investment in people and opportunity. The roadshow formed part of a broader effort to connect that local potential to a wider national industry network.
“For us, this is about more than awareness,” Theunissen added. “It is about widening access to opportunity. The Soweto roadshow gave young people direct exposure to the programme and a real opportunity to apply, while also showing the importance of taking information, support and possibility directly into communities.”
