GENERAL NEWS
From the MD ’ s desk
By Brett Marlin
Since our last issue of AboutTime , we have had a really busy few months with the completion of the Pinnacle Park tenant fit-out ( now it is fully let ) and the opening of Lobatse Junction on 21 October .
We have also seen the start of Sebele Lifestyle Centre and the launch of our latest residential development , Motswedi Place . Things are looking really rosy for the next year and our work is going to be cut out for us in getting all these projects up and running .
One of the highlights of the last few months is without a doubt the awarding of a Lifetime Achievement Award to Sandy Kelly from the Africa Property Investment Summit for his contribution to property and property development , not only in Botswana but also in South Africa and Zambia . This is without a doubt a really well-deserved award to someone who has put the last 33 years of his life into starting Time Projects in 1988 and turning it into one of the premier property development companies in Botswana . Sandy is also the brains behind PrimeTime Property Holdings Limited , the listed property fund in Botswana . He has also been instrumental in taking both PrimeTime and Time Projects into Zambia and PrimeTime into South Africa .
These are some of the major developments of his career :
• Sandy started his working career with a civil engineering and building contractor , SM Goldstein , as a site engineer .
• He spent a year with consulting engineers , Keeve Steyn , before undertaking an MBA full time at Wits Business School where he was elected class president .
• He ventured into the property field with RMS Syfrets as a project manager , developing several office blocks and a residential estate in Johannesburg , Sandton and Durban .
• He then joined the Board of Executors as a property finance manager before moving to Botswana to join the BSE property listed company Time Holdings Limited .
• Sandy set up an office for Time Projects Botswana ( Pty ) Ltd in June 1988 . He pioneered the company through developing a staff housing complex for the Gaborone Private Hospital and the signature Kgale Hill development which included 400 houses for the Government of Botswana valued at P50m in 1992 and 300 private sector units .
• In 1992 he was instrumental in Time Projects ’ venture into financial services by acquiring Barclays Pension Management Consultants which was renamed Time Fund Managers .
• He led Time Projects through three major restructures . In 1993 , with the liquidation of the holding company , in 2003 with a management buy out and then in 2007 the group ’ s investment properties were moved to a new company , PrimeTime Property Holdings Limited , which was listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange .
• Sandy retired as the Managing Director of Time Projects at the end of 2020 after being a director since its inception , but he has remained as a director of both Time Projects and PrimeTime .
• Since listing , PrimeTime has grown from P175m to over P1.6 billion in asset value .
• He has been the driving force behind Time Projects ’ growth into one of the premier property developers in Botswana and Zambia , where we opened an office in 2016 .
I am truly honoured to have worked with Sandy from a project manager in 1999 until today as the managing director . His leadership and mentorship have had a profound effect on my business career and assisted me in being who I am today .
Thanks so much Sandy and well done ! I ’ m proud to say you are my business colleague , mentor and friend . This award could not have gone to a more deserving person .
ABOUT TIME , the quarterly newsletter of Time Projects Editor : Brett Marlin
Managing editor : Faye-Marie Cloete Email : faye @ novacomms . net Cell : + 267 7137 6232
Contributors : Kagiso Sebetso , John Kelly , Michael Hughes , Mmika Selei and Tapiwa Modise
Tel : + 267 395 6080 | Fax : + 267 390 0160 | Email : time @ time . co . bw | Website : www . time . co . bw
ABOUT TIME is published on behalf of Time Projects by Nova Communications ( Pty ) Ltd . The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and people interviewed and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor , publisher or Time Projects . While all precautions have been taken to ensure accuracy of information , the editors and publisher cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies which may inadvertently have occurred .
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ISSUE 48 - DECEMBER 2021