VELDA DERROCKS
Velda Derrocks began her career in 2000 , joining a management training programme at Absa after completing her BEcon , Commerce at Stellenbosch University . And gained exposure across the bank and later joined the Absa Commercial Property Finance on a full-time basis .
" It was seen as a high-profile , niche space that was very male dominated at the time , so I saw that as a challenge . I always strive for excellence and , even though most of the people I dealt with in those early days were male and it could be a little difficult at times , I built up a good reputation in the Eastern Cape quite quickly .”
Derrocks stayed with Absa until 2011 , Standard Bank Real Estate Finance approached her to manage their commercial property finance division in the Eastern Cape . In 2015 she was asked to relocate to Cape Town , a move she wasn ’ t ready to make at the time , and so joined TUHF for the first time .
" It was seen as a high-profile , niche space that was very male dominated at the time , so I saw that as a challenge . "
“ It honestly wasn ’ t the best fit for me then . I was pleased to join Investec as an external property consultant at the time ,” Derrocks admits .
Derrocks describes her experience at Investec as a great learning opportunity that contributed greatly to her professional development and , when she was approached to re-join TUHF as the Regional Manager for the Cape Coastal region in 2017 , she was ready to take on the challenge .
" I am a true believer in TUHF ’ s philosophy of creating impact through scale ."
“ I built and kept a very good relationship with the senior management team at TUHF , so when I was asked to come back in a more strategic role - I was keen to do it ,” she says .
“ I am a true believer in TUHF ’ s philosophy of creating impact through scale . TUHF really makes a difference where it matters most . What makes us different is that we see the potential in entrepreneurs , from start-ups to established entrepreneurs , and not just in the project itself .”
Financing Entrepreneurs
TUHF works with many entrepreneurs that are new to the property industry and offers programmes that assist them to start building a portfolio .
“ Often these entrepreneurs are just starting out , or their portfolios are not yet strong enough to qualify
SA Real Estate Investor Magazine AUG 2021 7