Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa November 2016 | Page 10

MASTER INVESTOR

The Property Veteran

Relationships and people is vital for success

BY NEALE PETERSEN

B

en Kodisang has served in the corporate
property industry for almost 2 decades already
and can easily be called a veteran in the corporate
property game. Ben who originally was brought up
in Johannesburg after leaving St. Stithian’s College
studied at the University of Kwazulu-Natal where he
acquired a Bachelor of Commerce (BComm) degree
before studying his Hons (B.Compt) at UNISA, and
thereafter qualifying as a Chartered Accountant at
Ernst and Young.
Ben’s career started at Liberty Asset management in
1996 as a Senior Manager where he was an industrial
analyst in the asset management department. In 1998
he turned entrepreneur where he co-founded and set
up Prodigy Asset Management, which was a boutique
investment company that focused on growth sectors
of the economy as its investment philosophy. In 2000
he was appointed Chief Investment Officer of African
Harvest Managers who focused on asset management
for various companies.
In 2002 his 10-year stint started at Old Mutual

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NOVEMBER 2016 SA Real Estate Investor

starting as General Manager of Old Mutual Employee
Benefits Investment Services division from 2002 to
2004. In late 2004 his focus on property started as MD
of Old Mutual Properties Limited a division focused
on acquiring and managing their own commercial
property portfolio such as major shopping centres,
industrial and office assets including prize assets
such Cavendish Square, Menlyn Shopping Centre,
Gateway, and Portside building in Cape Town CBD.
In 2006 Old Mutual Properties acquired Marriott
and this resulted in the formation of SA Corporate
Real Estate Fund where he was appointed Chairman.
Old Mutual Properties also did a few joint ventures
in Saudi Arabia where they developed 5 shopping
centers as well as in India where they managed
retail properties as well as developed a few shopping
centres. At Old Mutual he ended his career as head of
Distribution, Marketing and Strategy.
One of Ben’s highlights in his career was in 2008
when he was appointed as President of the South
African Property Owners Association (SAPOA)
www.reimag.co.za