Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa Real Estate Investor Magazine - April 2017 | Page 66

On being black
Black excellence, empowerment and upliftment is
very much at the core of what Black Real Estate is
all about. “Black is a state of mind. It’s a lifestyle and
a movement. It’s about being proud of being a black
South African and then striving to do our best, to
focus on upliftment and move beyond the injustices of
the past,” explained TT.
He emphasised that this doesn’t mean that he is
against white South Africans. “The reality is that, in
a population of 55 million people, 90 percent of South
Africans are black, and I am simply catering to the
majority,” he explained.
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“I know how important it is that I have practical
experience in property investing, which is why I
have a sizeable property portfolio of my own, made
up of land, apartments and holiday homes across the
country.”
On mentoring
It is TT’s hope that his story will inspire other black
kids living in informal settlements to pursue their
dreams and rise above their circumstances. “I can only
hope for the South African real estate industry that
there will be more TTs who will emerge ‒ individuals
who are willing to start from the bottom up, as I did,
who are passionate about the job and aren’t expecting
everything to just fall into their laps.”
TT shared that he is frequently approached by
individuals wanting mentorship from him; over the
years he has realised that, while he strongly endorses
mentorship, the mentee needs to understand the need
to own the process and drive their own mentorship
programme.
“People in South Africa want mentors, but they
can’t simply expect an information download over a
five-minute cup of coffee. They should rather approach
a mentor with an idea in mind and ask for help with
unlocking it. Something else that will get a busy
business person’s attention is if they are presented with
a compelling solution to talk through.”
The broader vision for Black Real Estate includes
the upskilling of workers with limited access to
formal education to increase their labour value and
help improve the economy. TT had the following to
say about this vision: “The aim here would be to help
unlock the full potential of the black entrepreneur who
cannot afford to study, or who doesn’t necessarily want
to ‒ because, let’s be honest, formal training isn’t for
everyone. I want to be a servant leader who serves the
interests of others to help them build their own legacy
through real estate.”
RESOURCES
www.ttmbha.kwsa.co.za
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