The Joburg Property Company (JPC), an entity of the City of Joburg, in partnership with
EmpowaWorx, has called on women to move beyond simply owning property and explore
opportunities across the broader property value chain to build sustainable wealth.
The call was made during the 10th Annual EmpowaWomen Leadership Summit 2026, held on
Saturday at EmpowaWorx House in Ferndale, Randburg, as part of a Women’s Month
engagement focused on empowering women with practical knowledge, information and
opportunities to participate meaningfully in the property sector.
Held under the bold theme, “The Command Centre of Power, Capital and Control,” the Summit
brought together influential women leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and decision-makers from
across Africa. Over the past decade, EmpowaWomen has positioned women at the centre of
Africa’s future economy, directly impacting close to 30,000 female executives, entrepreneurs,
professionals and innovators.
Founder and Executive Producer of EmpowaWomen, Simphiwe Masiza said women are no
longer asking for a seat at the table. They are building the tables, funding the opportunities,
shaping the industries and leading the transformation.
The 10th Annual EmpowaWomen Leadership Summit is where Africa’s next chapter of womenled growth, power, and economic influence is written, “said Masiza.
The Property and Spatial Transformation Panel brought together professionals from the built
environment and property sectors, including Minenhle Maphumulo, Manager: Property
Intelligence and Asset Management at JPC; Sinegugu Maphanga, General Manager: Cleaning
Services and Facilities Management at JPC; Thandeka Mlaza-Lloyd, Director: Spatial
Transformation Projects at the City of Johannesburg; and Justine Pieterse Truter, Director and
Co-Founder of Indigen Architects.
The panel explored property ownership, spatial planning, urban density, property development,
adaptive reuse and the importance of collaboration in helping women access larger investment
opportunities.
Maphumulo urged prospective property owners and investors to do their homework before
investing, emphasising the importance of understanding zoning, development rights and the
strategic location of a property.
“There is a story behind every property, and that story is informed by spatial information,
including zoning and regulations. There is a language to property that speaks to development
rights, suitability and strategic location,” said Maphumulo.
She said the City’s Spatial Development Framework (SDF) provides important information that
can assist investors in understanding how different areas of Johannesburg are planned and
where opportunities for development may exist.
“There is a lot of information that we can utilise today to make better decisions about where we
would like to grow and what we would like to invest in,” said Maphumulo.
Pieterse Truter challenged women to look beyond traditional approaches to property ownership
and consider opportunities across the entire property value chain from planning and design to
development, ownership and management.
“If you look at the four sectors in the property value chain, there are so many opportunities for
women in business. You can start in planning and design, but you don’t have to stay there. You
can move into development, ownership and management,” said Truter.
She encouraged women to use publicly available spatial planning information to identify
development opportunities and form partnerships with property owners, professionals and
investors.
Mlaza-Lloyd emphasised the importance of collaboration, encouraging women to pool their
financial resources and expertise to pursue larger property investments.
“Instead of each person buying one apartment and renting it out, imagine if we collectively
pulled our finances together and went for a derelict building, transformed it and generated
income from it.”
She said women should move away from viewing opportunities in isolation and learn how to
combine their individual strengths, businesses and resources to create larger-scale ventures.
Maphanga encouraged women considering entering the property sector to first understand the
type of property they want to invest in, as well as the responsibilities and costs associated with
ownership.
“If you want to get into the property space, you need to inform yourself. You need to understand
what you are interested in, whether it is residential property, office space or another type of
property, and understand the costs associated with owning and managing it, “she said.
The JPC and EmpowaWorx partnership underscores the importance of creating platforms
where women can engage directly with professionals and gain practical insights into the
property and built environment sectors.
Through initiatives such as these, JPC will continue to support efforts to broaden access to
property-related knowledge and encourage women to see the property sector not only as a
space for ownership, but as a platform for investment, entrepreneurship, development and longterm wealth creation.
Ends
Issued by the City of Johannesburg
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