Speakers & Bios – Day 3
THE SAPOA ANNUAL CONVENTION
AND PROPERTY NETWORKING
SUN CITY RESORT, 28 – 30 SEPTEMBER 2022
DAY 3 – 30 September 2022
SPEAKERS & BIOS
Willem van der Post
Founder at xTech.Capital Co-Founder at simple.Capital() UK
A seasoned international speaker, Willem van der Post, is a Trend Specialist, Business Strategist and Venture Capitalist.
Will Harris
CEO at Gmaven
Member of SAPOA PropTech, Africa PropTech Forum, RICS Tech Partner. 15 years’ PropTech experience
Chata Romana
The Complete Image Solution®
President & Founding Member, The Complete Image Solution & The Chata Romano Training Academy
Siyanda Mflathelwa
Sector Head – Public Private Partnership & Concessions, RMB
Siyanda joined RMB’s Infrastructure Sector Solutions team in 2013 having previously worked at Investec Bank.
François Viruly
Associate Professor UCT
François Viruly is a property economist with over twenty-five years’ experience in the analysis of the South African property market.
Sean Godoy
MD Divercity Property Solutions, & Cofounder PropDD.
Sean is a property professional who has spent a decade working in various sectors of the property industry in South Africa and the UK.
Sean Godoy
Sean is a property professional who has spent a decade working in various sectors of the property industry in South Africa and the UK. Most of his professional experience has been as a property market analyst and commentator. In 2017 he founded Divercity Property Solutions which offers a range of advisory and training solutions to the property industry in SA and wider Sub-Saharan Africa. He is a proptech commentator, researcher and enthusiast, and is co-founder of the SA Proptech and Proptech Africa associations. He is also co-founder of proptech business PropDD, an online property due diligence product for the residential sector.
He is active through his business and voluntary roles with various organisations, and believes strongly in the power of collaboration. Sean is passionate about South Africa and the wider continent, entrepreneurship, education and proptech.
Roles:
- Managing Director, Divercity Property Solutions
- Co-founder & Director, PropDD
- Co-founder, SA Proptech Association
- Co-founder, Proptech Africa Association
- Gauteng Chapter Lead, The South African Chamber of Commerce UK
Peter Levett
Managing Director, Old Mutual Property
Peter has been in investments and related for over 30 years containing SA and International experience.
Peter Levett
Peter has been in investments and related for over 30 years containing SA and International experience. Of these 23 years is with Old Mutual in South Africa and 5 years with Goldman Sachs investment banking in London. During his time at Old Mutual, Peter has had the roles of Head of Old Mutual’s Corporate Finance division, Chief Operating Officer of the Old Mutual Investment Group and currently Managing Director of Old Mutual Property.
Peter has been a director of Old Mutual’s property business since 2000 and he has been Managing Director since 2011. Peter is responsible for the property investment and business strategy for Old Mutual, with property assets of over R20bn. He will be leaving Old Mutual Property at end July 2022 to pursue other interests including those in the property sector.
Peter has qualified as a Chartered Accountant and has passed a number of degrees including MBA and Master of Commerce.
Willem van der Post
Connecting the Dots, Megatrends, Customers of the Future, Changing Business Models, Disruptive Technology, Innovation
A seasoned international speaker, Willem van der Post, is a Trend Specialist, Business Strategist and Venture Capitalist. His sought after topics include megatrends, changing business models, disruptive innovation and customers of the future.
As the CEO of an exponential technology venture capital firm, his organisation uncovers disruption opportunities in partnership with global corporate clients. Prior to this, Willem was the managing partner for Deloitte Africa – Center for the Edge; a disruption innovation business with a focus on exponential technology.
Willem is an alumnus of the University of Stellenbosch, University of South Africa and University of Cape Town business school. Willem also attended Singularity University in California, a Silicon Valley think tank that offers educational programmes and a business incubator focusing on strategic progress and “exponential technologies”. He is also one ofthe first EXO-Works accredited facilitators in the world.
His background has been in commercial banking, insurance, venture capital and private equity. Add to that Willem’s exposure to technology – in collaboration with Singularity University both in the US and in South Africa where he has been helping organisations to transform, both digitally and structurally, into exponential organisations.
He serves as strategic advisor to the boards of various international fintech platform businesses, is Chairman of the Future Faces education crowd funding NPO, and is also the founder of a digital school for learners aged 14 to 20. The school focusses on utilizing exponential technology as tools in addressing the biggest social challenges faced by society.
When Willem is not on his mountain bike, he can be found kite surfing or enjoying the spoils of the Stellenbosch wine region with Charka, his German shepherd, never far from his side
Chata Romano
Chata is the President and founding member of The Complete Image Solution® and The Chata Romano Training Academy
- CHATA ROMANO is an established and respected brand, with a successful track record of 25 years
- An International Image Consultancy that proudly empowers women, and men, through Personal Consultations, Workshops and the Makeover Experience
- 175,000 delegates have been inspired by Chata’s Public Workshops
- 500 blue-chip companies have benefited from Chata’s Corporate Confidence Workshops
- The author of five best-selling books, Chata’s expertise, shining track record and personable manner make her a highly respected and sought-after presenter
- Chata’s successful GLAMOROUS REALITY blog celebrates style and inspires you to look and feel fabulous
- Chata was also a nominee for the prestigious Businesswoman of the Year award
When Chata is asked what she enjoys most about her business her answer is simple: I enjoy making my clients shine like stars!
Her mantra is: HOW YOU LOOK IS HOW YOU FEEL®. These seven remarkable words perfectly describe Chata’s philosophy. It is not about aspiring to become someone else, it is how to make the best of yourself. Beauty is not simply an external phenomenon, it comes from within – it is who you are. Whether you are a quiet person or a go-getter, a business person or a mother at home, your own individual style is unique.
Please enjoy, and benefit, from Chata’s informative, inspirational, motivating and life-changing workshop!
Will Harris
CEO at Gmaven.
Member of SAPOA PropTech, Africa PropTech Forum, RICS Tech Partner. 15 years’ PropTech experience.
Will Harris is CEO of Gmaven. He has worked at the intersection of data and technology in commercial real estate (CRE) since 2006, soon after qualifying as a Chartered Accountant.
He’s currently chair of the SAPOA PropTech Committee, a member of the Africa PropTech Forum, and a RICS Tech Partner
He is passionate about PropTech driving overdue efficiencies for CRE professionals, and creating a fairer industry for CRE outsiders and insiders alike.
Using Gmaven, he helps CRE businesses manage their data, and automate time-consuming manual processes – otherwise done by skilled CRE professionals. His initial focus is the broker and property owner verticals in CRE, aimed at automating leasing and sales processes.
He’s made his oversized share of errors in tech, and his experience extends from the “brilliant basics” of CRE data, through to algorithms, and across to business analysis.
Will is a big believer in the potential of PropTech to unlock CRE industry profits and professionalism. Technology buzzwords and incompetent politicians irritate him alike. In an age of quick fixes, he loves elegant solutions that address root cause issues and add long-term value. He also loves his family, and the Springboks.
Siyanda Mflathelwa
Siyanda joined RMB’s Infrastructure Sector Solutions team in 2013 having previously worked at Investec Bank.
She has worked across various sectors including power (renewable and thermal energy), PPPs and concessions as well as telecoms and water infrastructure and has acted as MLA for senior debt products as well mezzanine and preference share facilities.
Recent transactions include:
- US$300m Beitbridge border post concession in Zimbabwe
- Sole arranger of a preference share facility to Vulindlela Holdings for the acquisition of an equity stake in the Afgri Project, (a grain handling and storage business)
- Sole arranger for R200m preference share facility to Pele Green Energy for the funding of an equity stake in the Touwsrivier CPV power project
- Sole MLA of a preference share facility to Gaia FS for the financing of the Lesedi Solar PV, Letsatsi Solar PV, Jasper Solar PV and Dorper Wind power Pojects
- Joint MLA on the ZAR 20bn coal fired IPP Thabametsi
- Joint MLA and documentation bank on a ZAR12bn (100MW) Kathu
- Solar Park CSP plant
- Joint MLA and Co-ordination bank on an ZAR11bn (100 MW) Xina Solar One CSP plant
- Joint MLA on a ZAR3.4bn facility for Dark Fibre Afric
François Viruly
François Viruly is a property economist with over twenty-five years’ experience in the analysis of the South African property market. Associate Professor Viruly lectures in Urban Economics, Property Development and Portfolio Management at the University of Cape Town in the School of Construction Economics and Management.
François held the position of Chief Economist at the Chamber of Mines. He was Head of Research at JHI Professional Services and Acting Head of School of the School of Construction Economics and Management at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. He is the President of the International Real Estate Society and is immediate past President and Executive Director of the African Real Estate Society. He heads the UCT-Urban Real Estate Research Unit. He was a Non-executive Director and Chair of Remuneration Committee of the Accelerate Property Fund. He is the Director of Viruly Consulting Pty Ltd and a fellow of RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors).
Prof Viruly has undertaken extensive research into the South African property cycle, the drivers of the South African property market and the relationship between urban economics and property markets in Sub-Saharan Africa. More recently his focus has shifted to sustainability in the real estate sector with a special emphasis on the “S” of ESG.