Walking into Wits University to speak to the construction faculty was a moment I didn’t take lightly.
These aren’t just students. They are the engineers, project managers, quantity surveyors, and developers who will physically shape South Africa’s future — the people who will build the roads, the buildings, and the infrastructure that communities will depend on for generations.
So I didn’t come to motivate them with noise. I came to be honest with them.
The industry you’re entering is tough. Own that.
Construction and property are not soft industries. They are demanding, competitive, and often unforgiving — especially for young professionals who look like us. The barriers are real. The old boys’ networks are real. The pressure to prove yourself twice over is real.
But here’s what’s also real: the opportunity is enormous.
South Africa is a country in the process of being rebuilt — economically, physically, and socially. And the people in that room at Wits have the skills to be at the centre of that rebuilding.
What I wanted them to leave with
I spoke about three things that have shaped my own journey in property:
Discipline over motivation. Motivation comes and goes. The days you don’t feel like it are the days that actually build your career. Show up anyway.
Relationships are the real currency. In property — and in construction — your network determines your net worth. Start building it now, not after you graduate.
Don’t wait to feel ready. I didn’t feel ready when I started. I figured it out in motion. The industry will teach you more than any textbook, but only if you’re in it.
To every student who was in that room — your degree is the starting point, not the destination. The real work starts the moment you step out of those lecture halls and into the world.
I’m rooting for every single one of you.
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