Seeff SADC Licensees Convene in Gaborone

Seeff SADC Licensees Convene in Gaborone

Last month, Seeff Properties Botswana was a proud sponsor and partner of the third edition of the Real Estate Conference and Expo. This was also the third year that Seeff joined other industry players to 'connect, explore and debate' real estate trends and issues.

"We find it invaluable to be part of this conference, the networking opportunities, the volume of relevant topics and content shared and the opportunity to meet some really interesting industry leaders all make the day a full industry experience" notes Kim Bekker, Licensee for Seeff Properties Botswana. This is testament to why Seeff have partnered with Property267 (the hosts of the conference) for the third time.

In 2022, Property267 was formed with a focus on PropTech and information sharing within the real estate industry, hence the Real Estate Conference and Expo was borne. That year, as part of Seeff Properties' involvement everyone was delighted that Samuel Seeff, Chairman of Seeff Property Group, came to Gaborone to speak at the event. Not only was his speech enlightening and engaged the audience with insights on how the business has grown from a small family run office to an international household brand, but it was a real honour for the team in Botswana to meet him.

The following year, Patience Patongamoyo, licensee for Seeff Zimbabwe, represented the brand and delivered a highly informative speech on "Doing Business in Africa". Patience has vast experience on the continent and certainly shared these valuable insights with the audience. As well as Patience participation, Theo Pietersen (Licensee for Seeff Mauritius) and representatives from Seeff Zambia also came to Gaborone for this event.

Seeff representation over the previous two years was going to be hard to beat, especially as 2024 marks Seeff Property Group's 60th anniversary. This is also the year that Seeff Properties Botswana celebrates 20 years of operations, so Kim Bekker reached out to colleagues within the Seeff family. The invitation was extended to join the Botswana team at the conference. The response was unbelievable. "The response shows how well the Seeff licensees work together and the value they place on us all being a real family. I was personally blown away by the support that my colleagues showed us" states Kim. This is especially poignant as this year marks Seeff's 20th anniversary of operations in Botswana and that is a milestone that needed to be recognised.

Seeff licensees from the SADC region literally flocked to Botswana for the Conference. Representatives and delegates from the DRC, Eswatini, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa (Hartbeespoort, Pecanwood and Mbombela), Zambia and Zimbabwe all flew the Seeff flag high.

The highlight of the delegate visit was a presentation by Anthony McGuire, licensee for Eswatini and Mbombela, Seeff National Board Member and Chairman of the Seeff Commercial Committee. Ant has a keen focus on the growth and development of the commercial division of the Seeff Group and his presentation was a testament to the wealth of experience that he has in this field. Ant's presentation, titled "Seizing Opportunities in SADC's Commercial Property Market" focussed on investment prospects, strategies and incentives and looked at the challenges and opportunities found in the commercial property sector.

"The Real Estate Conference & Expo 2024 in Gaborone provided an invaluable platform for Seeff Licensees from across our SADC regions to network, engage, and learn from Botswana's Industry Professionals. It was an enriching learning experience with vibrant speakers and insightful panel discussions. I observed a strong interest among attendees in property investment opportunities both within and outside of Botswana, in all property sectors within the SADC region. The overall quality of the expo was exceptional, setting a very high standard. Definitely an event to diarise for next year," reflects Ant as he summarised his experience at the conference.

Prior to the arrival of the Seeff delegates, the Botswana team had been marketing their visit and had set up appointments for them all with parties from the Botswana market who are interested in these SADC areas - both for business and personal property opportunities. These appointments have generated some interesting leads for all.

"It was a huge honour and pleasure for us to host delegates from across SADC. We had a highly productive few days with them here. But, most of all, I am extremely grateful to the time everyone spent interacting and engaging with our Botswana team and showing them the real value of being part of the Seeff network and family" summarised Kim.

Seeff Properties Botswana have committed to being part of the Real Estate Conference and Expo next year. But, after the success of 2024, the Botswana team are really going to have to pull a rabbit out of a hat to be bigger and better.

If you are interested in commercial or residential property opportunities in any of the Seeff SADC countries, please contact Kim Bekker on +267 71 630 755. Seeff now also operates in Dubai and has global affiliations with Hamptons and John D Woods. No matter your property needs, Seeff can assist.