A new generation of property professionals is being built in Mpumalanga. Government has launched the Real Estate Learnership Programme in Middelburg, a skills-development initiative designed to open the doors of South Africa’s property industry to young people from historically disadvantaged communities.
The programme equips participants with the knowledge, skills and competencies they need to operate effectively in the real estate sector, while creating employment and building a pipeline of competent, work-ready property practitioners.
A True Team Effort
The learnership is a collaborative initiative bringing together public and private sector institutions, including the Mpumalanga Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport, the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (Services SETA) and the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA).
Speaking at the launch, Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane said meaningful transformation of South Africa’s property sector cannot happen if young people remain outside the industry’s economic opportunities.
“Transformation is not simply about changing who occupies positions in the property sector. It is about changing who has access to the opportunities that create those positions in the first place,” Simelane said.
While the property industry represents billions of rand in economic value, the Minister noted that access to it has long been concentrated in too few hands. Programmes like this one, she said, are how that changes, with the PPRA at the centre, working together with its partners.
Beyond the Classroom
What sets the programme apart is that it takes young people beyond theoretical training and into the actual workplace. Support also continues after training ends: the PPRA is expected to offer post-training and small business support, including structural and business incubation assistance to help emerging Black-owned and youth-owned property enterprises get off the ground.
Simelane referenced Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu’s 2026 State of the Province Address, which called for young people to be placed at the centre of economic initiatives and equipped with the skills the labour market needs.
“This launch reinforces the Premier’s well-captured statement. It is another testament that government working together can confront the scourge of the alarming youth unemployment with a collective agency,” the Minister said.
Going National
Mpumalanga is the second province to welcome the programme, following its first rollout in KwaZulu-Natal in March, and government intends to expand the initiative across the country. A Memorandum of Understanding between the PPRA, the Mpumalanga Provincial Government and the Services SETA will drive transformation in the provincial property sector.
The Minister was clear that government’s commitment to youth, women and people with disabilities goes beyond commemorative months. It is an ongoing effort to create an enabling environment for them to develop their skills and participate meaningfully in the economy.
For the young people of Middelburg and beyond, that means something concrete: a foot in the door of an industry that builds wealth, and the training and support to walk confidently through it.
Source: SAnews.gov.za
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
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