MIDDELBURG – Two hundred young people from across Mpumalanga have been selected for a 12-month training and placement programme aimed at preparing them for careers in the real estate sector.
The Real Estate Training and Placement Programme was launched on Wednesday, 2 September 2026, at the Sydney Choma Banquet Hall in Middelburg by Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane and Public Works, Roads and Transport MEC Thulasizwe Thomo, on behalf of Premier Mandla Ndlovu.
The participants were drawn from the Nkangala, Gert Sibande and Ehlanzeni districts.
Premier Ndlovu announced the initiative during the State of the Province Address (SOPA) in March. It is a partnership between the Office of the Premier, Services SETA and the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA).
The programme aims to promote participation in the real estate sector through skills development and employment creation.
Learners will be placed with established property companies for practical workplace experience while working towards an NQF Level 4 qualification. The programme will be supported by the Mpumalanga Provincial Government, Services SETA and the PPRA.
In her keynote address, Simelane said the programme forms part of the broader transformation agenda of the property sector.
“We are trying to create an African face in the property industry, to ensure the entire sector is representative of the transformation agenda our country seeks,” she said.
MEC Thomo said the programme was more than another learnership initiative.
“It is a strategic intervention that seeks to reposition young people of this province as active participants in one of the country's most significant economic sectors,” he said.
Thomo told the selected learners that their selection reflected the government’s confidence in their potential.
“Your selection represents not only confidence in your potential, but also government's confidence that you possess the determination to become ambassadors of professionalism, integrity and excellence within the property industry,” he said.
Finance MEC Bonakele Majuba announced in the provincial budget speech on 11 March 2026 that R15 million would be allocated through the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport for industry-related training and practical experience in the property sector.
The first cohort is expected to create 200 job opportunities during the 2026/27 financial year.
