Our Team is a is a dedicated group of individuals who have been entrusted to manage the affairs of the Association and steer the Multifamily Residential asset class towards excellence. The Committee brings a wealth of expertise and passion for housing property sector. Together – with our members – they champion the values of transparency, proactive stakeholder engagement, and continuous improvement, ensuring that the Multifamily Residential asset class stands as a model of excellence. We invite you to get to know your Executive Committee members. Together, we are building more than a residence – we are crafting a community where each member’s voice is heard, and every resident’s experience is enriched. Chief Executive Officer, SAMRRA Palesa Mkhize is a dynamic and strategic leader with over 16 years of experience in banking, infrastructure investment, and housing finance. Prior to joining SAMRRA, Palesa was Head of Affordable Housing Development at Standard Her broader experience includes investment roles at Old Mutual Investment Group, where CA(SA) Houss Pty Ltd – Executive Director: CEO Vanessa Perfect is the CEO of Houss, a privately owned property management company that services more than R7billion worth of Multifamily rental apartments. She oversees more than 150 staff who provide high-quality service to over 7,000 tenants and optimize the asset performance. Vanessa has a strong track record in the real estate industry, having served as the COO of Transcend Ltd, a specialist residential REIT. (B.Com LL.B) Africrest Properties Pty Ltd – Founder and Executive Director Justin has been pivotal in building Africrest from its early beginnings of redeveloping dilapidated buildings in Johannesburg city centre, into an industry leader in the Multifamily rental asset class in South Africa. Africrest specialises in converting well-located office buildings into lifestyle apartment estates that offer a variety of amenities; underpinned by the teams understanding of their tenants wants and needs. Justin has also sat on the boards of many community based organisations Masters in finance Divercity Urban Property Group – Executive Director: CEO Carel is the CEO of Divercity, which owns and manages roughly 7,000 Multifamily rental apartments and has over 2,000 new units currently in development in Sandton and Cape Town. Carel is passionate about promoting Multifamily residential rental as an investment grade asset class with high impact potential. Carel holds a Masters in Finance from the University of Cambridge where he was a Chevening scholar and has a professional background in corporate finance.
Get to Know
SAMRRA’s Board
Palesa Mkhize
Bank South Africa’s Investment Banking division. In this role, she oversaw the delivery of large-scale housing projects, pioneered integrated housing finance models, and secured green construction finance from the like of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). She also held executive oversight of flagship developments in partnership with large developers Calgro M3.
she managed infrastructure and affordable housing portfolios across Southern Africa,
including toll roads, renewable energy, and student housing assets. Palesa is passionate about housing as a catalyst for inclusive growth, she brings a unique blend of financial expertise, sector knowledge, and stakeholder engagement to her leadership at SAMRRA.
Vanessa Perfect
Justin Blend
Carel Kleynhans
