In a bold move to tackle South Africa’s youth unemployment challenges and transform the country’s real estate sector, Property Point has launched the Real Estate Incubator Programme.
Source: Supplied. Shawn Theunissen, founder of PropertyPoint.
The incubator programme has been established through support from the National Pathway Management Network (NPMN) Innovation Fund, a grant initiative led by the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL), under the auspices of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI).
This fund is administered by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).
The programme will empower 699 young South Africans with industry-specific training, tools, and financial support to launch sustainable careers in real estate. Participants will gain access to employment and entrepreneurial opportunities through a structured pathway that removes long-standing barriers to entry.
Real estate remains one of South Africa’s least transformed sectors. High licensing costs, lack of monthly income security, and limited industry access have historically excluded young and marginalised young people with talent. This programme directly addresses these barriers through:
- Paid stipends during ramp-up,
- Licensing and equipment support,
- Personal training and development programmes,
- Hands-on mentorship with top real estate brands,
- Market access/facilitation-research, procurement and business linkages for the young entrants.
With South Africa’s youth unemployment rate at a staggering 62.4% (ages 15 - 24), this initiative is not just a job creation programme - it’s a movement toward inclusive transformation in one of the country’s least transformed industries.
Shawn Theunissen, founder of Property Point, leads this vision: “We’re not just creating jobs - we’re building futures, businesses, and ownership opportunities where none existed before."
Key outcomes of this initiative include:
- 699 youth who will be trained and placed nationally or establish their own property business.
- Strategic partnerships with leading real-estate brands.
- Income-generating pathways in sales, rentals, and managed leases.
- A scalable model for national replication and long-term industry impact.
Young people who want to join the real estate industry, can apply on Property Point’s digital platform. Importantly, no previous real-estate experience is required. However, only those with a keen interest and passion for selling and letting properties, will stand a chance in becoming the future industry leaders in the real estate sector.
With youth unemployment at crisis levels, initiatives like this go beyond temporary job placement. The Real Estate Incubator Programme reimagines how young people engage with work, positioning them as future landlords, developers, property managers, and entrepreneurs.
By offering paid learning, real income, and structured mentorship, the initiative sows the seeds for long-term wealth creation and sector transformation.
As South Africa seeks scalable models to address youth unemployment, the Real Estate Incubator is more than a pilot, it is a blueprint for transforming industries through inclusive innovation. It also reflects the growing momentum behind the Innovation Fund’s mission: to back ideas that unlock economic pathways for the youth of our country.
Said Sonja Loggenberg who heads the IDC’s partnership programme: “At a time when South Africa’s youth unemployment is as high as it is, the need for bold, practical, and scalable interventions has never been more urgent. Youth unemployment is more than an economic issue, it is a national emergency threatening to undermine the country’s long-term stability, growth, and social cohesion.
“The Innovation Fund was created to unlock bold solutions to youth unemployment, and this is a good example of how reimagined industries can become engines of both transformation and inclusion,” said Mapaseka Setlhodi who is the NPMN lead, PYEI.
