Ithemba Property wins Residential Property Management Company of the Year 2024 at Reside Awards

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8 October 2024

We are thrilled to announce that Ithemba Property, part of the Divercity Property Group, has been named Residential Property Management Company of the Year at the prestigious 2024 Reside Awards. This recognition celebrates our commitment to excellence, innovation, and community upliftment, firmly establishing Ithemba as a leader in the property management industry.

The Reside Awards highlight outstanding achievements in South Africa’s residential and proptech sectors. These highly regarded accolades focus on companies that consistently demonstrate innovative practices, high-quality service delivery, and a people-first approach. This year’s awards particularly emphasised the role that forward-thinking property management can play in enhancing tenants’ lives and uplifting local communities.

Our commitment to customer satisfaction
At Ithemba Property, customer satisfaction is at the heart of everything we do. Last year, we conducted a comprehensive survey involving over 2,400 of our tenants to gain insights into their experiences and identify areas for improvement. We were pleased to find that nearly 60% of respondents would recommend Ithemba, and we see this as a testament to the quality of our service.

However, we don’t stop there. We are committed to continuously improving our services, and the feedback we received helps us to refine our operations. Our goal is to ensure every tenant feels heard and valued, and we are actively addressing concerns to increase tenant satisfaction across the board. We’re also proud of our high rankings on platforms like HelloPeter and Google reviews, which reflect our focus on tenant care.

Leading the way in service excellence
The high standards of service at Ithemba Property have been pivotal to our success. Our Customer Relations Management (CRM) team plays a central role in ensuring seamless communication with tenants, handling over 4,500 service tickets each month. We’re proud of our ability to resolve nearly 47% of tickets in just one response, with an average resolution time of 20.6 hours—a statistic that reflects our dedication to efficient, tenant-focused service.

We also believe in transparency and use tenant feedback to drive operational improvements. Whether through day-to-day tweaks or larger quarterly surveys, we are committed to maintaining the high-quality service that our tenants have come to expect from Ithemba.

Excellence in property maintenance and financial management
Our emphasis on property maintenance and financial management has also played a critical role in this award win. Utilising advanced technology, we monitor over 10,000 assets and process more than 5,000 work orders each month. Over the past year, we’ve reduced response times for critical issues, like lift callouts, by an impressive 50%.

In terms of financial performance, Ithemba maintains a 98.5% collection rate and ensures high occupancy levels across our properties. Our focus on cost control, combined with a forward-thinking approach to budget management, ensures that we consistently deliver value to both landlords and tenants.

Driving innovation in property management
At Ithemba Property, innovation is key to how we operate. We continuously look for ways to enhance our services using technology. Our Residents Mobile App provides tenants with a single platform to manage rent payments, log service requests, and access additional services, making daily interactions more convenient.

We’ve also integrated AI-powered tools like Thembi, our letting chatbot, and our AI CRM Assistant, which streamline tenant communications and improve response times. Furthermore, by using Power BI for real-time data analysis, we can track key operational metrics and make informed decisions that drive improvements in property management.

Committed to community upliftment
Beyond property management, community upliftment remains a core part of our philosophy. Through the Ithemba Foundation, we actively engage with and contribute to the communities where we operate. Our initiatives, such as mental health workshops, wellness programmes, and partnerships with local educational organisations, show our commitment to fostering a sense of community and wellbeing for our tenants.

One of our flagship projects, the Public Urinal Project under Johannesburg’s Joe Slovo Bridge, has helped to revitalise public space while providing essential amenities. This project, along with many others, reflects our belief that great property management goes beyond the physical buildings and extends to improving the surrounding environment and enriching lives.

Looking ahead
We are incredibly proud to have been recognised as the Residential Property Management Company of the Year 2024. This award reflects the dedication of our entire team and our ongoing commitment to delivering the very best for our tenants and communities.

As we look to the future, we remain focused on transforming urban spaces into vibrant, thriving communities. Through continued innovation, outstanding service, and meaningful community engagement, we aim to build on this success and lead the way in South African property management.
Here’s to many more years of excellence, innovation, and community impact!

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