Two hundred young people in Mpumalanga will receive an opportunity to gain skills and experience in the property sector through a new Real Estate Learnership Programme.
Services SETA, in partnership with the Mpumalanga Provincial Government and the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA), launched the 12-month programme in Middelburg, Mpumalanga.
The Mpumalanga Real Estate Learnership Programme will provide participants with theoretical and practical training in the real estate industry. Learners will also receive a monthly stipend during the programme.
The initiative aims to create opportunities for young people to enter the property sector while providing them with a recognised qualification and practical workplace experience.
Thousands Applied For Real Estate Learnership
The demand for the programme highlights the need for more skills development and employment opportunities for young people in the province.
Services SETA Administrator Lehlohonolo Masoga said the programme received 5,795 applications from young people across 17 municipalities in Mpumalanga.
Masoga congratulated the 200 learners who were selected to participate in the programme.
“That level of interest is clear evidence that there is a strong appetite among young people to enter the property sector,” he said.
“It also reminds us that the need for opportunities is much greater than the number of places currently available,” he added.
The high number of applications means that only a portion of the young people who expressed interest could be accommodated in the latest intake.
NQF Level 4 Real Estate Qualification
As part of the real estate learnership, successful participants will work towards an NQF Level 4 qualification in Real Estate.
The programme is intended to combine classroom-based learning with practical training, giving learners an opportunity to develop skills that can be applied in the property industry.
Masoga said Services SETA has invested R300 million in the rollout of the Real Estate Learnership Programme.
The initiative is expected to expand beyond Mpumalanga, with other provinces preparing to launch similar programmes.
The model is based on a programme first piloted in KwaZulu-Natal in 2024. That programme resulted in 537 learners graduating in March 2026.
Learnership Aims To Transform Property Sector
Minister of Human Settlements Thembi Simelane said the Mpumalanga Real Estate Learnership Programme is aimed at promoting inclusive economic participation and transformation in the property sector.
She said the programme will provide participants with the training and skills needed to operate effectively in the real estate industry.
The initiative could also help young people establish careers in the property sector by providing them with industry-specific knowledge and practical experience.
Addressing the 200 beneficiaries, Minister Simelane encouraged them to take full advantage of the opportunity.
“Use this opportunity. Be hungry for success, so that you become a reference point for the next generation of property practitioners,” she concluded.
The launch of the Mpumalanga programme forms part of broader efforts to create skills development and career opportunities for young people in South Africa's real estate sector.
