In interview with our Development Manager, Merwe De Jager
With over a decade's development experience under his belt and many iconic sites to add to the growing list of projects completed successfully, Merwe De Jager is always surrounding himself with the right team of people to get the job done successfully. Now a Development Manager at Eris Property Group (EPG, (since October 2019), Merwe's role requires that he travels into Africa often to oversee extensive property development builds, often in very challenging conditions. With three projects currently running at the same time ― two in Botswana and one in Malawi ― this involves both dedication to his job and trying to spend quality time with his family, as every second week he is travelling into Africa. He tells us more about the projects he is working on and how work/ life balance is something that he continues to strive towards.
The projects that Merwe is working on are varied. Having recently completed a new build for Botswana Accountancy College (BAC) - in partnership with Campus Investors Partners - in December 2022, Merwe and his team spent 11 months building 2 930m² of office space and 3 694m² of classroom space for the project. One of his current projects is the Cresta Boutique Hotel in Jwaneng in Botswana for the Debswana Pension Fund (DPF). This includes developing 4263m² of Gross Land Area (GLA) and 6 480m² of Gross Building Area (GBA) for the 50 room hotel. For Blue Jacket Mall in Botswana ― with anchor tenants such as Shoprite and TFG Group ― Merwe and his team have a lot to complete, as they are essentially doubling the size of the mall - with a planned opening date of 30 June 2023. They are currently building 7 053m² of 'new' mall space to the existing 7083m² mall, where there will be 30 tenants in total. His final project is in Malawi, at the Lilongwe Country Club Hotel, where the job entails developing a 10 578m² four-star hotel, situated on the lushly planted Lilongwe Golf Course. The new site will be created by reconfiguring the existing golf clubhouse into a new (180 room) hotel with gym, spa facilities and upgraded parking.
Merwe says that the logistics of having so many projects in different African countries can be "challenging", but it is all about staying organised and efficient. Project meetings are normally held every two weeks with management meetings held every second month. The projects in Botswana run over three days (mainly due to travelling, as each project is in a different town), whereas Malawi meetings and visits are scheduled every alternative week. Every second week is a travelling week, excluding other visits in Africa.
With so many projects currently under construction, Merwe takes a very practical approach. "I don't think it is possible to be 100% in control of all one's projects. I strongly believe that when you have a good, reliable team of consultants that you can trust, you will meet your goals and deadlines and ultimately your project will be a success," he says.
With so much experience under his belt, there are still projects where he learns skills on the job. "My most challenging project was working on the Mall of Oman in Muscat," he says. "This project was extremely complicated, expensive and very time demanding. The implementation and scale of civil works was something I had not yet encountered and taught me to learn certain aspects of a project, where I had little experience," he adds.
As Merwe travels so much, there is no 'typical work day' for him; it varies from week to week. He manages most of his projects remotely via local teams, but says that visiting each African site is paramount. Although design and cost meetings are normally managed via local teams, he believes that is it is crucial to spend a day on each project once or twice a month. The frequency of visiting projects is normally determined by both the intensity and stage of the project.
Merwe enjoys "the challenge of working in difficult conditions and the experience of new cultures and people". Whichever country he finds himself in, he always brings the same personal values and principles to the work place. This includes hard work, and honesty and respect for his co-workers and professionals in the field... and he finds that friendliness and a bit of laughter go a long way.
With all the travelling that he does across Africa and a young family at home - he has been married to his wife, Michele, for 10 years and they have two boys, Jon, aged 10 and Christian, aged 5 - there is a big life lesson he has learnt. "Appreciate your family and spend as much time as possible with them," he says. Merwe tries to be home for at least a minimum of two weeks a month. During the weeks he does travel, he arranges his travels so that he is home by Thursdays in order to spend quality time together over the weekend. "The kids are young, so swimming and sport keeps them happy and entertained - or we like to watch a good family movie," he explains.
Back at work, with exciting potential projects in Ivory Coast, it could mean an additional three to four days out the country every month. "We are currently trying our best to secure a 2 000 bed student accommodation deal with the Department of Vocational Training and Education. We only need to finalise the funding structures of this project, which will be the first of this size in Abidjan," he says.
3 skills that Merwe believes all Development Managers should have:
1. Good communication - The ability to collaborate effectively
2. Great content creator - Be a thought leader
3. Excellent management of people - It is crucial to be able to manage personalities, especially at the implementation of a project
For future Development Managers working in Africa, Merwe concludes with this advice: "Plan your travels wisely, organise your projects and work so that you can be efficient in what you do."
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