Masakhe 02_DIGITAL PAPERTURN - Flipbook - Page 17
LEGENDARY PROFESSIONALS
retail destinations and fewer than ten
“dead malls” nationwide.
He learned that the same discipline
must apply to the individual. Discipline
builds trust, a principle instilled in him
by another mentor, UCT lecturer Rob
McGaffin. He remembers the advice he
received from him as a student: “When
you go into the working world, your
name is gold.” In an industry as small
as property, where everyone knows
everyone, this has been a guiding rule.
“Relationships with tenants are critical.
They need to trust you. Your name is
gold still rings in my ears,” he says.
“Have a dream, work hard, and,
above all, focus on your reputation”,
he says when asked what he would
tell new grads. His life outside of
work is filled with family, his wife,
a UCT grad herself, and their two
girls, as well as the gym and his
church. His commitment extends to
the civic sphere too. He is active in
Rise Mzansi and is a co-founder of
Professionals and Business for Change,
an organisation aimed at encouraging
professionals to improve their
communities.
For Vuso, going out into the public
sphere is a responsibility he takes
seriously. His uncle’s dream was for a
better, more just South Africa. Now, as
a leader in an industry that employs
more people than any sector “besides
the government”, Vuso sees his own
work as a continuation of that legacy.
“We need to be active citizens, to drive
the positive changes we want to see
in SA,” he says. “We need to have a
country. Our kids need a country.”
“HAVE A DREAM, WORK
HARD, AND, ABOVE
ALL, FOCUS ON YOUR
REPUTATION.”
ISSUE 2
15
DECEMBER 2 025
