Most companies are committed to driving their growth. We are too—growing our footprint, our numbers and our impact.
But beyond that, we’re dedicated to seeing others grow.
As you might have read in our recent blog, where we unpack our early-career development programmes, we are particularly focused on equipping students and young professionals entering the built environment with valuable insight and experience.
It has been exciting to see our efforts pave the way forward for many young people, including Jade McFarlane—the first MLF Bursary award winner and the first to join us for our formal internship programme. Jade is now a Junior Development Manager on our team, and in the following discussion overview, she shares more on her professional journey and growth with us thus far.
Could you share how you first connected with Equites?
I came across Equites during my undergraduate degree, back in 2018. Having been shortlisted for the MLF Bursary—which Equites sponsors—I was invited to attend a face-to-face interview at the Equites office. The team was very welcoming, open and engaging, which made a lasting impression. Moreover, the discussion opened my eyes to logistics property development—a field I had never encountered before, even in my property studies.
Although I was pursuing a BSc in Property Studies at the time, our coursework primarily focused on commercial spaces and residential buildings. For that reason, Equites—with its specialised focus on developing large-scale, world-class logistics facilities, and its drive to be the best at that—truly stood out to me.
How did the internship opportunity at Equites come about?
Following my initial interaction with Equites, I approached the team during my university holidays to see if I could gain some on-the-job experience. This was before Equites had formally developed an internship programme, but they accepted my request to participate in job shadowing, allowing me to gain meaningful insights into the industry and to familiarise myself with the company during my mid-year and end-of-year breaks.
I learnt a lot and enjoyed my time at Equites, and I could see myself working there. So, towards the end of my undergraduate degree, I reached out once again and asked whether I could come in more regularly—well, every day. That’s when Equites offered me a formal internship role.
Once I had completed my studies, I kicked off with the internship for what was meant to be a six-month period. However, I was only due to begin my Honours in Property Studies in the February of the following year, and Equites was willing to extend my internship to work right up to that point. So, the internship ended up spanning an eight-month period.
When did your professional journey with Equites kick off?
Towards the end of 2021, when I was in the process of completing my postgraduate degree, Equites reached out to me as there was an opening in the Developments team. At that stage, I was still wrapping up with my research and thesis, along with other assignments, and I needed to decide if I could handle studying and working at the same time. Ultimately, I decided to go ahead and take up the offer, starting a full-time role at Equites, as a Development Administrator, that September. In hindsight, I’m glad I grabbed the opportunity, as it has opened a number of doors since.
What did your role as Development Administrator entail?
In this role, I acted as a “bridge” between the Finance and Development departments, working closely with the Finance Administrator. I also liaised with other departments, while supporting my own department’s budgeting processes, and fed all of the necessary information through to the Finance department.
Fortunately, my degrees exposed me to a lot of different components, including an emphasis on property finance, investment, economics, mathematics and statistics, which, I believe, equipped me to take on this responsibility.
How has your career trajectory changed since then?
I stayed in my first role for approximately two years, and then another opportunity came about. I applied and was appointed as a Junior Development Manager in October 2023—which is my current role. As a Development Administrator, I worked as an assistant to all of the development managers across the entire development portfolio, helping them with budgets, cash flow and admin.
Now, my focus is more specific as I work on a select number of developments, collaborating with the project team—including project managers, engineers and architects—from start to finish. This process involves getting approvals from council, working through the design phase, liaising with the tenants on changes, managing budgets and then seeing developments through to completion.
How did your early experience at Equites set you up for success?
Looking back, I am so grateful for the internship opportunity at Equites, particularly since it gave me exposure to multiple departments. It offered me valuable insight into how the different teams operate and how they are interconnected. It helped me to understand what information others need from our department. So, even in my current capacity, I try to collaborate with them on these requirements—because ultimately, we’re all working toward the same goal.
I am also pleased that my own experience has had a meaningful impact for other young, aspiring professionals, in that I was able to pour what I had learnt into helping conceptualise our Student VAC Programme.
In what ways is the Student VAC Programme helping others succeed?
Other than sharing knowledge and insights into this industry, a major benefit for students is that they get exposure to what the working world looks like before they step into a profession. Degrees, like Property Studies, can be rather broadly focused, and it can be difficult for graduates to know where to start when it comes to deciding on their career path. Being at Equites for a week and getting exposure to different departments, we believe, helps them in their decision making.
Not only do we expose students to the logistics facility development as a field, but to various departments, so students catch a glimpse into the possibilities. They might end up working in asset management or the finance team, for example, as has been the case with at least two former Student VAC Programme participants.
What sets the Student VAC Programme apart from an internship?
Although the programme differs from an internship, especially in duration, there are a number of “pros” that make the week-long experience that we now offer superior. Firstly, we are able to engage with far more students, compared with an internship. We accept eight students for each programme and host it twice a year, which means we can positively impact 16 students per year, as opposed to one or two interns.
How has the Student VAC Programme grown since it was first conceptualised?
Initially, the programme was just an idea that Nasreen Mukuddem, our Head of Finance, and Tristan Fernandes, one of our Development Managers—who also started out as an intern at Equites—and I were bouncing around as a way of “giving back” and sharing our knowledge. Eventually we realised that it could actually take significant shape and as it has continued on, we have also realised that it is so much more beneficial to students than what we first thought.
For example, we didn’t know at the time of launching the programme that it could count towards some students’ working hours that they need to obtain before graduation. We are continuously looking at ways to improve and enhance the tangible benefits to students as they work towards their degrees. In a sense, we feel like this is only really the beginning.
Going back to your own journey, how do you feel you have grown as an individual at Equites?
My time at Equites has been invaluable. I don’t think I would have been in the position that I am today without the guidance and mentorship that I have received from various colleagues, including our Executive Head of Property Development, Jaun Knoesen. His direction, in particular, has helped me to gain the confidence to share my views in meetings and earn the respect of professionals on site. So, beyond career development, I can also attribute a great deal of personal growth to my time at Equites.
To wrap up, how do you aspire to continue growing?
Although I haven’t finally decided on the focus, I would like to pursue a master’s degree—perhaps in property development or in a related field, such as urban development or planning. While I am currently working out my notice period at Equites, I am excited to start the next chapter of my career in the residential sector. Although it is different to what I have experienced at Equites, I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that Equites afforded me throughout the 4-5 years in its employ. This next chapter would not have been possible without the support and guidance from Equites.
Much like Equites that constantly strives to innovate, my goal is to keep progressing—academically, professionally and personally.
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