Private Property’s co-founder and CEO Justin Clarke is also co-founder and CEO of One Africa Media (OAM) – and he has just won the emerging category award in the prestigious EY World Entrepreneur awards – a competition he initially dismissed entering on the misplaced belief he was under qualified.
The award effectively means his peers have acknowledged Justin’s contribution to the southern African economy and the role he has played in founding the Private Property brand, which is now considered South Africa's leading real estate portal.
What is One Africa Media?
OAM owns market-leading businesses in the real estate, jobs, cars and travel online classified sectors in Africa. Its businesses and operations employ more than 600 people in three hubs in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya with satellite offices in Ghana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Uganda – all countries with rapidly-growing gross domestic products and Internet- and mobile-penetration rates.
The EY award programme recognises entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.
Justin says the award has provided the company the platform on which to consolidate a marketing and education strategy. Previously the group had focused on building the brands individually, but OAM was “a big story for South Africa and Africa” and the recognition meant “taking advantage of being thrust into the limelight”.
“This is an honour, particularly given the number of entrepreneurs across southern Africa, but it also affords the opportunity to showcase the holding company, namely OAM, as, while people know about the individual brands, few realise they fall under the same umbrella – or that we are even a South African company,” he says.
Since the announcement of his success was made last week, he has already received investment enquiries from institutional investors in a move that could propel OAM towards its goal of becoming a ZAR11-billion company within six years – which would enable Justin to consider a listing on the US stock market Nasdaq.