WeconnectU News

In a sector ripe for transformation, the rise of PropTech is reshaping how we think about property management, compliance, and growth. At a recent Real Estate Investor webinar, Johann van der Merwe, CEO and co-founder of WeconnectU, joined Neale Petersen, founder of REI Magazine, to unpack what’s next for PropTech in South Africa — and why the right technology isn’t just helpful, it’s essential.

What kind of business are you building? It may sound like an abstract question, but it’s anything but. In today’s competitive rental landscape, the structure of your business – its purpose, direction, and promise – determines who shows up to help you build it. Some businesses are built to survive. Others are built to scale. And a rare few are built to inspire. We call these skyscraper businesses – vision-led organisations designed not just for today’s workload, but for tomorrow’s potential. They’re bold, purposeful, and built to attract a different kind of person: one who sees a career path, not just a job description.

Having the best software gives you a powerful advantage, but how your team uses it is equally important. Across South Africa, portfolio managers, accounts teams, and business owners often find themselves working in silos, each buried under urgent emails, admin overload, and competing priorities. The result? Fragmented service delivery, stunted growth, and professionals who feel more like firefighters than leaders. At WeconnectU, we understand this reality because we’ve been there ourselves. And it’s where many of our clients started before joining us. They weren’t just looking for cutting-edge tech. They were looking for a better way to work smarter – together. That’s why we built something different.

For decades, rental property management has revolved around tasks: collect the rent, fix the geyser, find a tenant. But the world is changing, and so are the expectations of property investors. Modern investors aren’t looking for basic administration. They want partners. Advisors. Asset managers. They want outcomes, not just oversight. This shift isn’t just coming – it’s already here. Internationally and across South Africa, a new generation of investors is demanding a more strategic, tech-enabled service. One that focuses on growing returns, reducing risk, and building long-term value.

In today’s property management landscape, technology is a given. Most businesses are already using digital tools to manage everything from inspections, maintenance to invoicing. But that baseline adoption no longer sets anyone apart. The real differentiator is how effectively you’re using your tech. Is it actively moving your business forward, or simply helping you stay afloat? At WeconnectU, we believe tech should do more than support the status quo. It should unlock smarter operations, drive efficiency, and create opportunities to grow – without working longer hours or hiring more people.

In 2025, RedRabbit isn’t just keeping up. It’s redefining what maintenance management looks like in South African property portfolios. As WeconnectU’s trusted Inspections and Maintenance solution celebrates ten years of service, it’s making its boldest move yet: launching “Ticketing On-The-Go”, a mobile feature that gives property managers the power to log and dispatch maintenance jobs in real time, right from their smartphones.

Every interaction matters. Whether it’s a call, an email, a meeting, or even a simple hello at reception—each moment shapes how your clients see you. These are your Moments of Truth. And when managed well, they become your most powerful value delivery tool.

Let’s face it—community management has never been an easy job. You’re expected to lead, support, resolve, report, and do it all under mounting pressure. The stakes are high, and recognition is often low. At WeconnectU, we believe it’s time to change that. Because when you close the value gap—between what you do and how it’s perceived—you don’t just become a better community manager. You become more valuable and more valued.

At WeconnectU, we don’t just respond to market needs – we anticipate them. And when property professionals tell us what they’re struggling with, we listen. Now, we are raising the bar once again with the launch of Ticketing-On-The-Go — a powerful new feature that solves one of the biggest communication headaches for property managers on the go: unstructured, incomplete, and inefficient maintenance communication.

Let’s be honest – rental property managers have been asked to do more with less for far too long. More compliance. More professionalism. More value. All under tighter margins, heavier admin loads, and rising expectations. At WeconnectU, we know you deserve better, because we’ve walked this road with you. That’s why we’ve built South Africa’s most advanced Rental Asset Management ecosystem – engineered from the ground up to help you tackle the four biggest challenges of rental portfolio management: compliance, manageability, scalability, and profitability.