From the President’s Desk
Dear Members,
It’s been a while since I jotted a note to our esteemed members. As you are all aware, there have been a lot of developments inside and outside of the SAIV in the past year. I would like to share these experiences with the hope of leaving you with a better sense of the state of the organization.
We are at a critical juncture of the year where we have just entered the 2nd quarter; on the back of various Branch Annual General Meetings around the country, into a promising environment where Covid looks to be under control given the regressing number of infections, severe sickness, and deaths compared to this time last year. The environment around us is not without its challenges. The political climate could be calmer, business could be more buoyant, and the new norm could be a lot clearer for us to navigate the rest of the year with a higher degree of conviction. All these challenges directly impact the functionality and operations of the SAIV. Day-to-day demands of the organization point to how we manage the capacity of branch representatives, the sustainability of membership, maintain and reduce the operating costs, improve revenue streams, deliver quality output and advisory, create tangible influence and benefits to members, protect the SAIV brand and secure a meaningful future to the overall profession in the country.
We cannot take for granted the impact of switching from a virtual working environment to blended physical/virtual workspaces. Most organizations including the SAIV and its members had have to adapt and deal with the human side of these changes without any disruption to the business of the day. The environment that we live in is, however, disrupted and the demands of the day keep on escalating. These changes have also taught us to be more efficient in providing mentorship to up-and-coming valuers as part of our iconic programme. That said, much still needs to be done to improve on this important aspect of our organization.
In the presence of all of the above, I, together with NATEX, stand tall and proud of what this organization continues to achieve. Despite the cancellation of membership due to immigration, retirement and financial constraints, our membership numbers remain marginally positive. Our subscription collections are marginally positive, and we are firmly on track to exceed our budget expectations. The number and quality of CET points we offer continue to increase. This, together with stringent cost-cutting measures, has made a significant contribution to the SAIV’s strong financial position. We thank all of you for supporting our webinars and seminars.
Our interaction and presence on various social media platforms including our website show increasing interest in the profession and the Institute. Strategic partnerships continue to deliver meaningful value. Our members have a front-row opportunity to access the new Property-24 platform on a trial basis following continued efforts to align the Institute with brands that are beneficial to us and our members. We have made significant inroads towards our fight against arbitrage of valuation services within the built environment. All of this is made possible by the undying passion, hard work and tenacity of the General Manager’s office in collaboration with the National Executive.
The National Executive will convene in its traditional 3-day meeting from 6th to 8th April 2022 where we anticipate robust discussions about our current position. We expect to come out of this session more energized and determined to build on our successes and remain relevant to your day-to-day challenges. I would like to thank all of you for your continued support of the Institute and wish you good health and prosperity in the coming months and beyond.
Regards,
Malusi
