Giuseppe Plumari is the CEO of Steyn City Properties. One of five children born to Italian immigrants, he has crafted a story of success in South Africa and is proof that hard work, dedication and determination can take you a very long way.
Giuseppe, please share with us your story. How did a 10-year-old immigrant from Milan come to create such a successful life in Africa?
My success comes from having a great passion for property development. I have been in this industry for more than 40 years. I got off to a humble start building garden walls, then doing alterations and eventually working my way up to work on luxury homes. After a while, I changed course and went into development. My break came in the early 1980s. At that time, many people were emigrating because they had lost confidence in the future of South Africa. In contrast, I have always believed in this country, and I saw a great opportunity. I started investing in tracts of land situated far away from the CBDs, along corridors, because I believed we would need to accommodate the growth that the future would surely bring. I was fortunate that my instincts were right, and land acquisitions were very successful.
To read more about Mr. Plumari’s interview keep an eye out for our next printed edition.
