Born in 1988, Lerato Peu’s parents did not own a house at the time. Her family stayed with her maternal grandparents in Komananeng, a village located a few kilometres from Mankweng.
They later moved to Seshego after her parents bought a stand in one of the newer extensions of the township and in 1995, Lerato’s parents purchased a house in Madiba Park, a few kilometres from Polokwane CBD.
Lerato’s mother was a teacher and her father a labourer at one of the mines in Gauteng. The middle child of three siblings, she says she had a normal childhood, and she remembers being an overachiever from a young age. Working from Grade 11, she would do part-time jobs during the school holidays, and this is where she learnt the value of money.
Her enjoyment of technical subjects at school led to her studying town and regional planning.
In 2014, Lerato started a town planning consultancy company while being employed full time as a programme manager.
Her love for structures and redefining real estate space is what led her down her investment path.
“Property investment was a natural calling for me from high school. I am very passionate about people. Mixing the two passions made me want nothing more than to shelter people in homes that are decent. Yes, the money is important, but property investment is a long-term gain, so the immediate reward is what I can offer people now”.
While her first investment attempts were denied due to no credit history, she purchased her first property at the age of twenty-four and she is continuously scouting for new opportunities.
Lerato’s short-term plan is to go into town planning consulting full time, offering property management services and developments.
She was a finalist in the 2019 Investor of the Year Awards, but she was involved in a minor car accident and unable to attend the awards evening. She has subsequently bounced back, and she is a finalist in the ‘Most Growth’ category of the 2021 Investor of the Year Awards.
“If I win the awards this year, it will mean the world to me. Being a finalist is its own reward but winning would be the cherry on the cake. If I win, I will use my influence to inspire other people, especially young professionals, to begin their property investment journey”.
Lerato has a few more property deals in the pipeline. Her vision is to become a world-class property developer. Through building spaces that positively impact people’s lives, Lerato hopes to make her mark on the African continent.
“I don’t believe that my age, gender or race is a handicap. I believe that where there is a will, there is a way, and through hard work and determination, anything is possible. We need to think of how we can make the world a better place using the resources we have at our disposal. Each one should teach one; the pie is too big for all of us not to share in it”.
