August 11 2025 10:00
José Snyders, group chief financial officer
SOUTH AFRICA
SA’s largest landlord Growthpoint Properties has announced leadership changes including the appointment of José Snyders as group chief financial officer and executive director. He was previously CEO of Liberty Two Degrees (L2D). L2D is a property arm of the financial services group, Liberty.
In 2022, Growthpoint reported that group CEO Norbert Sasse would retire from his role. Growthpoint’s board said it was “pleased to confirm that Estienne de Klerk, currently Growthpoint South Africa CEO, will succeed Sasse as Group CEO effective 1 July 2026. De Klerk’s appointment follows a structured succession planning process overseen by the Board over several years”.
De Klerk is a Chartered Accountant and a Harvard Business School alumnus, having recently completed an Advanced Management Programme. He holds a BCom in Industrial Psychology and BCom Honours degrees in Marketing and Accountancy from the University of Johannesburg. He is a certified Master Practitioner in Real Estate (PPRA).
With three decades of experience across banking and listed property, and nearly 20 years with Growthpoint in a progression of senior executive roles, de Klerk has “deep expertise in capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, operations, BBBEE and industry transformation” according to Growthpoint.
He has held leadership roles in the sector, including chairman of the SA REIT Association, Past President of the South African Property Owners Association and founder of the Property Industry Group, which supported the sector through the Covid-19 pandemic. He also serves on the boards of key Growthpoint investments, including V&A Waterfront Holdings Pty Ltd and Growthpoint Properties Australia.
Sasse and de Klerk have operated in executive roles at Growthpoint for more than 20 years. The two had worked in Investec’s property team in the early 2000s. They managed a portfolio which would later be listed in Growthpoint. Growthpoint today owns around R70bn of assets in SA and co-owns the V&A Waterfront. It has stakes in Growthpoint Australia and eastern Europe’s Globalworth.
The Board said Gerald Völkel would retire as group financial director on March 31 2026 and will be succeeded by Snyders. Snyders is the current CEO of L2D, a role he assumed following a successful tenure as both commercial director and financial director of that company. He is a Chartered Accountant with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and two honours degrees specialising in financial analysis and portfolio management and financial accounting. With more than 22 years of experience spanning financial services, investment banking and listed real estate, he brings with him a deep blend of strategic, operational and capital markets expertise, the group said.
Sasse will continue to lead the company for the current financial year to June 30 2026, when he will hand the reins over to de Klerk for the 2027 financial year. Sasse will remain with the business in an executive capacity for six months until December 31 2026, to support a smooth and orderly transition. The position of SA CEO will be removed as part of a broader review of the executive leadership operating model.
Völkel and Snyders will work in parallel for three months, from January 1 2026 to March 31 2026, to “ensure a seamless handover and continuity across the Group’s financial operations. Völkel will retain the responsibility as group financial director for Growthpoint’s financial year 26 half-year financial reporting and officially hand over to Snyders from 1 April 2026,” the group said.
These appointments reflect Growthpoint’s ongoing commitment to stable, long-term leadership ensuring the company is well positioned to continue delivering strategic and operational performance, the group said.
“This is a natural and timeous transition to new leadership to take Growthpoint into its next chapter. We are pleased to announce Estienne de Klerk’s appointment as group CEO, which represents strong continuity and deep corporate knowledge, while the appointment of José Snyders as group CFO injects fresh perspective into the mix,” said chairman of Growthpoint, Rhidwaan Gasant.
“The Board is pleased with the implementation of its leadership succession plan and is confident that these appointments will deliver value for shareholders,” said Gasant.
alistair@propertyflash.co.za
