Convening under the theme” “Teamwork makes the dream work”, the Real Estate Management (REM) Unit at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) convened for a strategy alignment and team building session on 25-26 June 2026. The retreat focused on collaboration, strategic alignment and team cohesion.
Mr Sandile Chaphi, Acting Senior Director: Real Estate Management, welcomed all participants. He extended special thanks to Ms Zamazulu Nyawose for her coordination of the event and for ensuring a seamless experience for all attendees. In his address, Mr Chaphi highlighted the importance of collaboration and open communication within the unit, noting that collective effort is key to achieving the division’s strategic objectives.
Day one featured outdoor team-building activities designed to foster unity and engagement. Engagement is one of the important strands of ENVISION2030, without which both our staff and students may not adequately identify with the sense of belonging. Staff were divided into three teams; team Abaduduli, team Kings and a Queen, and team Warriors. They all participated in activities including roller ball, archery, board games, and karaoke.
Mr Chaphi encouraged stronger internal communication within the REM Unit. He urged staff to prioritise direct engagement over lengthy emails when addressing challenges, suggesting Microsoft Teams calls to ensure clarity of tone and understanding. Prophetically, this somewhat laid the tone for the focus of the second day of activities, which reminded staff that communication two ways. It is not only what the communicator says; how that is communicated, and the accompanying tone, often affects how the message is received.
“Let us keep that ‘brotherly’ and ‘sisterly’ relationship between each other. We should also try our best to resolve all our challenges internally, avoid leaking information to people outside the institution. I believe in you all, there is absolutely no doubts about your capabilities, colleagues,” added Chaphi.
Also addressing the session was Mr Lutendo Mafela, a representative from the DUT Human Capital Services. He delivered an insightful presentation on the DUT Living Values Framework, guiding participants through DUT Values and Principles. He then gave the three teams a chance to reflect on how these values align with their roles. Mr Mafela contextualized the Living Values Framework with practical scenarios relevant to the REM operations. Moreover, each team member then presented their findings on achievements, failures, challenges, and proposed solutions identified withing the REM Unit.
Friday’s programme featured a series of impactful presentations, including one by Le Roux Viljoen, an experienced Human Progress Architech.
Mr Viljoen addressed the topic of trust in the workspace, highlighting that effective communication is rooted in the transfer of information. He emphasized the importance of understanding how a message is both conveyed and received to ensure clarity and intent.
Commenting on the activity, the Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: People and Operations, Dr Matheakuena Mohale, said that it was important for the team to have a moment to recharge as the year has been a difficult one for them, yet they still delivered on key milestones despite numerous challenges.
“You would recall that there were suspensions of key personnel in REM at the beginning of the year, including the Senior Director: REM, who has subsequently left the university. These were followed by a few resignations. While the university was right to effect suspensions, I cannot ignore the impact of such drastic decisions on team morale. On the one hand, the decisions introduced the elusive culture of consequence management and accountability. On the other hand, people became fearful, rightly or wrongly. Thus, for me, the session was more than building the team. When you work with people, you must be intentional in creating healing spaces and moments. In my view, the team needed both healing and cohering.
“I must also add that despite the understandable pressure, I am impressed with how the team, led by largely young/younger staff members, was able to rise to the occasion in resolving complex problems we inherited. Thus, I credit the team for resilience. There are areas for improvement. One such big area is the maintenance function. As such, one of the deliverables from the session is how we will service our people better in this area. Without sustainable quality interventions and delivery in maintaining our facilities and amenities, we run the risk of denying our staff and students the experience of future-oriented living and learning environment.”
In his closing remarks, Mr Chaphi urged colleagues to apply the knowledge and lessons gained from the two-day session in their respective roles.
Pictured: The Real Estate Management staff
Dr Matheakuena Mohale/Nikiwe Sukazi
