Property companies are often criticised for the number of women they employ, with listed and unlisted property groups singled out for not having enough female executives.
She says the largest barrier to women entering the industry is actually a lack of knowledge about it. More education about what a job in property offers and what the jobs are would attract more women to key roles, she says. "I believe if you tell women from a young age that there are opportunities in property, you will see more women enter the industry. Banking or advertising and other industries may seem sexier to people but there many exciting opportunities in real estate,” she says.
Van Biljon says she moved into her COO role at Emira after the company’s former CEO, James Templeton, saw potential in her and made her a director.