In the heart of South Africa’s Eastern Cape, where dreams are often dimmed by economic hardship and access to opportunity is limited, Phila Lobi saw possibility—in bricks, land, and the untold stories of black homeownership.
Today, she is not only the founder and CEO of Lobi Properties, but a pioneering force shaping a more inclusive future in African real estate.
Raised in Mdantsane, one of South Africa’s largest townships, Phila Lobi grew up surrounded by structural inequality—but also by resilience.
Her early environment sharpened both her social awareness and entrepreneurial instincts. “I didn’t just see poverty,” she recalls. “I saw people surviving without dignity because they didn’t have a stake in where they lived. I wanted to change that.”
Phila’s journey into real estate began humbly. With no initial capital but armed with a degree in property development and years of practical experience in project management and construction, she started Lobi Properties—a company focused on developing affordable housing and promoting property ownership for black South Africans, especially women and youth.
Launched in the late 2010s, Lobi Properties has since grown from a small startup into a respected player in South Africa’s property sector. But for Phila, success isn’t measured in square meters or revenue margins. “Real estate is deeply personal,” she says. “It’s about identity, inheritance, and generational wealth.”
Through her company, she has led multiple housing development projects across the Eastern Cape and Gauteng provinces, creating not only homes but jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities in construction, maintenance, and interior design. Her firm has become a conduit for economic empowerment, partnering with local municipalities and community-based groups to ensure developments are socially responsible and environmentally sustainable.
Under Phila’s leadership, Lobi Properties is known for its “home-first” model, where client education, financial literacy, and community involvement are part of the process. “People don’t just get keys,” she explains. “They get knowledge and power.”
Phila’s climb in the male-dominated real estate industry was anything but smooth. “The biggest hurdle wasn’t raising capital. It was convincing people that a young, black woman from a township could lead multimillion-rand developments,” she notes. From boardroom dismissals to outright sexism, Phila has faced—and continues to face—resistance.
But she has turned every barrier into a stepping stone.
During South Africa’s post-COVID recovery, when development projects stalled and funding dried up, Phila restructured her operations, adopted lean models, and began mentoring other black women in real estate. “Crisis tested my leadership, but it also clarified my mission,” she reflects.
At the core of Phila Lobi’s leadership is servant entrepreneurship—a blend of grit, grace, and grassroots connection. Her team describes her as intensely hands-on, yet deeply empathetic. “She can talk high-level finance in the morning and be on a dusty site in the afternoon,” says one Lobi Properties project manager.
She has also launched a training initiative under the Lobi Real Estate Academy, a program aimed at upskilling township youth and women in property management, sales, and development. Her goal? To create an ecosystem of African property leaders who understand both the market and the mission.
Phila’s voice is gaining ground beyond South Africa. She’s been invited to speak at global development forums, has advised on inclusive housing policy, and is in talks to expand her model to other African countries, starting with Namibia and Kenya.
While real estate may be her industry, Phila Lobi’s true work is nation-building. She is reshaping how Africans—especially black Africans—access, own, and benefit from land and property. Her presence challenges systemic inequities and her strategies present scalable solutions.
As Phila eyes the future, she’s clear: Lobi Properties will scale, but never at the cost of community. “If I wanted to just be rich, I’d have left the township behind. But I want to build wealth that’s rooted, that uplifts. That’s legacy.”
In a continent where access to land and housing remains a cornerstone of dignity, Phila Lobi is more than an entrepreneur—she is a visionary redefining the real estate narrative for Africa.
