Dianne de Wet, former President of the South African Institute of Valuers (SAIV)
The global valuation profession faces a pressing challenge: a growing skills shortage compounded by low public awareness of careers in the field, threatening the sustainability of this vital industry. This is one of the key agenda items at this year’s V20 Africa 2025 conference, held in Cape Town in September.
Dianne de Wet, former President of the South African Institute of Valuers (SAIV), explains, “Valuation is a scarce skill, especially here in South Africa, but this is in fact a global issue. Too few people know about our profession, with many of the current practitioners approaching retirement age.”
De Wet warns that the profession risks significant knowledge and talent gaps if urgent action is not taken. “With the ageing workforce and limited new entrants, we have a serious skills pipeline issue. Without a concerted effort to attract young professionals, especially women and diverse talent, the future of the valuation profession is at risk.”
The V20 Conference, hosted by the SAIV in collaboration with India’s Assessors and Registered Valuers Foundation and the International Valuations Standards Council, is closely aligned with the G20, with themes of solidarity, equality, and sustainable development taking centre stage.
“Although these themes are quite broad, we will focus on attracting and retaining talent. This conference is not just about standards and valuation techniques; it’s about the people underpinning the profession. We need to illuminate career pathways and demonstrate the evolving, exciting opportunities within valuation, ranging from real estate to cutting-edge intangible assets like cryptocurrencies and intellectual property,” De Wet adds.
She continues, “Valuation touches every sector, from banking to construction to technology, and the V20 addresses issues relevant to a wide range of professions, including auditing and accounting professionals, engineers, other built environment specialists, property practitioners, business brokers, banks and financial institutions, developers, mergers and acquisition experts, listed companies, and equity firms.
“Yet, despite its role in decision-making across the economy, many young people and professionals in related fields simply don’t understand what our work entails or how to get involved. They will all benefit from attending, as they are participants in the valuation of tangible and intangible assets.”
De Wet urges governments, educational institutions, and industry bodies to collaborate on strengthening training frameworks, mentorship programmes, and outreach initiatives. “Skills development is not an optional extra; it must be at the core of our profession’s strategy. The V20 platform offers a unique global stage to accelerate this effort, and we invite all stakeholders to join global leaders and local practitioners in discussing potential solutions.”
With South Africa hosting the V20 this year, de Wet emphasises the importance of a locally led and internationally connected approach to addressing the skills shortfall. “Africa has enormous potential, but we can only realise it by building and retaining valuation expertise,” she states.
The V20 Africa 2025 Conference promises to be a pivotal moment for the future of the valuation industry.
Registration is open. For more information and to secure your place, visit the official V20 Conference website (Home | V20 Africa).