South Africa’s Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA) is adopting the accredited residential manager (ARM) certification as a professional development option for property managers in that country. The move arises from PPRA’s relationship with the Institute for Real Estate Management (IREM), which oversees a number of globally recognized industry certifications.

Real estate agents in South Africa must fulfill the PPRA’s professional development requirements as a condition of their practices, and IREM has already been providing content for the continuing professional development (CPD) modules they must complete. About 1,200 practitioners have thus far applied IREM courses toward PPRA’s certification for principal real estate agents.

Under a new PPRA-IREM arrangement, holders of PPRA certification will now be eligible to pursue ARM accreditation.

“This gives professionals a chance to add a global certification to their credentials and opens more opportunities in the local sector and beyond,” observes Dawn Carpenter, the 2025 IREM president.

IREM is headquartered in the United States, but boasts a global membership. Its first South African chapter was established in 2018, and that chapter’s Johannesburg-based president, Patrick Katabua, has served as instructor for IREM courses.

“The IREM modules have already been well attended and received good reviews,” reports Thato Ramaili, chief executive officer of the PPRA.