Born in Durban, South Africa, 50 year old Brett Marlin now lives in Botswana with his beautiful wife, Tanya, and two sons – Matthew and Nicholas- who he adores. “We met in 1980, she was a blind date and as the corny saying goes: it was love at first sight”, he said with a light sense of humor.
In 1988, Brett got his first job at Stocks & Stocks in Cape Town where he was employed as a trainee Quantity surveyor. He was responsible for monthly valuations, payments to subcontractors and cost reports to head office. With a National Higher Diploma in Building and National Diploma in Property Valuations, he has contributed towards the Stellenbosch University Techno Park, among other projects, in his first job.
With hobbies such fishing, playing cricket and hockey, quad bike riding, it is no surprise that he is naturally extremely competitive in every aspect of his life. He expressed his pride in every project he has successfully completed, especially because he gives 100% into each and every one of them.
Rise to the Top
Since working for Stocks & Stocks Cape (Pty) Ltd, Brett has worked for various organizations in South Africa in different positions and thus accumulating a wealth of experience. He started with Time Projects as a Project Manager in 1999 and soon progressed to Senior Project Manager. Within 4 years he was offered a directorship and headed up the Commercial Division. In addition to his experience, it is his competitive nature and constant quest for improvement that has earned him this well deserved executive position.
Achievements or Milestones
Brett was awarded top student for his final year of Building Surveying. He considers completed project as a major achievement. “I also feel that one of my most significant achievements has been assisting in taking Project Management in Botswana to a new level”, he added. Time Projects has implemented a of a state of the art internet based project management system, which makes online collaboration with all involved parties possible.
Though there are no Project Management associations in Botswana, he participates in training offered by other associations, particularly in South Africa, in order to stay ahead in terms of the latest developments in the Construction Industry.
Giving Back to the Community
Time Projects is one of the largest private developers in Botswana, which indirectly employs thousands of people in the Construction Industry. Brett went on to say “We develop medium to low cost housing thereby providing much needed housing for thousands of people. We have and still are developing a number of shopping centers in the rural areas thereby providing much needed employment and good shopping facilities which offer a wider range of commodities for the local communities.” Time Projects also has a commitment to helping charities such as SOS Children’s Village, the Cancer Association and many more.
Future Prospects for Property/Construction
Mr. Marlin foresees turbulent times ahead, particularly with the development of office space given the dearth of office space currently under construction. There certainly are still a lot of prospects in the Industrial and Housing Markets. The challenges are to think outside the box and come up with new concepts that have not been implemented in Botswana, such as Time Projects’ latest development- “The Office”.
