Prakasen Govender

Prakasen Govender is group chief executive officer of several companies in the property development and architecture industries including PGA Architects, PGA Interiors, PGA Umhlanga Rocks Investments and Ridgeside Devco.

His formative years were spent in the hustle and bustle of Prince Edward Street, Durban which was a melting pot of culture, art, architecture, music, entrepreneurship and political activism in the 1970s and 80s. He recalls, “I can say that my moral and political beliefs were shaped by the people in the Casba comprising a mix of entrepreneurs and working-class people struggling to make a living in Apartheid South Africa and at the same time fighting the good fight for fundamental human rights and dignity. I am proud to say many activists from the area have played key roles in the post-Apartheid government.”

Prince Edward Street was a prime example of the work, play and live phenomenon that developers and architects today are promoting for social cohesion and quality of life. This personal experience has helped shape Prakasen into a leading architect, entrepreneur and businessman in KwaZulu-Natal.

Prakasen’s first job was working for his father in the family-owned Indian goods shop called Bargain Centre Supermarket located in the Prince Edward Street / Grey Street precinct. His weekends and school holidays were spent working for an allowance in the shop. "We worked six days a week, often 12-hour days during the festivities period,” he recalls. “No Sunday work because of Apartheid policies … a small mercy,” he says with a laugh. Prakasen credits his father for instilling in him the value of hard work, ethics and business acumen saying, “I admire him greatly and carry the lessons I learned from him to this day. He simply led by example.”

PERFORM WITH CONFIDENCE
Prakasen candidly admits that the first years at university were a struggle. Coming from an isolated and segregated township environment, he found the transition to a diverse university setting challenging. “It took a few years to be able to perform with confidence and allow my true talent and abilities to emerge,” he explained.

A pivotal moment in his academic journey came when a visiting lecturer, Dan Smith from the University of Free State, provided him with a new perspective on architecture. Prakasen recalls, “He was trying to get us to understand how it all interrelates… He said, ‘Don’t try to draw it neatly, sketch an idea to scale and build a model’. And from that, the penny just dropped because you could feel what you were building in terms of scale, form, space, mass, and all the principles and elements of design and there was no looking back after that.”

From running his company as a one-man band in the basement of his dad’s home in Effingham Heights while still studying, he now operates offices in the major provinces. The company’s head office is in Umhlanga in a building designed and developed by PGA. His diverse team of experienced architects, technologists, and project managers operate on a very flat structure. “I sit amongst my team. They are the backbone of PGA,” he says.

In the design environment keeping the team motivated can be a challenge. Prakasen’s primary focus is ensuring that the team are happy to come to work. The week starts off with Monday morning breakfast and informal chats before transitioning into business discussions. Staff are well informed of the business activities and feel included in all projects in the office. He believes in the importance of a balanced work-life environment, discouraging weekend work because ‘the guys just run on empty the following week’.

CREATING VALUE
Today, Prakasen’s primary mission is to create employment opportunities in the built environment sector, particularly for young graduates. He believes strongly in mentorship, a value he has carried with him throughout his career as architect, lecturer and entrepreneur.

His businesses have grown into significant contributors to the economy, with a focus on creating high value clients and contributing to the GDP. “My priority on any project is to shrink the timelines from construction to occupation to maximise the benefit to the GDP,” he explains.

Prakasen continues, “Every time we complete a build, it’s an accomplishment. Developers face many hurdles realising a concept into a physical building. The South African local government environment is still not very development or developer friendly despite many efforts. Bureaucracy, high interest rates and the forums are some of the obstacles we face. But I do it because I love what I do, I love creating beautiful spaces for people to work and live in. I love creating buildings that form part of the artistic landscape. But most of all, I believe in my country and I love my city and province and all she provides for us … And all the headache and heartache that goes into designing and developing a building is worth it.”

GREATEST INSPIRATION
In his personal life, Prakasen reflects on the wisdom imparted to him by his father when he got married: “You now have two brains, use them wisely.” And that he did. His greatest inspiration is his wife and business partner, Anusha, whom he met in grade eight. The couple share three children together.

Prakasen offers a number of adages that he lives by. The first is: ‘Just keep on walking forward’. The second is that there are ‘always opportunities in problems’. The third saying is courtesy of Nelson Mandela, ‘If you walk through the valley of death and you have the truth on your side you will not fear anything’. “So don’t be afraid to follow your passion,” he explains.

In conclusion, Prakasen says that his motto is: “Never say die, just keep going and enjoy the ride.” He believes that people worry too much and should strive to be calm. “There’s always a solution to every problem. Remember, the sun’s going to come up the next day. Just keep on smiling, there’s nothing else you can do. People like happy people.” He added that he firmly believes in the principle of cause and effect. “If you say something, stick to your word. Just do the universal goodness and it all comes together.”