Graca Sousa: Driving Operational Excellence across Africa's Real Estate Landscape

A business may have an ambitious strategy and a compelling vision, but its success ultimately depends on execution. That responsibility largely rests with the Chief Operating Officer (COO) the executive who bridges strategy and implementation.

Particularly in the real estate advisory sector, where every transaction demands legal accuracy, market intelligence, operational coordination, and stakeholder confidence, the COO's role extends far beyond administration to become a strategic driver of business excellence.

This philosophy is reflected in the career of Graca Sousa, Chief Operating Officer at Altys Real Estate Advisors, whose professional journey has been defined by a rare combination of legal expertise and operational leadership. Rather than following a conventional management path, Sousa has built her career by integrating legal knowledge with business operations, allowing her to navigate complex real estate environments with confidence and precision.

A Law graduate from the Catholic University of Angola, she further specialized in Real Estate Law through a postgraduate qualification from the University of Lisbon, Portugal. As a certified property valuer accredited by the Angolan Capital Markets Commission and a registered lawyer with the Angolan Bar Association, she has also strengthened her credentials with certifications in management, financial markets, and real estate building a multidisciplinary foundation that continues to shape her leadership approach.

Sousa's career began in administrative support within the non-profit sector before progressing into administrative and legal coordination roles. After completing her legal traineeship and practicing corporate law, she made a strategic transition into the real estate industry by joining Colliers.

There, she initially led consultancy and valuation assignments before taking responsibility for operational coordination and business processes across Angola, gaining firsthand experience in managing complex portfolios and client engagements.

Today, as COO of Altys Real Estate Advisors, Sousa leads the firm's operational ecosystem, overseeing quality assurance, corporate client management, and the seamless execution of business operations. Let’s hear more from her in this one-on-one interaction.

We never compromise on quality or objectivity, ensuring every report, valuation, or advisory assignment provides clients with the confidence they need to make informed strategic decisions

Looking back on your career, which achievements have been the most defining, and how have they shaped your leadership philosophy?

Two achievements have had the greatest impact on my leadership journey. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I redesigned our operating model by creating a network of trained local consultants across different provinces, enabling us to continue delivering high-quality services despite travel restrictions.

That structure remains a key competitive advantage today. Another defining milestone was leading Altys Africa's operational expansion into Mozambique, where I established teams and adapted our operating model to a new market.

These experiences reinforced my belief that strong leadership is about empowering people, building resilient systems, and creating sustainable solutions that perform regardless of circumstances.

What vision and values have been instrumental in shaping Altys Real Estate Advisors into a trusted real estate advisory firm?

At Altys, we believe every African market has its own unique dynamics, opportunities, and investment landscape. Our vision is to help international investors understand these differences while providing independent, reliable, and high-quality real estate advice. Everything we do is guided by integrity, impartiality, excellence, efficiency, and professionalism.

These values have earned the trust of multinational corporations and global institutions operating across Africa. We never compromise on quality or objectivity, ensuring every report, valuation, or advisory assignment provides clients with the confidence they need to make informed strategic decisions.

How do you see the African real estate sector evolving, and where do you believe the biggest opportunities lie?

Africa's real estate sector is undergoing a structural transformation driven by industrialisation, expanding services, agribusiness, and regional trade. Demand is growing for logistics hubs, industrial facilities, cold-storage infrastructure, premium residential developments, and hospitality assets that meet international standards. I believe the greatest opportunity lies in developing purpose-built properties that address these changing market needs.

Success will belong to firms capable of combining innovation with legal compliance, strong governance, and operational excellence while delivering solutions tailored to the specific requirements of each country and investor.

As COO, how do you ensure strategy is effec­tively translated into operational excellence while meeting client expectations?

My role is to transform strategic objectives into measurable operational outcomes. I achieve this through clearly defined processes, standardized quality frameworks, and intelligent decentralisation that gives teams both responsibility and accountability. While governance and consistency remain essential, I also believe in empowering people to make informed decisions within established guidelines.

Fostering collaboration means ensuring that every employee clearly understands the direct impact of their work on their colleagues' outcomes as well as on the client's success. When teams share knowledge, master the right tools, and are given the space and support to innovate, responsibility and excellence cease to be obligations and instead become a natural consequence of the culture we build every day. This balance enables us to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes while maintaining agility and operational control.

What legacy do you hope to leave, and what advice would you offer aspiring women leaders?

I hope to leave behind a legacy of dedication, integrity, and excellence, demonstrating that committed leadership can create lasting organisational and social impact. My advice to aspiring women leaders is to invest continuously in knowledge, remain curious, and never stop developing professionally. Build expertise, think strategically, and approach every responsibility with excellence, regardless of its size.

At the same time, remember that leadership is never a solo journey. As John C. Maxwell notes, "one is too small a number to achieve greatness." Lean on your teams, and as my brother and mentor, Kavungo João, always taught me, never lose your humility, because it opens doors and sometimes takes us much further in life than knowledge alone. Recognise that empowering others is the foundation of meaningful and sustainable success.

Graca Sousa, Chief Operating Officer, Altys Real Estate Advisors

Graca Sousa is the Chief Operating Officer of Altys Real Estate Advisors, leading operations across Angola and Mozambique. With expertise spanning law, real estate, valuation, and operational management, she combines legal precision with strategic execution to deliver high-quality advisory services. Her leadership is defined by operational excellence, innovation, and developing resilient, high-performing teams across Africa.