This South African investment group primarily focuses on the property development sector and has an impressive retail and commercial portfolio including several petrol stations in Soweto. Sebolelo Gebhardt is an advisory board member at the Mamo Group. “Whether you’re in Khayelitsha, Umlazi or Soshanguve, the reality is that there’s a certain way of living in these spaces and we should be adapting our business models, our municipal bylaws, investment criteria and our planning to the realities of these places because many people want to live there,” he says. To develop these spaces and examine how urban culture has evolved, Alcock recommends looking at it all through an African-relevant lens.

“Kids in the suburbs are told to get off the streets while you’re encouraged to play on the streets and get out of the house in townships. Many people are happy in these spaces because of its community base in a real African culture way,” he says.

A WAY OF LIFEĪccording to GG Alcock, a marketeer, entrepreneur and the author of Kasinomics and Kasi Revolution, books that shed light on the transformation of South Africa’s townships, many people choose to continue living in townships because of the sense of community. Increasingly, they are becoming sites for innovation and commercial gain with the property market no exception. While townships may have been associated with high concentrations of poverty in the past, continued investment and development in these areas are turning the tide.

Townships have a specific vibrancy about them – its effervescent lifestyle and culture create a hub for community, lively subcultures, food, art, family and music. WORDS: ATLEHANG RAMATHESELE – IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES & SOURCED Investing in backrooms is especially popular and lucrative as a first step on the property ladder The township property market is very much alive with keen interest in everything from residential to commercial real estate.

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