WORDS: DEBBIE HATHWAY :: PHOTOS: SUPPLIED
A local property entrepreneur aims to change the face of community living.
Passion, perseverance and determination to do something for the greater good drive property entrepreneur Bulali Mdontsane’s quest to find solutions to common problems, in this case, improved housing and living conditions for people on the move.
Raised in a rural area of the Eastern Cape, Mdontsane would listen to stories told by feeder workers from the nearby mining towns about the living conditions they endured when they moved away from home. The term “ubuntu” applies. “I am an African child. I am because you are. We are communal, and we always feel the other person’s pain,” he says.
At that time, townships were not developed with proper consideration for the migrants transitioning into city life. That legacy and the ongoing challenge for Government to find a rapid resolution to the human settlements issue were the key drivers of his journey into property investment. Mdontsane graduated with a Master’s in engineering management from the University of Johannesburg and recently completed an MBA through Wits University.
DEVELOPING A PROPERTY PORTFOLIO
His comprehensive academic background has served him well as he has developed his property portfolio from project managing the conversion and extension of existing six-unit residential properties in Durban and Soweto to property development and ownership at Singleton Heights, Protea Glen, a suburb of northern Soweto. With his most ambitious project to date, he turned to uMaStandi for support.
A subsidiary of TUHF, uMaStandi provides commercial mortgage finance, training, mentorship, and guidance to property entrepreneurs so that they are empowered to develop safe, clean, affordable rental housing space that meets the needs of inner-city residents and invigorates the microeconomies surrounding them. “Instead of investing in the JSE, my property portfolio will be part of the solution to the human settlements problem. That’s my way of looking at it,” says Mdontsane. “The Singleton Heights project is particularly significant to me. The building is a tribute to my uncle, a migrant worker working in the mines who had to endure living in hot, unpleasant conditions.”
SAFE, AFFORDABLE SPACE
Soweto is the biggest market in terms of rental space in SA, but its natural growth meant it was crowded and offered limited space for the kind of solution he had in mind – until he found Protea Glen. While he does not necessarily cater to people moving away from home to work in the mines, he says the principle is the same. People relocating to Joburg or Gauteng for work opportunities face the same challenges from a human settlements perspective. “They won’t get here and afford to stay in Sandton. The environment that they can afford, which will be familiar to them, will probably be in a township. Singleton Heights is for people who move out of the homes they grew up in and don’t want to stay in somebody’s backroom. They want a safe space where they can park their cars, and enjoy the communal lifestyle of the township,” he explains.
The double-storey property comprises 30 bachelor apartments (25sqm), each with a dedicated parking bay. They are designed as lock-up-and-go rental accommodation (fibre-ready so people remain connected despite load-shedding) for people who want a long-term stay and those who are temporary visitors intending to return home at year-end. The apartments are entirely let, with one reserved for a live-in caretaker.
CLOSE TO LOCAL AMENITIES
Singleton Heights is close to public transport, a shopping mall, entertainment and sports facilities where people can unwind on their way home from work. The Curro Protea Glen primary school is established, and there are other schools in the area too.
The Singleton Heights development was completed in six months, two months ahead of schedule, and apartments were approved for letting in August 2022. uMaStandi’s support was invaluable, helping Mdontsane avoid some of the significant traps and pitfalls in an owner-run development. Two major challenges were dealing with the inefficiencies of the municipality and regulators of utilities, which slowed the process at times, and the “construction mafia”, third parties who demanded a 30% stake in the project.
However, he was prepared for that, ensuring that his construction team was locally sourced and that he communicated extensively with the local councillor and the local community ahead of time, which forestalled individuals’ attempts to hijack the project for their own gain. “I learnt that rule number one is to always obtain community involvement before bringing development into the area,” he says.
UPLIFTING THE COMMUNITY
A laundromat is on the cards, and Mdontsane is also considering adding a space from where precooked and hot food could be sold. Both would create entrepreneurial opportunities for other small businesses in the community. “I was brought up with the philosophy of Ubuntu, which I still believe in, and with these plans, I believe there would be shared value. Lift as you rise – constructive collaboration – it’s one of the lessons from the Chancellor of the University of the Free State Bonang Mohale’s book by the same name. I would garner greater value as the landlord, my tenants would have greater convenience, and the entrepreneurs involved could share the market. The aim is to uplift the community,” he says.
He advises anyone wanting to get into property development to remember that every phase of this business is about people, from aligning with the neighbours to ensuring you have buy-in from political leaders and the community. Being able to connect with people is essential. He also stresses the importance of looking beyond one’s own financial gain, a value which aligns him with uMaStandi’s purpose. “I think as developers we have a role to play in changing the face of the spaces that we walk across and addressing the housing problem in South Africa. My chosen space is the township and I believe that my mission and what TUHF does through uMaStandi is linked. People need safe living spaces and I think we can be the solution we have been waiting for,” says Bulali.
