SA’s first black property franchise boss wants to be Joburg mayor

A South African property mogul who made history by becoming the country’s first black real estate franchise principal is now seeking to make another mark, this time in politics, by becoming the mayor of Johannesburg.

Ralebala “Rali” Mampeule, a businessman whose remarkable journey began with selling boerewors rolls on the roadside before taking him to Harvard University, has entered the November 4 local government elections as the mayoral candidate of MOVE SA.

But the political newcomer is stepping into a heavyweight contest featuring Democratic Alliance (DA) veteran Helen Zille, a political pioneer and former Cape Town mayor, and ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba, the Black Like Me cosmetics mogul who ran Johannesburg between 2016 and 2019.

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While the African National Congress has not confirmed its mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, looming large is incumbent mayor Dada Morero. Deputy mayor, who is also the party’s regional chairperson, Loyiso Masuku is also among the frontrunners, while party veteran Frank Chikane’s name is also in the mix. The former liberation movement will be fighting to retain its influence in Africa’s commercial powerhouse after years of declining electoral support.

READ: Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane | The Zille effect: Did Gogo Helen force ANC to put forward its own veteran?

Mampeule, who built his fortune through property development and infrastructure investments, believes his experience in business can help turn around a city battling deteriorating infrastructure, financial pressures and service delivery failures.

“You can’t keep building in a city that’s broken,” he said.

“I got tired of watching good people fail inside a system that was never built to help them. I can build a house. I can fund a project. But I cannot make a city pay its suppliers, fix its roads or hire on merit unless I am the one running it.”

Mampeule, who is also the president of MOVE SA, said his decision to enter politics was influenced by years of witnessing how poorly functioning municipalities frustrated businesses and ordinary residents.

From selling boerewors to building a property empire

Born in Mokwasele village in Limpopo’s Modjadji area, Mampeule grew up in Daveyton, Gauteng, before pursuing commerce studies through the University of South Africa.

While studying, he sold boerewors rolls in Midrand to make ends meet.

His fortunes changed after an encounter with the Everitt family – owners of the Chas Everitt property group, opened the door to the real estate industry.

He started as an assistant estate agent in 2001 before acquiring a Chas Everitt franchise in Midrand in 2004, becoming the country’s first Black real estate franchise principal.

The achievement was significant in an industry where black ownership remained limited more than a decade after the dawn of democracy.

He subsequently established property businesses, including Phadima Group Holdings and Rali Properties, expanding his interests into residential, commercial and industrial developments.

His business journey also took him to Harvard University in the United States, where he completed an Advanced Management Development Programme in Real Estate.

In 2019, he founded the South African Housing and Infrastructure Fund, an investment vehicle focused on addressing housing shortages and infrastructure development.

His business interests have since extended into digital infrastructure, including MetroFibre Networx, while his philanthropic work includes the Mampeule Foundation and initiatives supporting education and healthcare.

Now Mampeule wants to exchange the boardroom for the council chamber.

Businessman enters political battlefield

His newly formed party is campaigning on promises to end cadre deployment, appoint qualified municipal officials, improve infrastructure, accelerate housing development and ensure businesses supplying municipalities are paid on time.

He argues that political connections have too often taken precedence over competence in public appointments, leaving residents to bear the consequences.

“It is not about one party or one mayor. It is about a habit. We reward who you know instead of what you can do, and ordinary people pay for it every single day,” he said.

MOVE SA is also contesting elections in Ekurhuleni, with its campaign centred on economic development, accountable governance and partnerships between government and private investors.

However, Mampeule’s experience in the private sector will face a different test in municipal politics, where decisions depend on elected councils, public finance legislation and competing political interests.

He will also have to convince voters that his record in business can translate into improvements in everyday municipal services.

The property entrepreneur believes residents should judge leaders by what they deliver rather than what they promise.

“Do not vote for me because I speak well. Vote for me if what I have built matches what I say. And if I fail, you will know where to find me,” he said.

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