From hawker to Harvard, Rali Mampuele is now the go-to guy for real estate in SA

Rali Mampuele is the founder of Phadima Group Holdings, an investment property group based in South Africa. He is also the founder of Landworth Holdings and Rali Properties.

The South African entrepreneur started his entrepreneurial journey as a street hawker while studying economics at the university. His life as a street hawker took a glorious turn two decades ago when he met a real estate agent Paul Everitt, son of Charles Everitt, the founder of Chas Everitt International property. Everitt offered him a job as an assistant real estate agent.

As ambitious and hardworking as he is, Mampuele grabbed the opportunity he was offered and in 2001, he qualified as a real estate agent and subsequently negotiated a deal to open his own Chas Everitt franchise in Midrand, making him the first black real estate principal in South Africa.

His entry into South Africa’s real estate business, which is dominated by the country’s minority whites, has not only brought about diversity in the sector but has also empowered other blacks to venture into the industry.

In 2019, he was accepted into the prestigious invitation-only Forbes Real Estate Council as South Africa’s only member. The body is the community for executives in the real estate industry from around the world.

Mampuele founded SA Housing and Infrastructure Fund (Sahif) whose primary role includes assisting the South African government to address the country’s housing deficit. Through the fund, which is evaluated at $1 billion, he buys vacant lands, converts the lands into zoned and serviced stands and sells them to the government and the private sector for affordable housing construction.

In 2015, Mampuele established the Rali Mampeule Learnership Programme (RML) to teach and equip disadvantaged individuals with the necessary skills to succeed in the real estate business. He aimed to bring ‘new blood into the old vein’ of South Africa’s real estate industry.

The real estate guru has some prestigious awards to his credit. He received the “Nedbank Young Lion Award” in 2005. Two years later, he was named South African “Nedbank Property Professional of the Year.” Also, he was awarded the 2008 Africa Heritage Society (AHS) “Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year”. He was further awarded the Socio-Economic Impact Award by the South African Institute of Black Property Practitioners (SAIBPP).

From the streets to an assistant real estate agent to a certified real estate agent, Mampuele has shown that regardless of one’s unfortunate circumstance, making it in life is a matter of hard work and commitment. Today, he is a Harvard Graduate with an Advanced Management Development Program (AMPD) in Real Estate.

He has also established a foundation, The Rali and Mekentse Mampeule Foundation, to give back to society. The foundation donates to Global Surgery Foundation so as to promote safe and affordable surgery.