Chippa ready to launch ‘decent homes’ project for 400 first-time owners
The digging for Mpengesi Heights, an innovative low-to-middle-income housing project between Gonubie and Mzamomhle, starts in days.
The developer, businessman and soccer club owner Chippa “Chairman” Mpengesi, said the first phase of 400-units would be a test piece for a plan he had to build decent homes across the province.
In an interview, he spoke in animated tones of never having forgotten his miserable life as a jobseeking teen living in a leaking cardboard and zinc shack in Cape Town.
He said he was on a drive to bring bank loans and homes to young civil servants and company employees in Buffalo City Metro (BCM) — and every Eastern Cape town.
The pilot project in Gonubie faced barriers — the land he bought in 2017 had to be rezoned from agriculture to residential, and there are 500 illegal Mzamomhle township shacks on his property.
But he said the wheels were turning and he was in discussion with BCM and the provincial government on how to get the shack dwellers, who qualify for RDP homes, to get them.
The teen who grew up poor and hard in rural Nqamakwe says he will still occasionally give a home away to deserving people.
“Our people are really struggling and need decent homes,” he said.
At this point, he said:
● Banks have been approached by Mpengesi Holdings and will offer loans from R500,000 upwards to people, especially first-time homeowners who can prove they earn a monthly minimum of R23,000 gross;
● The target market are employees who fall into a financial gap — they earn too much to qualify for an RDP house, but not enough to qualify for a bank loan, such as young Mercedes-benz SA employees; and
● Clearing of ground for the first 400 units making up Mpengesi Heights will start near Gonubie Palms and the homes will be constructed and delivered fully furnished by Mpengesi’s Chipcor Developers.
Project manager Julius Sekgala said Buffalo City Metro’s approval of their civil drawings was imminent and clearing of the land would start in two weeks.
The average entry-level home, costing R850,000, would be sold on full title deed, on a 250m² to 450m² site.
The home would cover 57m² and comprise a fully furnished twobedroom, open plan lounge and kitchen, all tiled.
He said 131 of these units would go up initially to kick-start the first phase, and though the developer was not beholden to build a wall surrounding the estate, it would do so anyway.
Phase 2 envisages 214 sectional title deed homes falling under a body corporate.
“Each phase will be treated as an estate,” Sekgala said.
Mpengesi said: “We are ready to build 1,000 houses [in Gonubie]. Banks have approved the development.
“I want to build decent houses in all Eastern Cape towns in partnership with the government.”
He also plans to erect shopping malls in his hometown Nqamakwe, Butterworth and Mthatha.
He was working hard with the government to get RDP houses for the people who had invaded his Gonubie land. Money had been set aside for these projects.
“Living in a shack is the worst way of experiencing life,” he said.
“When I was 18 and lived in shack in Philippi, when it rained the sack bags [covering holes] and cardboard would get wet.
“One day I said enough, and I started my own business even though I could not speak proper English. I started a security company.”