Tsantsabane town planner builds a future with vision and heart

In the heart of the Northern Cape, where the challenges of development are as vast as the region’s landscape, one young professional is proving that determination, paired with the right support, can drive real and lasting change.

Rotondwa Madala, a town planner at the Tsantsabane Local Municipality, is not just drawing plans on paper; he’s helping to reshape the future of his community. His journey from intern to registered professional town planner, now with a master’s degree under his belt, is a shining example of how mentorship, collaboration, and investment in municipal capacity can have a powerful ripple effect.

Madala's success story is deeply intertwined with Anglo-American’s Municipal Capability and Partnership Programme (MCPP), an initiative launched in 2019 that focuses on strengthening municipalities across South Africa’s mining regions. Designed to bridge the gap between the private sector and local government, MCPP has become a model of how partnership and targeted support can overcome some of the toughest developmental challenges facing mining towns.

Since its launch, the programme has supported eight municipalities and invested close to R200 million into enhancing municipal planning, infrastructure delivery, and water management. More than 200 municipal officials and councillors have already taken part in the programme, gaining access to expert guidance and hands-on technical training.

When Madala joined Tsantsabane Municipality in 2021, he became only the second town planner the municipality had ever appointed. He quickly realised he had walked into a space filled with outdated planning documents, limited resources, and a lack of mentorship. “We had to run around looking for funds and support,” Madala remembers.

But everything changed in 2022 when he crossed paths with the Municipal Capability & Partnership Programme (MCPP). The programme introduced a support system that included experienced planners and Geographic Information System (GIS) specialists, people who would become more than just colleagues; they became mentors.

“That’s where we started with spatial planning support within the municipality,” he says, crediting the programme for not only lifting the standard of town planning in the municipality but also for inspiring his personal growth.

Armed with a four-year professional degree in town planning and a postgraduate diploma in public management, Madala decided to pursue a master’s degree in town and regional planning at the University of Pretoria. His research focused on the post-mining future of towns, a timely and necessary investigation in regions where mines are a central part of the local economy.

“Are we planning for what comes after mining?” he asked through his academic work. It’s a question that reflects the deeper purpose behind MCPP: to not only solve today’s issues but to prepare municipalities for tomorrow’s challenges.

Now, as the only town planner responsible for an entire municipality, Madala continues to face a demanding workload. His daily routine involves navigating complex political landscapes, working with communities that have high expectations, and making do with limited resources. But through it all, he remains driven by the people he serves.

“Town planning is not only about being behind the laptop and drawing a layout,” he explains. “It’s more about improving the lives of people in our communities.”

His words echo a deep commitment to the social impact of his profession, a sentiment he hopes young people entering the field will embrace. “They must love people,” he advises aspiring planners. “They must understand the needs and aspirations of communities. Being around people takes time, and it needs someone who is committed and loves people.”

Madala’s rise through the ranks is more than a personal success. It’s a testament to what becomes possible when the public and private sectors work in tandem to uplift local institutions. His story serves as a blueprint for how building municipal capacity is about more than just policy and infrastructure; it’s about empowering individuals to drive change from within.

In Tsantsabane, and indeed across South Africa’s mining regions, professionals like Rotondwa Madala are showing what happens when purpose meets partnership. And in doing so, they are helping to build not just better towns, but better futures.