Mogale City’s R5 billion Leratong Project hits major milestone

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02-12-2025
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Krugersdorp News
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Leratong Smart City takes a major step forward with the construction of its 42 000 m² shopping centre.

Construction has officially begun on the 42 000 m² Leratong City shopping centre, the first major milestone in the ambitious Leratong Smart City development.

According to Mogale City Local Municipality (MCLM) communications practitioner Tendani Shavani, this next-generation city project is set to transform the face of Leratong, bringing modern infrastructure, new economic opportunities, and community-focused spaces to the area.

The project has progressed steadily since its launch on June 5. Officially unveiled by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, Human Settlements MEC Tasneem Motara, Mogale City Executive Mayor Lucky Sele, and Trendville managing director John McCormick, the Leratong City Mall is on track to open on October 29, 2026.

Shavani added that the project draws inspiration from President Ramaphosa’s 2019 national Smart City initiative, which envisioned urban spaces powered by technology, efficiency, sustainability, and improved living standards. Smart City developments aim to address challenges such as unemployment, stagnant economic activity, and social inequality, offering future-oriented solutions for modern urban life.

Situated next to the long-standing Leratong Hospital and near the industrious Chamdor precinct, this multi-billion-rand investment is designed to stimulate inclusive growth, create jobs, and introduce advanced digital infrastructure, ensuring benefits are widely shared. The first phase is already delivering results aligned with its smart, people-centred vision:

Latest progress highlights:

• 28 local SMMEs have been appointed for material and labour supply, brickwork, plastering, plant hire, and more. Eight additional SMMEs have been contracted (awaiting commencement), with three more in negotiation
• Local labour participation has risen from 63% to 67%, with 330 locals employed as part of the current 495-strong workforce
• Youth-led enterprises and young professionals have been integrated across workstreams. 10 local food vendors have been appointed to feed the workforce, supporting community businesses
• Students in engineering, quantity surveying, and related fields are gaining hands-on training on-site, acquiring real-world experience in a complex, high-tech environment
• A Project Steering Committee has been established to oversee progress, champion community engagement, monitor compliance with urban development goals, and ensure transparent procurement
• The development is designed to attract private-sector investment while generating ongoing enterprise opportunities through retail stores, food outlets, a mini-taxi rank, and other mall offerings

Beyond the mall, Shavani said Leratong Smart City is envisioned as an integrated human settlements ecosystem, with around 15 000 housing units, schools, a private hospital, early education centres, parks, transport nodes, and government service facilities.

“With an investment value of R5 billion, it is among the largest developments in Mogale City over the next decade.”

To support this long-term vision, the municipality completed a strategic five-million-litre water reservoir in Kagiso Ext 13 in 2024, adjacent to the mall, ensuring a reliable water supply for the Smart City. Although centred around the Leratong Hospital precinct and connecting Kagiso, Tshepisong, Azaadville, and neighbouring communities, the development aims to catalyse urban regeneration across the West Rand.

“It establishes a new economic nucleus and uplifts underdeveloped areas through strategic densification and formalisation,” Shavani continued.

In conclusion, Shavani said this model, driven by Mogale City, aligns with national and provincial goals for integrated human settlements, spatial justice, and inclusive growth, offering a forward-thinking blueprint for transforming township and peri-urban areas through innovative infrastructure, public-private partnerships and smart mixed-use urban design.