CHRIS THURMAN: The circular economy busily at work at 16 on Lerotholi
Social capitalism is thriving in Langa, putting the Cape township on the arts map and pulling in tourists
Mpilo Ngcukana describes himself as “a social capitalist, finding ways to develop the circular economy”. From many an entrepreneur, this might just sound like a jargon-laden pitch. But Ngcukana speaks with authority and insight, with passion and conviction; he has the chops, he has a track record, and he has a vision.
We’re sitting in the courtyard between an art gallery and an urban farm, on the site of what will soon become a sculpture garden and a restaurant. Oh, and we’re in Langa, Cape Town, which — despite Helen Zille’s claim that “to be poor in Langa is probably a thousand times better than to be poor in townships elsewhere in the country” — is not a place South Africans associate with opportunity or success...
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