Dr Richard Maponya
is probably one of the busiest people over the age of 85. The man who gave us Maponya
Mall has now officially opened Soweto
Volkswagen, a R30 million
dealership, in partnership with Barloworld
Automotive. This is Maponya’s second dealership in two years, following a
competitive Toyota franchise.
Most senior in government was Deputy President Kgalema
Motlanthe who was at hand to help cut the proverbial opening ribbon.
While this was the official opening, the dealership has actually been in business since December 2011. It sits on an 8 000 square metre motor retail site not far from some serious struggle-era landmarks of Soweto, such as Orlando Stadium and the Mandela home.
“It [the Maponya story] is not merely a rags to riches story,” said Motlanthe, “it is
far more than that. It is a symbol of what it meant to be black and to refuse to be defined by arbitrary apartheid laws and the colour of one's skin…Today, through their
various projects the Maponya Group is the largest
independent job creator in Soweto,
having created thousands of jobs
through the Maponya Mall project and many others.”
While this was the official opening, the dealership has actually been in business since December 2011. It sits on an 8 000 square metre motor retail site not far from some serious struggle-era landmarks of Soweto, such as Orlando Stadium and the Mandela home.
“The opening of Soweto Volkswagen is one of the key
milestones in the history of Volkswagen Brand in South Africa that spans over
60 years,” said VW SA MD David Powels.
“The process to build a Volkswagen dealership in Soweto began many years ago
and was formalised by merging three
great brands – Dr Richard Maponya, Volkswagen and Barloworld. Volkswagen is
extremely proud to be associated
with these brands in the form of Soweto Volkswagen.”
2 comments:
I'm very impressed with the Maponyas. they are BEE doing well and inspiring the nation. Good job sir and your daughter also the whole family.
So like they spent about R50 million on these two dealerships? Who do they think they are, Kenny Kunene?
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