Building with purpose: How MBDA projects take shape

Mandela Bay Development Agency Acting CEO Unati Peter discusses the considerations that guide urban development and regeneration projects. What does it mean to build with purpose? At its heart, the role of the Mandela Bay Development Agency is simple: to bring neglected areas back to life and to create opportunities for communities and businesses to thrive.

The real measure of success is whether each project serves a clear purpose and addresses a need for the city and its communities. Sometimes that need is about safety. Other times, it’s about preserving heritage, beautifying spaces or creating an environment for opportunity or development.

The Mandela Bay Development Agency was established through a partnership between the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and the Industrial Development Corporation in 2003. As a municipal entity, it works under national legislation and a formal service delivery agreement with the municipality. Every project it implements is guided by a mandate that is approved by council, to ensure that development is aligned with the city’s broader goals.

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In development, the answer cannot rest on financial viability alone. A project may be financially and technically sound, but it could still fall short if it does not contribute meaningfully to the place and the people it is meant to serve. What this means for the MBDA is that clarity of intent has to be the starting point for every project.

When the MBDA transformed the South End Anglican Church ruins into St Peter’s Rainbow Village, the goal was not only beautification of the area. It was about reclaiming a public space for community use, tourism and heritage preservation. St Peter’s is now a site that honours 150 years of South End heritage.

It is open to the public and has become a place that everyone in the city can enjoy. Listening carefully to residents and businesses helps MBDA to distinguish between what is desirable and what is necessary. An annual Economic Impact Assessment survey reveals key insights into the progress and challenges of urban regeneration efforts in Central, North End and the Kariega CBD.

These are the three main precincts under the agency’s mandate from the Nelson Mandela Municipality to revitalise parts of Nelson Mandela Bay through focused capital investment and operational programmes. A new report is currently in production and will be released to the public in June this year. It enables MBDA to take a closer look at the economic and social impact of the its mandated interventions, and identify gaps, needs and community desires.

Integration is a key consideration, as projects do not exist in isolation. The CBD security programme is a good example of this. The programme combines technology with on‑the‑ground response, and the programme is aligned with broader city safety efforts rather than functioning as a standalone intervention.

The system helps monitor public spaces, heritage sites and busy streets in locations like Stanley Street, St George’s Park, Parliament Street and the Donkin Reserve, which are under active surveillance, alongside community facilities such as the Helenvale Resource Centre. Partnerships also matter. The ongoing and rapidly concluding transformation of the Kariega Railway Sheds saw the MBDA work with local contractors and artisans.

Once complete, the Kariega Railway Sheds will house a Small Business Incubation and Business Park, with flexible workspaces to support SMEs and start-ups. The location of the Railway Sheds was a key factor in the decisions made for the site’s future: Kariega is in a prime position, close to major industry and the Coega SEZ. The Railway Sheds themselves are adjacent to the Nelson Mandela Bay Science and Technology Centre, which makes STEMI education accessible to young people across the Metro.

The Sheds are thus in an excellent position to build something that truly supports innovation, young people and small businesses. The project mirrors the successful Tramways redevelopment in the Baakens Valley, where public investment helped attract private sector growth. The Tramways now functions as a bustling events venue, housing the MBDA offices as well as on-site tenants.

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