From Vision to Impact: Ten Years of Building a Thriving Philippi
- Pedi
- 52 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Outgoing CEO Thomas Swana reflects on a decade of partnership and persistence that helped transform Philippi.
When I first took up the leadership of the Philippi Economic Development Initiative (PEDI) more than ten years ago, I could never have imagined the extraordinary journey that lay ahead. Philippi was at that time still finding its economic identity — a place rich in potential but struggling under the weight of unemployment, weak infrastructure, and social fragmentation.
Today, as I prepare to hand over the baton, I am deeply proud to say that Philippi’s story has changed. Together, we have helped transform this community into a cleaner, safer, more connected, and more hopeful place — a township increasingly recognised across Cape Town as a model of inclusive and sustainable development.
Building Philippi’s Future from the Ground Up
From the start, PEDI has worked to turn vision into visible change. Our early groundwork — from the Highest and Best Use Market Study and Municipal Services Investigation to the Business Retention & Expansion Survey — laid the foundation for long-term investment and growth.
That groundwork bore fruit in 2024 when the City of Cape Town formally adopted the Philippi Opportunity Area Local Spatial Development Framework, a transformative plan that positions Philippi East for higher-density housing, upgraded roads, and mixed-use development.
Over the years, we have also seen new infrastructure rise — from Junxion Mall, Philippi’s second major retail centre built on land previously owned by PEDI (formerly the Eisleben Business Park), to the forthcoming New Eisleben Road Corridor, which will ease congestion and improve safety. Through our Precinct Management Unit (PMU), over 4,000 service requests have been logged and resolved with the City over the past year, ensuring that Philippi’s streets, lights, and drains are maintained with care.
Pioneering Urban Agriculture and Circular Economy Solutions
One of our proudest achievements has been turning Philippi into a showcase of urban farming innovation. The launch of the Philippi Urban Agriculture Academy and the Waste-to-Food project in 2017 set a new standard for sustainable agriculture — transforming waste into compost, and unemployed residents into successful farmers and entrepreneurs.
With the City’s support, we expanded into the Philippi Agrihub, a R40 million investment in 2023 that linked over 100 small-scale farmers with markets, training, and processing facilities. From earthworms to export-ready produce, this journey has proved that regenerative farming and enterprise can thrive right here in the city.
The Agrihub’s formal launch by the mayor in 2022 — and its full operational readiness by 2024 — stand as a symbol of how innovation, partnership, and persistence can literally grow food and hope in one of Cape Town’s most dynamic communities.
Creating Jobs, Skills and Pathways to Dignity
At the heart of our work has been a simple goal: creating opportunity.
Through the Presidential Employment Programme (PEP), PEDI has employed more than 2,900 Philippi residentsover three years, providing them not just with income but with training and purpose.
Under four work streams — Safety, Cleaning, Information, and Beautification — PEP participants made the township visibly safer and cleaner. Over the past year:
Around 800 patrol missions completed without incident,
More than 107,000 waste bags filled and illegal dumping hotspots reduced,
Community surveys and data gathered to inform service delivery,
Public spaces transformed through art and colour.
Through the Job Journey and SkillWise training courses, hundreds of participants graduated with new confidence and employability skills. Many have since found permanent work, started microbusinesses, or gone on to train others.
Our Jobseekers Database campaign in 2022 saw nearly 4,800 residents register for future work — a clear sign that Philippi’s people are ready and willing to shape their own future.
For many participants, these programmes were life-changing. I have seen the pride in people’s eyes as they receive their certificates, and the joy of parents who can once again provide for their children. Those are the moments that make every challenge worthwhile.
Revitalising Community Spaces and Partnerships
Economic growth cannot happen without safe and vibrant streets. That is why we launched the Philippi Precinct Management Unit in 2019 — a small but mighty team dedicated to making Philippi safe, clean, and well-managed.
Through its security patrols, waste ambassadors, and environmental campaigns, the PMU has restored pride in public spaces and built stronger relationships between businesses, civic leaders, and residents. Philippi today is cleaner and better organised than it has been in decades, and the PMU’s collaboration with the City has made it a model for other communities.
Projects such as the Ngulube Gateway High Street Activation, the Roots Entrepreneurial Youth Project, and our partnerships with Neighbourhood Watch groups and the Community Policing Forum have shown that when residents are involved, real transformation takes root.
A Decade of Collaboration and Shared Success
None of this would have been possible without partnership. Over the years, we have built enduring relationships with the City of Cape Town, National Treasury, and the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, as well as private-sector and community allies such as Shoprite, UCook, FoodFlow, Pick 'n Pay, Rotary International, Beautiful Gate, Ithemba Labantu, and Philippi Village.
Together we turned ideas into implementation: food relief during the pandemic, training for farmers and youth, and infrastructure that continues to serve Philippi’s people.
Today, the fruits of that collaboration are visible everywhere:
A recognised Agrihub that drives local food security;
A Precinct Management model that delivers safer streets;
Over 3,000 jobs created and thousands trained;
A spatial plan that unlocks investment for the next generation.
Most importantly, we have restored something less tangible but far more valuable — a sense of pride and belief in Philippi’s future.
Looking Ahead
As I step aside, my heart is full of gratitude — to our Board and to our first chairpersons, Ald. Anthea Serritslev and Ald. Rhoda-Ann Bazier, for their steady and generous guidance, to our team for their unwavering dedication, and to every Philippi resident who believed that meaningful change truly begins with us.
Philippi’s regeneration is no longer just a vision; it has become a living reality. New leadership will bring fresh energy to build on this strong foundation — expanding the Agrihub, advancing clean energy and digital innovation, and continuing to connect opportunity with dignity.
My hope and prayer is that PEDI will continue to be what it has always been: a bridge between government, business, and community; between ideas and implementation; between hope and hard work.
PEDI’s motto — Partnering for a Thriving Philippi — has never felt more true. The seeds we have planted are growing, and the harvest is only beginning.
Thank you for the privilege of serving this remarkable community. May Philippi continue to grow — greener, safer, and stronger — in the years ahead.
Thomas L. Swana
Chief Executive Officer (2011 – 2025)
Philippi Economic Development Initiative (PEDI)
Partnering for a Thriving Philippi
