Lefakong Property Development (Pty) Limited, the project sponsor, is developing and implementing a mixed-use development popularly known as the Lefakong smart city project on a 43.4ha piece of land within Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality in Limpopo Province.

The site is located about 17km south of Jane Furse town along the R579 highway. The mixed-use development will consist of a regional retail shopping mall (to be built in phases), a filling station with convenience shop, drive through restaurants, a hardware centre, a taxi rank, a value mart center, a tyre-fitness center, a specialists private hospital and rehabilitation centre, a private technical college, a private school, staff accommodation, student accommodation, a hotel, an office park and a community hall. Butshilo Private Hospital based in Soshanguve, Pretoria will be the operator for Lefakong private hospital.

Phase 1 will predominantly consist of the construction of some part of the mall, taxi rank, 3 drive through restaurants on portion 7 which is already fully secured. Construction of phase 1 portion is being earmarked for the third quarter of 2026.

Significant congestion is the order of the day especially around peak shopping periods with average shopping times estimated at 1.5hrs. There is also severe limited access to health facilities with the community travelling to as far as Polokwane, which is 150km away for basic health procedures. The proposed smart city is set to serve the growing community and ease the congestion around the local main urban node by increasing available retail space and health services within the Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality area.

Sam holds a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering (S4) (Mangosuthu Technikon), BTECH Mechanical Engineering (University of Johannesburg), BSc Honours Technology Management (University of Pretoria), Management Development Programme (Gordon Institute of Business Sciences and is a qualified Life and Executive Business Coach and a Neuro Linguistic Practitioner (NLP).

He holds a master’s in business administration (MBA) degree from the University of Johannesburg and is currently reading for a PhD with Davinci Business School. Sam has extensive experience in Manufacturing, Operations and Engineering fields including FMCG, Beverages, Paper making, and the Transport Industry.

He has worked for Eskom, Simba, Mars Africa, Tiger brands beverages, Kimberly Clark, Autopax and Tshwane Rapid Transit (TRT)and held senior roles. He was the Chief Operations Officer at Autopax and Tshwane Rapid Transit. Chief Executive Officer at TRT PIIRWA Kapital and Seas of Sea Horses Holdings. Sam is full-time at Lefakong Property Development (Pty) Ltd whilst also a licensed associate at METADOLOGY.

Sam is a Certified Director with IODSA, is a member of South African Institute of Mechanical Engineers, Society of Operations Engineers (UK) and Institute of Plant Engineers (UK).

Mr. Shepherd Ncube is the Managing Director for ELOSHIBA Fund Managers (Pty) Limited and Eloshiba Property Group (Pty) Limited, a business with head offices in Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. He has held this position since 2012.

He is also the Chief Operations Officer (COO) for Lefakong Property Group (Pty) Limited, an investment of Eloshiba Property Group (Pty) Limited.

Shepherd has over twenty-three (23) years of work experience as a property developer, development finance consultant and executive, investment banker and commercial farmer.

Outside developing smart city and energy projects, Shepherd advises clients such the Housing Development Agency (HDA), Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA), Gauteng Infrastructure Financing Agency, Northwest Housing Corporation, Polokwane Municipality and South Africa Swedish International Housing Company (SASIHC) and Heuwelsig Homeowners Association largely on development finance matters.

During his tenure with listed banks, he structured deals for corporates. Shepherd qualified as a Chartered Banker with the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland, holds a BCom (Hons) degree in Banking, an MSc in Banking and Financial Services followed by an MBA in Banking & Finance from Bangor University, UK. Shepherd is currently reading for a PhD in Finance at Wits Business School and is researching on “Financing of Smart City Projects in South Africa: Trends, Alternative Financing Models and Implications for property developers”.

Ratale holds a B Proc in Law from the University of Fort Hare. Ratale is the co-director of the law firm practicing under the name and style of Ratale Mashifane Inc Attorneys with its main office at Jane Furse, Limpopo Province.

He was admitted as an attorney of High Court of South Africa on the 20th of September 2001 at Pretoria and since then he occupied positions of the Public Prosecutor, Attorney and Acting magistrate.

Ratale acts as a Judge of the High court in Polokwane (Limpopo Province) on an as and when required basis. In February 2017 he established his own law firm as a sole proprietor and in 2020 he decided to have it incorporated and appointed a co-director in 2025.

The form has grown to such an extent that it has a branch in Polokwane, and it has in its employ two more attorneys. Among other institutions the law firm represents Sekhukhune District Municipality, Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality, Ephraim Mogale Local Municipality and the University of Limpopo.

Where Commerce, Community, and Convenience Meet.