Flipping the odds to build a Skateboard Park for Mamelodi - Poelo Mofolo

BizNews Radio

Residents of Mamelodi are on the verge of realising a long-held dream: the creation of a skateboard park near the Mamelodi East Police Station. This project owes much to the dedicated efforts of Poelo Mofolo, founder of the Mamelodi Skate Club. Despite hitting a wall in securing a venue for the skate park, Mofolo found a breakthrough when he reached out to Dean McPherson, the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Development, via Instagram and received an immediate response. In an interview with Biznews, Mofolo shared his inspiring journey from childhood spent in children's homes, where skateboarding and acting became vital outlets. A mentor, Katie Miller, played a pivotal role by introducing him to acting and speech lessons, helping him evolve from "a kid living in a room with 20 other kids" to winning Eisteddfods, often without any family members in the audience. Today, Mofolo is not only a passionate skateboarder and actor but also a determined advocate for helping other children succeed. His vision for the skate park includes transforming it into a multi-purpose educational facility featuring after-school programmes for kids in Mamelodi. Mofolo believes that nothing in life comes for free, so he offers free skateboards in exchange for volunteer hours spent in the community garden