Project Repurpose
Anglo American donates 45 Main Street building to Maharishi Invincibility Institute to foster youth development and support Johannesburg’s urban renewal.
On Friday 5 August we handed over our iconic 45 Main Street building, which is situated in the Johannesburg central business district (CBD), to the Maharishi Invincibility Institute, a leading non-profit private education institution dedicated to empowering underprivileged youth in the inner city and surrounds.
The building, which forms part of our former Johannesburg CBD Campus, will allow the Institute to extend its impact, benefitting up to 3,000 youth – more than doubling the number of students it can support. The Institute focuses on access to on-the-job training for students and actively works to help graduates secure sustainable jobs at some of the country’s leading corporates. This model and the support of the Institute’s long-standing partners translate to a tangible difference in the lives of talented youth, helping elevate communities.
Education and training are integral to our Sustainable Mining Plan, which commits us to a holistic range of ambitious goals that are shaping how our stakeholders experience our business. These include how we can best create Thriving Communities by focusing on better health, education, and employment opportunities.
Furthermore, this initiative forms part of our drive to play a meaningful role, along with several public and private stakeholders, in the regeneration of the Johannesburg CBD.
Nolitha Fakude, Group Director: Anglo American in South Africa, said: “We firmly believe that Johannesburg’s inner city regeneration hinges on nurturing the potential of its young residents, who represent the city’s future. The Institute has emerged as a driving force in paving pathways to opportunities for thousands of young people in the inner city, and it fills us with great pride to entrust them with the custodianship of the iconic 45 Main Street – a building that holds deep historical significance in Johannesburg’s evolution.”
“Looking beyond this, we are thrilled by the strides made in the last two years through collaborative eff orts with various stakeholders. Together, we have crafted a shared vision for Johannesburg’s renewal, culminating in the establishment of the Johannesburg CBD Coalition – a platform where the Maharishi Institute also actively participates.”
“This coalition serves as a powerful catalyst for change, fostering synergy among like-minded organisations, pooling their collective expertise, resources, and insights to forge a cohesive and actionable blueprint for the city’s rejuvenation.”
Since its inception in 2007, the Institute has offered critical skills training to over 19,000 youth – most of whom were young black women – boasting a 90+% job placement rate.
Dr Taddy Blecher, CEO of the Maharishi Invincibility Institute, said: “Our relationship with Anglo American is longstanding and has evolved over the decades, growing from strength to strength. This is a company that has always understood the importance of investing in the next generation and continues to take its role in catalysing meaningful societal change very seriously.”
“Through the donation of 45 Main Street, the Institute will continue to further its mission of developing a new generation of competent leaders right here in Johannesburg’s inner city. We are deeply grateful to Anglo American for their long-term and profound vision. Through our intense focus on getting youth into quality jobs, based on scarce-skills development, and on doing this in a holistic and sustainable way, we truly believe that if more companies, organisations, and the government come together to tackle the city’s challenges, we can help secure a more productive future for all. By entrenching ourselves in the CBD, we want to play a more active part in making the inner-city a more attractive and safer place to live, work, and thrive.”
We continue to explore possibilities for the adaptive use of the rest of our historic Johannesburg CBD Campus, with several potential partners and collaborators involved to help develop the campus into a mixed-use and vibrant precinct.
Themba Mkhwanazi, Anglo American’s Regional Director for Africa and Australia, concluded: “When we look at the immense challenges that cities like Johannesburg face, they often mirror the challenges of our entire nation. As responsible corporate citizens, our duty goes beyond simply pointing out problems; we must actively engage and contribute to the solutions. That’s the driving force behind the formation of the Johannesburg CBD Coalition. All its members wholeheartedly recognise the scale of challenges that the inner-city faces, including crime and inadequate infrastructure.”
“It’s truly inspiring to see the Maharishi Invincibility Institute and other organisations joining hands with us, ready to roll up their sleeves and work together. We stand united, determined to bring about positive change in the heart of the inner-city and forging partnerships for South Africa’s success, so that we can collaboratively tackle the challenges that hinder us. Together, we aim to create a better future, where the inner city becomes a safer, thriving, and empowering place for all its residents.”
More details of our Sustainable Mining Plan are available here.
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