MOSSEL BAY NEWS - An architect from Durban, the 32-year-old Wandile Mthiyane, is on a remarkable 1 600km journey on foot from Durban to Cape Town to raise awareness about the lack of dignified and affordable housing in South Africa.
After covering more than 1 200km in 46 days, Mthiyane arrived in Mossel Bay, where he spent a few days enjoying the town's hospitality and natural beauty, before continuing his journey to Albertinia on Sunday morning, 31 May.
His walk will conclude in Cape Town after 60 days on the road.
On Youth Day, 16 June, he is scheduled to meet with Cape Town's Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.
Together, they plan to repair the roof of a school damaged during the recent storms and floods. "A school is a home to pupils and educators," Mthiyane said.
The walk also serves another important purpose.
Later this year, Mthiyane will attend a master's degree programme in design engineering at Harvard University, having been selected as one of only 25 students worldwide.
He hopes to secure funding to support this opportunity.
In addition, he is promoting Ubuntu Homes, an AI-powered housing platform that helps people design, finance and build their own homes. Through the platform, users can pin a location, upload their vision for a home and indicate their budget.
"A dignified home doesn't just provide shelter; it restores pride, stability and possibility," he said.
Mthiyane explained that his passion stems from his own experiences growing up in and around informal settlements.
"Housing was never just about shelter. It was about dignity and safety, but many of these homes could not withstand the rain, wind or time. I became an architect because I wanted to solve this problem," he said.
He was particularly inspired by the story of his aunt, who had waited years for an RDP house, but passed away two months ago without ever receiving one. "If she had access to the Ubuntu Homes app, she could have built her own home long ago," he said.
During his visit to Mossel Bay, Mthiyane met with local tourism and business representatives and connected with several community organisations.
He also accompanied young athletes from the Bayethe Academy to a race in George, while several members of the group later escorted him out of Mossel Bay on bicycles as he continued his journey.
"When I decided to do this walk, I simply started. Along the way, many people asked where my skateboard was because they confused me with Jay Forms, who recently skateboarded 6 400km from Uganda to Cape Town," he said.
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