Dr Richard Maponya is a well-known figure who has contributed to the development of Soweto. He launched Maponya Mall in 2007 as a first-class mall for the people of Soweto. This vibrant  70 000sqm mall houses flagship stores for top national retailers, as well as local businesses.

Maponya Mall is centrally located and is the happening hub around which the community  revolves. The mall services all the needs of shoppers – fashion, food, entertainment, banking,  hair and beauty, electronics, eyewear and more. It also offers convenient service centres such as Home Affairs, labour, transport, a post office, Sassa and many others.

The centre is everything for everyone in the Soweto community, from high-end shoppers to  blue-collar workers, and is hailed as the 'Soul of Soweto'.