Foreigners are using the opportunities that the suburb of Yeoville offers to make their lives in South Africa better than they were.

They are working to improve a suburb that over the last decade has suffered from crime and a lack of infrastructure.

Malawian Yeoville resident, David Bhanda believes that overcrowding led to many of the suburb’s crime problems.

“The banking groups did not want to give mortgages to people who wanted to buy houses. This meant that many people would split the rent on a single building. The overcrowded houses became neglected and allowed crime to infest the once welcoming area,” said Bhanda.  

Over the last five or so years many foreigners have made the suburb their home. It is estimated that approximately 40 000 people live in the Yeoville area and 65% are Africans from outside of South Africa.

People including Bhanda have started their own businesses and have been assisted by organisations like the Business Place.

The group, which was started by Investec to spread economic wealth, develops small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa. It provides advice and technical training in how to start and maintain successful businesses.

Bhanda sells beanies along Rockey Street. “The guys from the Business Place provide us with a lot of support. They’ve turned my beanie selling business into a real enterprise. I used to have just a table, myself and a few beanies. Now I have many tables and staff helping me. Even people from overseas are making orders,” says Bhanda.

Rockey Raleigh Street is incorrectly famous for being in Yeoville. Actually in Bellevue, it is a symbol of the optimism the suburb now has. It is being physically regenerated through the replacement of all paving and the installation of two tier lights to make the streets brighter and safer.

The residents are trying to make their suburb a decision maker in Africa.

“Students struggling to find employment should consider avenues like the Business Place” said computer engineer Dale Keel.

“People from Yeoville know a lot about technology. They are really up to date with current trends. Many of them are not from SA but rather countries that lack a lot of basic telecommunications capabilities like Burundi and Tanzania. By sending them computers and helping them to set-up programs like Skype, they are working to overcome the struggle to communicate with their families. Enterprising students should try to find niches around these techno-hungry individuals,” explained Keel.

In the 1980s, Yeoville was a liberated zone where blacks and whites dined and listened to music together in defiance of prevailing apartheid laws. Some white people even rented flats wherein they invited blacks to stay for free.

Unfortunately Yeoville started to become poorly managed, with development happening elsewhere in the country.  There was an exodus of many white and black residents.