Community facilities in previously disadvantaged areas of South Africa

In South Africa, scholars and practitioners do not sufficiently appreciate the value of parks, libraries and sport and recreation facilities for uplifting lower-income areas, and are generally unaware of the subtle differences between providing these facilities in a northern country and providing them in a southern country. This paper addresses these concerns by demonstrating the importance of these facilities for developing social capital and empowering individuals and communities. It argues that the success of such facilities depends on sensitivity to the community’s need for safe spaces. The paper is based on a case study of the Mahwelereng Sports Node & Library in Mokopane, Limpopo Province, using document analysis and interviews and discussions with the facility’s developers, managers and users. It was found that the activities offered by the facility had boosted the local community’s social capital and improved the users’ health, learning and socialisation.