A significant lifeline has been extended to the Transnet School of Excellence as Chippa United takes over its stewardship, preserving a vital pipeline for South African football talent.
This crucial development will be supported by club chairman Siviwe Mpengesi’s company, Chipcor Developers.
The school’s enduring legacy is evident in the countless professionals it has produced, including national icons like Steven Pienaar, Bernard Parker, and Keagan Dolly, who paved the way for the next generation, such as Relebohile Mofokeng, Kutlhwano Lethlaku, and Emile Witbooi.
- Chipcor Developers, under the leadership of businessman and football boss Siviwe “Chippa” Mpengesi, has been appointed as the new custodian of the historic Transnet School of Excellence, marking a significant step forward for South Africa’s youth development landscape.
- The School of Excellence has long stood as one of the country’s most important football development institutions
- – a place where raw talent has been shaped into national and international players. Its revival is recognised as essential to rebuilding South Africa’s talent pathways, strengthening structured youth development, and restoring long-term technical excellence to the sport.
- Mpengesi’s involvement in restoring public sports infrastructure dates back to his tenure at Philippi Stadium in the Western Cape. Under his lease, the stadium was revived into an active football venue that brought professional matches directly into a township community – the birthplace of Chippa United FC – stimulating small business activities, strengthening football culture, and restoring pride in an area long overlooked.
- When the facility was later unceremoniously reclaimed by the Western Cape Government Department of Sports and eventually declined into disuse which led the Phillipi stadium to be a waste site, the contrast highlighted the importance of sustainable, community-aligned management models in ensuring the success of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).
- This foundational experience paved the way for Mpengesi’s later interventions in the Eastern Cape, where he took over the formerly known ABSA Stadium in Buffalo City Municipality (East London)
- – now called BCM Stadium. The stadium had deteriorated into an abandoned, unsafe space associated with criminal activities.
- Under Mpengesi’s leadership, the stadium was secured, rehabilitated, and reopened as a functional sports and community venue that today hosts Betway Premiership matches as Chippa United’s Fc second home stadium – restoring safety, dignity, and activity in the area.
- It is also important to note that Mpengesi has since developed a secondary school with its own-sports academy, known as Chippa College (The campus is at the BCM stadium) , expanding his footprint in youth education and athlete development.
- The appointment at the School of Excellence now extends this restoration mandate onto a national platform. The school’s revival plan includes upgrading its training grounds, academic spaces, living residences, maintenance systems, security infrastructure, and operational model.
- The goal is to re-establish the institution as a national centre of excellence, drawing youth from all provinces and equipping them with elite football training, strong academic foundations, life-skills, and personal development support for both girls and boys.
- The School of Excellence already accommodates learners from Grade 8 to Grade 12, providing a strong educational backbone for the next generation. As part of this broader vision, Chipcor Developers and the Chippa Mpengesi Foundation intend to collaborate with key national and regional partners, including:
- NYDA (National Youth Development Agency)
- Department of Sport, Arts and Culture
- Department of Basic Education
- Department of Higher Education
- Ekurhuleni Municipality
- SAFA (South African Football Association)
- PSL (Premier Soccer League)
- and various corporate sponsors through their CSI (Corporate Social Investment) programmes
- Additionally, Chipcor plans to develop a top-tier commercial hotel facility on the campus — a modern accommodation hub for those visiting Gauteng. Given the school’s location less than 10 minutes
- from OR Tambo International Airport, this hotel will significantly strengthen local tourism, and event access.
- It will also anchor the school within the Ekurhuleni tourism landscape, adding commercial and developmental value to the region.
- Chipcor Developers’ national footprint further strengthens its capability to deliver this vision. The company operates across multiple sectors, including the redevelopment of the well-known KrugerPark building in Pretoria West into modern student accommodation (1500 beds), the establishment of a mega fuel storage facility at the Transnet Watloo pipeline terminal, retail developments, and premium residential projects across South Africa.
- After the School of Excellence struggled to remain financially sustainable under previous management, Transnet temporarily assumed responsibility to safeguard the learners — but maintaining the academy long-term did not fall within its core business mandate. As a result, Transnet took the strategic decision to donate the property to a capable and experienced custodian who could protect its legacy and operate it sustainably. The process began with a Request for Information (RFI) stage, followed by a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) involving several shortlisted companies.
- Through this rigorous evaluation process, Chipcor Developers emerged with distinction, demonstrating the strongest operational, developmental and financial capacity to restore, manage, and grow the institution into a sustainable national academy.
- Beyond football, Mpengesi plans to introduce an expanded youth development curriculum, offering both traditional and unfamiliar developmental pathways. This includes:
- Introductory police-oriented qualifications
- Artisan and technical training
- Construction trades, maintenance and repair skills
- Career-readiness and employment training, character-building initiatives
- The aim is to empower youth with practical, employable skills that equip them for opportunities both in and outside the world of sport. The school will also expand into additional sporting codes, including rugby, athletics, cricket, netball, and boxing, transforming the institution into a true multi-sport development hub that nurtures diverse South African talent.
- The School of Excellence carries a remarkable history. Recent graduates include Siyabonga Mabena, Relebohile Mofokeng, Kutlwano Lethlaku, Emile Witbooi, and Boitumelo Radiopane. Earlier generations produced icons such as Steven Pienaar, Daine Klate, Bernard Parker, Bryce Moon, Masilo Modubi, and many others who shaped South African football.
- This appointment marks a renewed commitment to youth upliftment, vocational empowerment, facility restoration, and long-term sports development. Speaking on the appointment, Chairman Siviwe “Chippa” Mpengesi expressed gratitude and humility:
- “We thank God for this opportunity and for trusting us with a school that has shaped giants of South African football. This is more than a project — it is a calling to serve the youth, uplift communities, We will do everything in our power to restore, protect, and elevate this great institution for the next generation.”
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