This architect built a city in his backyard – from trash

When South Africa hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the country exploded in excitement. Cities were abuzz as people flocked from around the world to watch a live match. But not everyone was afforded this opportunity. Mulalo Nego Negondeni was unemployed at the time, and experiencing the colossal energy of the stadium could only be a dream. So he decided to replicate the iconic FNB Stadium in his backyard. Negondeni’s project has since evolved into a miniature city made from the unlikeliest materials. 

Using trashed items such as plastic, wire, cardboard, and fabric from his village in Limpopo, Negondeni transformed his yard into a small-scale version of Johannesburg. “We can build the world we want from excess waste,” Negondeni says. With the Nelson Mandela Bridge and Orlando Towers in one section and highways leading to the FNB Stadium in another, it took him 12 years to complete the NegoCity Museum SA. Although Negondeni was faced with plenty of naysayers in his pursuit, he saw the value in building a wonder right in his reach. “Creating an exact replica was so much more than an art project,” Negondeni says. “To me it represents unity, creativity. We can use what we already have to create art.” 

NegoCity has since become a tourist attraction in Limpopo, and it opened doors for Negondeni to study Civil Engineering at Vhembe TVET College. Today, he works as a full-time architect. With his natural skills and the will to make his dream a reality, Negondeni became the designer of his own future.