Monday will see a dream come true for legendary local businessman Richard Maponya.

Twenty eight years after he bought 21ha of land in Klipspruit, Soweto, with the aim of building a shopping mall, construction of the R500-million Maponya Mall will finally kick off.

For the 78-year-old great-grandfather, it is a vindication of his determination never to accept "no" for an answer.

"I never gave up when the door was slammed in my face," said the father of eight, who was told by the apartheid government to go build the mall "in his homeland".

But he clung to his dream. "I believe people in Soweto deserve the same treatment as the ones in the suburbs."

The 60000m² mall will be ready for its first customer in October next year. It is already 85% let, and tenants will include a 12250m² Pick ?n Pay Hypermarket, major chain stores such as Edgars, Woolworths and Mr Price Weekend, as well as restaurants, fast-food outlets and an upper level cinema complex and jazz club.

There will be parking for 2844 cars and 666 taxis.

At the front of the mall is a "central gathering place of grass," says Maponya's daughter Chichi, one of four of his children who work with him.

And behind it all is the man who never says die.

Maponya - who trained as a teacher but never taught - set up his first business, a dairy in Dube, in the early '50s with his late wife, Marina.

From there he ventured into other businesses such as supermarkets, a garage and a bottling company, which are still running.

Maponya came to public attention in the '80s, when he became the first black person in the country to buy horses and race them.

"There was a lot of controversy," he says. "It took me five years to be allowed to buy two horses. After I bought horses, it took me another two years to be allowed to race.

"And then the problem came with the colours I had chosen to be worn by my jockeys, with a lot of them saying I chose ANC colours," he says with a laugh.

"The reason I succeeded during the apartheid era was that I never took 'no' for an answer, because if you say 'no' to me, there must be a very good reason. If there is no reason, I keep on knocking at your door demanding the reason why," he says.

It is also thanks to his attitude that he was able to buy his home in prestigious Melville Road, Illovo, more than 20 years ago, at the height of apartheid.

And far from age slowing him down, Maponya has a raft of plans for the future.

He wants to renovate his house, which doubles as his office, and, after Maponya Mall is finished, intends spreading his wings to other townships.

"We are busy looking at townships in Tshwane," he says.

Maponya says the only time a person should rest is when people start saying "hamba kahle", referring to the end of his life.

Maponya feels that he still has much to plough back into the community, especially in the townships.

"I know the life and challenges that people in the townships are facing. So I still want to do more for them," he says.

Maponya attributes his vigour to regular exercise - he has a treadmill and a step machine in his bedroom - and the fact that he abstains from alcohol and follows a sensible diet: "I am very selective in what I eat. I don't eat red meat, I only eat fish and chicken," he said.

"I enjoy running around, I enjoy doing business, it is just in me. I don't even think I would ever retire, I will die with my boots on.

"You see, our former President Nelson Mandela has taught us something that there is no old age in a man.

"As long as you are able to walk, you can still do so much to benefit your community."

Sunday Times