As the City of Atlanta’s ties with South Africa grow, the Mayor’s Office of International and Immigrant Affairs (MOIIA) welcomed City of Cape Town City Manager, Mr. Lungelo Mbandazayo, and his team to Atlanta in June 2025.
Mr. Mbandazayo and his team visited Atlanta for an exploratory mission to learn about the City of Atlanta’s initiatives in a variety of sectors, including public safety, youth engagement, urban planning, parks and recreation, sustainability, and housing.
His visit is a follow up to Mayor Dickens’ reciprocal mission to South Africa in December 2024 as part of the Atlanta Phambili initiative. Leading a delegation of 30 Atlanta-based leaders, the visit to South Africa fostered U.S.-South Africa collaboration through economic, cultural, and educational partnerships.
The Atlanta Phambili Mission is designed to bridge continents and inspire connections, as both Atlanta and South Africa are leaders in logistics, technology, financial services, and creative industries. The reciprocal visit by the Cape Town delegation marks progress in fostering long-term collaboration between Atlanta and Cape Town.
While in Atlanta, MOIIA coordinated several site visits to showcase the city’s expertise in Mr. Mbandazayo’s focus areas. Each stop offered meaningful insight into how Atlanta approaches challenges that resonate globally, and opened doors for shared learning between the two cities.
To kick of the trip, Mr. Mbandazayo met with Mayor Andre Dickens to discuss the current state of the relationship between Cape Town and Atlanta, as well as outcomes since the Atlanta Phambili mission in December. This meeting at the leadership level built the foundation for deepening institutional partnerships and building a strategic alliance between the cities.
A short walk from Atlanta City Hall, the City Manager received a tour of The Melody rapid housing initiative, which is overseen by Hope Atlanta. The Melody is the first project in Atlanta’s Rapid Housing Initiative with the goal to build 500 low-cost micro-units on city-owned land by the end of 2025. For Cape Town, where affordable housing is also a concern, The Melody offers a model of public-private collaboration and expedited housing delivery that can be mirrored in the South African context.
His delegation also had the opportunity to tour a southwest section of the Atlanta Beltline and learn about one of Atlanta’s largest urban development projects from the Atlanta Beltline team, including Dennis Richards, Vice President of Housing Policy and Development, Laura Linman, Economic Development Project Manager, and Forrest Rose, Senior Community Planner. As Cape Town seeks to revitalize public spaces, the BeltLine stands as a compelling example of inclusive urban transformation and mobility.
To better understand Atlanta’s approach to public safety, Mr. Mbandazayo toured the newly opened Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. Given the universal challenge of ensuring safe neighborhoods, this visit opened discussions on training models that balance security, accountability, and trust.
He also joined Atlanta Tech Hub’s Donnie Beamer and the Department of Parks and Recreation for a visit to Thomasville Recreation Center to see their Esports Lab in action and explore youth engagement programs that could be implemented in the South African city. This visit highlighted how Atlanta is leveraging technology and recreation to engage youth while reducing crime. For Cape Town, such programs could inspire new strategies to connect underserved youth to emerging industries and opportunities.
The City Manager’s visit is testament to Atlanta’s global influence and ability to share successful projects and programs with partners across the world. As more international visitors come to our City, Atlanta has the ability to showcase policies and initiatives that can leave a positive impact in other cities.
