How businesses on Winnie Mandela Drive are impacted by the name change

Sandton’s arterial route William Nicol Drive was officially assigned a new name on Tuesday, after the late anti-apartheid activist Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. But is it business as usual for shops on the famous road?

While many have welcomed the main route’s identity upgrade, businesses whose letterheads still bear the former name are faced with administrative tweaks.

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Same location, different name

Harrington Johnson Wands (HJW) Attorneys’ Dyllon Nicholls said although the name change would have minimal financial loss, it would come with piles of paperwork.

He said the firm would have to update their address on numerous legal documents pertaining to ongoing matters, including informing their opponents of the change.

“We’re going to have to serve notices of change of address to our opponents on each matter. We’re probably going to have to effect that on all of our pleadings and notices we’ve [previously] served,” he told The Citizen.

Nicholls said changing the firm’s letterhead was the least of their worries, explaining it was something they have constantly had to do whenever their partner structure changed.

The associate noted that amending court documents would be time consuming, with each client file taking around 15 to 20 minutes. He predicted the process could take a full week to complete.

Nicholls said although the name change would not result in direct financial loss, the time spent on admin would.

“There’ll be loss of income because we won’t be working on other matters,” he said.

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It’ll be ‘fabulous’

Blissfully’s Sithabile Nongcula welcomed the upgrade.

Speaking to The Citizen, the florist said she is not worried about the name change, but admitted it caught her by surprise.  

“I welcome the change, I think it’s going to be fabulous.

“I think it’s going to be a beautiful monument for the nation. I hope that it’s embraced positively, and it’ll be a beautiful landmark,” she said.

The entrepreneur said local payments platform Yoco provided administrative support for her business, and would implement the necessary changes online.

She said it would only take a single tweak to update all her business templates hassle-free.

“It’s not going to be a difficult change at all,” Nongcula told The Citizen.

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Best use of state funds right now?

Also headquartered on the newly renamed Winnie Mandela Drive is marketing agency DNA Brand Architects.

Chief Architect and brand specialist Sylvester Chauke said he viewed the name change as a conflict between its significance versus the financial implications involved.

Chauke said though he regarded paying homage to the late anti-apartheid activist as a good move, he believed the timing could be better.

“Judging by the challenges we’re facing as a country right now, the cost we as taxpayers are going to incur concerns me. With the state of the economy right now, our many challenges and a huge inequality gap; you do wonder if that’s the best use of state funds right now,” Chauke said.

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On-brand?

The Citizen asked Chauke, a brand specialist, about the likelihood of the Winnie Mandela name driving tourism traffic to the Sandton and Fourways area.

“That can only happen if we set up structures and activities around it. People don’t generally explore a road if there’s nothing alongside it,” he said.

Chauke said the name change would make a “huge difference” if it uplifted the communities located on the road.

“Will it be a good thing to say I’m on Winnie Mandela Drive?” Chauke asked rhetorically. “I think it’s got a ring to it, and I do like it. I just hope we don’t waste money unnecessarily as a country, but are very responsible with how we do it.”

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