South African philanthropists David and Tracey Frankel have donated a 10-storey building at 56 Main Street in Marshalltown to the Maharishi Invincibility Institute (MII). The gift will house the new Maharishi NextUp Institute of Technology (MNIT), focusing on skills like AI and cybersecurity for underserved youth. This bolsters the western CBD's transformation into 'Education Town'.
In March, David and Tracey Frankel donated a 10-storey, 10,065m² building at 56 Main Street in Marshalltown to the Maharishi Invincibility Institute (MII). The structure will serve as the Maharishi NextUp Institute of Technology (MNIT), a campus targeting thousands of underserved young people for careers in artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity, cloud engineering, data science and more.
Dr Taddy Blecher, MII's CEO and co-founder, called the donation 'more than a building; it is a promise to our youth that they will not be left behind by the AI revolution'. The Frankels stated that the infrastructure will train 'future tech leaders who will drive forward South Africa’s digital economy'.
This addition expands MII's footprint in Joburg's western CBD, once a hub for the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and mining houses but declined over 30 years amid business exodus and urban decay. Other donated buildings include 9 Ntemi Piliso Street from Anglo American in 2005, 45 Main Street in 2023 and 58 Marshall Street from the Saville Foundation.
MII, serving students from low-income communities, has produced over 25,000 graduates through bursaries, job pathways and support. Blecher noted global examples where education clusters revive cities, adding facilities like the Field of Dreams football field. Streets around Main, Fox and Ntemi Piliso are now lit and busier with students, cafés and businesses reopening.