James Mpanza's house is a single-storey brick building on Hlatywayo Street in Orlando, Soweto.

Mpanza held public meetings at his home in Orlando[2] and in April 1944 he persuaded 8,000 people to go and make a new squatter camp[3] called Sofasonke Township with himself as self declared mayor.

However the later growth of vigilante courts of "makgotla" that were common in Soweto are thought to have been derived from the examples made at Mpanza's house.

[1] Conditions were poor and the death of his son, Dumisani, was thought to be caused by the lack of a medical service.

[1] The James Mpanza House where his family lived after his death was given a blue plaque to mark his contribution to the history of South Africa.