The township was formed in 1957, under the administration of the
Germiston city council which oversaw the forced relocation of black people from locations deemed to be in white areas, such as Dindela, Tikkieline, Phelindaba, and Modderfontein which spanned Edenvale,
Modderfontein and Kempton Park. It is the second largest township in
Gauteng, following
Soweto. In 1977 the government initiated the Community Councils and in 1982 upgraded them to Town Councils, under the
Black Local Authorities Act. The government vested limited powers on these councils but without financial muscle. Therefore, to raise revenue for purposes of developing the townships, the councils increased rent and service charges. This caused the residents in different townships, including Thembisa, to establish civic structures to resist the rent and service charge increases. On 26 July 2016, residents were caught off guard when a tornado hit the area. The twister started in Kempton Park and moved over to Thembisa. Around 20 individuals were seriously injured, and more than 400 were left destitute. A standout amongst the most noticeable sights was the damage caused to the Phumulani Mall, where the rooftop crumbled after the tornado passed through it. In early 2020, the township was renamed from "Tembisa" to "Thembisa", == Transport ==