SA Must Rethink Housing Delivery as Traditional Methods Fall Short, Says Simelane

Simelane acknowledged that since 1994, government has delivered more than five million housing opportunities in the form of serviced sites and houses.

 

Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane has called for a fundamental shift in how South Africa plans, finances and delivers housing, warning that traditional construction methods are no longer adequate to meet the country’s growing and increasingly complex housing needs.

Delivering the keynote address at the first Presidential Innovative Building Technologies (IBT) Summit at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, the Minister described the gathering as a turning point in the country’s approach to human settlements delivery.

“This summit marks a seismic shift. It is not a conference about ideas alone, nor an exhibition of technologies for admiration,” Simelane said. “The character of this summit is anchored on an important clarion call to decisive action and a collective commitment to change how we plan, finance, approve and build sustainable human settlements in our country.”

Housing Gains and Persistent Backlog

Simelane acknowledged that since 1994, government has delivered more than five million housing opportunities in the form of serviced sites and houses. Despite this progress, South Africa continues to face a housing backlog of approximately 2.5 million households.

She attributed the persistence of the housing challenge to a range of structural pressures, including rapid urbanisation, population growth, limited land availability, infrastructure constraints, fiscal pressures, and the escalating climate crisis.

“Section 26 of our Constitution affirms that everyone has the right to have access to adequate housing,” the Minister said. “The way we have been building is no longer sufficient for the scale, speed and complexity of South Africa’s housing challenges.”

Urbanisation and Climate Risks

The Minister highlighted that South Africa is urbanising rapidly, in line with global trends. Projections indicate that nearly 70 percent of the population will live in urban areas by 2050.

This growth, she noted, is often accompanied by the expansion of informal settlements located on floodplains, unstable slopes and environmentally degraded land, placing the poorest households at heightened risk.

At the same time, climate change has emerged as a defining challenge for human settlements planning. South Africa is already experiencing severe floods, prolonged droughts, extreme heat and destructive fires, all of which disproportionately affect vulnerable communities.

“The built environment is both a contributor to carbon emissions and a frontline of vulnerability,” Simelane said. “Housing must be reimagined not just as shelter, but as climate-resilient infrastructure, energy-efficient assets, water-wise systems, and engines of green economic growth.”

Role of Innovative Building Technologies

Against this backdrop, the Minister identified Innovative Building Technologies (IBTs) as a practical and scalable solution.

In the South African context, IBTs refer to construction systems developed outside conventional brick-and-mortar methods and certified by Agrément South Africa in terms of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act.

These include panelised and modular systems, lightweight steel framing, alternative foundation technologies, and prefabricated or off-site manufactured components.

Simelane emphasised that IBTs are not experimental concepts, but proven construction solutions capable of:

• Faster build times

• Predictable quality

• Reduced material waste

• Improved energy performance

• Lower lifecycle costs

Policy Backing and Regulatory Reform

The Minister said the mainstreaming of IBTs is firmly grounded in government policy. The 2024 White Paper on Human Settlements, approved by Cabinet, commits the state to:

• Invest in innovative and flexible building typologies

• Promote sustainable and resilient materials

• Strengthen partnerships with the private sector, academia and civil society

• Enable rapid responses through alternative building technologies

In line with this policy direction, Simelane announced that the Department of Human Settlements will finalise Performance-Based National Norms and Standards for IBTs, guided by the outcomes of the summit.

These standards are expected to:

• Enable the integration of IBTs into subsidised housing programmes

• Provide regulatory certainty to industry and financiers

• Protect consumers through minimum performance requirements

• Ensure safety, durability, energy efficiency and accessibility

Addressing Risks and Building Consensus

While strongly advocating innovation, the Minister cautioned that IBTs must be introduced responsibly. She acknowledged concerns around local manufacturing capacity, skills availability, potential job impacts, financing models and market acceptance.

Central to addressing these challenges, she said, is the development of a Social Compact on Mainstreaming Innovative Building Technologies. The compact will bring together government and regulators, the private sector and developers, financial institutions, academia and research councils, and civil society and community formations.

The summit, Simelane concluded, represents a decisive step towards reimagining housing delivery in a way that is faster, more inclusive, climate-resilient and sustainable, while upholding the constitutional right to adequate housing.