Elize Stroebel CEO of the Johannesburg Housing Agency, the inner city social housing landlord, dispelled myths of a transient inner city community. The agency's research conducted on 27 buildings showed that the average lease is between five to seven years.

The precise and polished Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, told delegates at the third CSIR Biennial Conference to think beyond individual projects. The CSIR has to look at how to play a more catalytic role in the development of industry sectors that will constitute a strong and vibrant 21st century South African economy. Housing in Southern Africa attended the two-day conference.

Equity funder, International Housing Solutions, held its second annual ‘think tank' on housing in Johannesburg. Managing partner Soula Proxenos clarified various positions on a host of housing issues, which impact on developers, the banking fraternity, social and public housing stakeholders and manufacturers of innovative new technologies.

Dr Gert Dry, project director for Absa's International Innovation Housing and Energy Efficiency competition says that before Absa will embrace the new technologies "We need to know the houses will be standing for 40 years."

The best place to live and work in Sustainable Human Settlements Atlas 2009, is Gauteng, which has the highest share in both Quality of Life and Place of all the provinces. Employment opportunities, transport accessibility and infrastructure outweigh crime levels and housing backlog.