August 2011

Housing in Southern Africa's August issue highlights Witbank and affordable house in the coal mining belt.

Minister Tokyo Sexwale has had the National Home Builders Registration Council's CEO suspended.

Wits property expert says the financial crisis is largely over.

South Africa's first solar water heating energy measurement and control product is being made available to solar water heater suppliers.

Affordable eMalahleni

MDV Developments, affordable housing specialists, have sourced well-located land, within eMalahleni Municipality. The R200 million Spring Valley project in Witbank will roll out 500 affordable houses and an additional 200 sectional title units. Growth in the industrial coal mining belt, steel mills and the nearby power station which surrounds eMalahleni has meant an increase in demand for affordable housing in Witbank.

Sexwale vs Mashinini

Special Investigations Unit member, Vanessa Somiah, who was privy to National Home Builders Registration Council whistle blowers, was offered almost double her salary to defect to the organisation she was investigating in an anti-corruption probe. Minister of Human Settlements, Tokyo Sexwale had the CEO, Sipho Mashinini, and Somiah suspended.

Pension fund housing

South Africa's major pension funds do not fund housing, while in other countries it's almost 40%. "The financial crisis is largely over, we have moved from a ninja economy, (no income, no job, assetless), but please give me a loan," says Professor Francois Viruly, Property Studies at the University of Witwatersrand School of Construction and Management.

Adaptable building

Affordable housing specialist, Concretex, is using its modular building system, which is normally used to build houses, to build school kitchens in the Western Cape for The Peninsula School Feeding Association.

Solar energy measurement 

South Africa's first solar water heating energy measurement and control product is being made available to solar water heater suppliers, says Gert Gous of Grinpal Energy Management, a leading pre-paid electricity and metering company.