Lessons Learned & A Way Forward

South Africa is globally renowned for its efforts in providing access to affordable housing to the most poor in its society. Central to its efforts has been the national housing subsidy programme, which has delivered upwards of 3,5m units to qualifying beneficiaries across the country since 1994. While these houses have provided improved shelter and access to services, questions remain about how these properties perform as assets for the households who receive them and what role these properties play in the creation of integrated, sustainable cities. Abundant anecdotal evidence highlights the significant barriers that limit formal property market participation and mortgage lending, and impede property and asset performance.

It is into this space, that the Transaction Support Centre (TSC) was established, to support the realisation of formal housing market transactions in a low-income neighbourhood in Cape Town, South Africa. Over the past two years, the TSC has experienced first-hand the barriers that impede formal transactions, and the very significant repercussions these have for property-owning households, the development of trajectories of lower-income neighbourhoods, and by extension the transformation of South African cities.

Join this conversation as TSC looks back at lessons learned over the past two years and discuss a way forward for the TSC, including thoughts on key policy recommendations required to drive systemic change. TSC’s will also share its plans for the year ahead.

The Transaction Support Centre is an initiative of the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa (CAHF) and 71point4 and has received funding from the Cities Alliance Innovation Programme.

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