South Africa: Building Self-Reliance and Community Resilience

Project Overview

South Africa faces significant challenges across social, economic, political, and environmental spheres. These challenges are compounded by inefficient policies and unreliable institutional frameworks. One major issue lies in implementing national housing and urban development frameworks at the municipal level. Recent policy changes prioritise providing sites and services over traditional housing, aiming to empower communities to construct their own homes. 

The Community Organisation Resource Centre (CORC) is collaborating with the Federation of the Urban Poor (FEDUP) and the Informal Settlement Network (ISN), as the South African SDI Alliance, to tackle key issues prevalent in urban communities: unemployment and economic disempowerment, transitioning towards community-led housing solutions, basic services delivery shortfalls, voicelessness and lack of urgency, and the impacts of environmental degradation and climate change-induced disasters. 

This project is part of the Building Resilience in Informal Settlements Programme, a partnership between Cities Alliance and Slum Dwellers International (SDI), funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), to support civil society organisations working in informal settlements.

Initial Project Results: 2022-2024

The project has bolstered savings schemes and networks across eight regions, benefiting 6,018 savers across 24 cities. FEDUP and CORC facilitated the addition of 461 more savers. Significant progress has been achieved through revolving funds, resulting in the completion of additional houses.

Notably, one informal settlement upgrading project concluded in Enkanini, while progress continues on a reblocking project in Langrug.

Monthly data on WATSAN service delivery challenges was systematically collected, leading to improvements in 35 settlements across Cape Town and eThekwini. Moreover, six meetings with government officials were conducted in the City of Cape Town, with Fedup national leaders engaging in 15 additional sessions with various stakeholders. A workshop aimed at enhancing financial literacy skills for treasurers and collectors convened 88 participants.

The CORC workshop aimed to foster a shared understanding of CORC's current status, assess readiness for change, and identify an optimal organizational structure. It clarified expectations for program staff, strategies for supporting social movements, and desired outcomes for CORC's work. Additionally, it prioritized areas for organizational development, such as values and communication.

Key Achievements: 2022-2024