Study on employment aspects of slum upgrading: practices and opportunities identified in two South African case studies (Research Report 69)

Examining the potential to improve employment creation in housing projects in South Africa

This report traces the evolution over the past decade of employment-related policies in slum upgrading in South Africa. This is supplemented by two case studies of housing and urban upgrades in different contexts. The findings of the policy overview and the case studies inform a series of recommendations on how employment could be improved through South Africa’s shelter-related endeavours.

The report finds that whilst considerable potential exists to improve employment creation in housing projects in South Africa this potential has not been fully realised, due to the constraints in policies, regulations, administrative processes, management, governance, and human capacity.

The authors argue that best results will be achieved if urban development minimises the fragmented and narrowly framed interventions which have characterised human settlement programmes in South Africa to date, and instead maximises sustainable and holistic urban development models that emphasises community empowerment.

Detailed recommendations cover a number of areas including:

housing regulations
housing policy
matching funds and integration with other urban activities
housing implementation
technology, equipment and tools
labour
materials
local contractors
involvement of CBOs
involvement of women
skills development
working conditions

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Study on employment aspects of slum upgrading: practices and opportunities identified in two South African case studies (Research Report 69)