Southern Africa’s urgent need for low-cost housing explored

Southern Africa's housing markets present a compelling, albeit complex, landscape for investors. While challenges such as fluctuating building material prices and persistent housing supply gaps exist, the region's burgeoning urban populations offer significant opportunities for those willing to navigate these intricacies.

Over the last decade and a half, rural-urban migration has been one of the most significant drivers of housing demand within the SADC region, with most countries experiencing exponential growth in urban populations.

This influx of people into urban areas was and is largely still being met by ill-prepared governments who haven’t been able to supply housing at rates that meet ballooning demand. World Bank data indicates that in 2020, a substantial 43.67% of urban residents in the countries listed above still lived in slums. This is clear evidence pointing to a gap and the above visual goes some way towards  illustrating the individual need at country level. 

Read more: We already detailed how housing crises can be catalysed by urban migration, using Namibia as a case study