A catalyst for change

The Housing Development Agency: unlocking land and building partnerships to create inclusive, sustainable cities.

During 2026, the Housing Devel-opment Agency (HDA) accelerated its mission of transforming human settle-ments and creating sustain-able communities that connect South Africans to opportunities.

Building on the achievement of a clean audit in the 2024/25 financial year and an organ-isational performance score of 94%, the HDA continued to demonstrate excellence in governance, accountability, and service delivery.

This year also marked a significant evol-ution in the agency's role, with the HDA increasingly positioning itself as a developer of strategic urban assets.

Key achievements include the launch of landmark state-owned properties such as the former SABC building in Sea Point, Cape Town, and the Eskom building in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. These stra-tegically located sites present a unique opportunity to develop affordable, mixed-use precincts closer to jobs, transport net-works, educational facilities, and social amenities.

Through the launch of the HDA Invest-ment Focus 2026/27 Booklet, the agency is showcasing development opportunities valued at more than R1 billion, creating new opportunities for private sector participation in affordable housing, urban regeneration, and infrastructure development.

Access the Booklet by scanning the QR code or visit www.thehda.co.za.

Beyond housing, the HDA continues to de-liver transformative projects that improve access to services, stimulate local econom-ies, create jobs, and enhance the quality of life of thousands of South Africans.

"The HDA's work is important because human settlements is about far more than housing. It is about providing dignity, oppor-tunity, and access to economic participation," says Bheki Khenisa, the HDA's Chief Executive Officer.

"South Africa continues to grapple with spatial inequality, where many communities remain far from economic opportunities and essential services. By working with provinces, municipa-lities, and other stakeholders, the HDA addresses this challenge by identifying, acquiring, and preparing well-located land for development while supporting integrated human settlements that connect people to jobs, education, and public services."

One of the biggest challenges facing the HDA is the pressure on public sector budgets, which can affect the pace and scale of devel-opment projects. In addition, human settlements projects often require lengthy processes involving land acquisition, approvals, infrastructure coordination, and stakeholder engagement.

The HDA has responded to these challenges by strengthening governance, improving project planning, and building stronger partnerships across government and the private sector.

"The achievement of an improved organisa-tional performance reflects our focus on efficiency, accountability, and delivering value despite constrained resources," Khen-isa adds.

"Increasing collaboration with investors and development partners is also helping the agency unlock new opportunities and accelerate implementation."

Partnerships are key

Delivering sustainable human settle-ments requires the collective efforts of government institutions, communities, in-vestors, developers, financiers, utilities, and civil society organisations. Nosingle organisation can achieve meaningful spatial transformation alone.

Over the years, these collaborative part-nerships enabled flagship programmes such as the N2 Gateway, Zanemvula, Vista Park, the Asbestos Roof Eradication Programme, major informal settlement upgrading initiat-ives, and critical infrastructure projects across the country.

As the HDA continues to expand its role as a developer of strategic urban assets,

ADVERTORIAL

partnerships with the private sector will become increasingly important.

By combining public sector objectives with private sector expertise, innovation, and investment, the agency can unlock larger-scale development opportunities that create lasting social and economic value.

"Partnerships are the cornerstone of the HDA's success," Khenisa shares.

"These partnerships also enable the HDA to deliver solutions that go beyond housing construction. We leverage these partnerships across various provinces in the country.

"A good example are the projects we delivered thus far in partnership with the various spheres of government. This includes housing programmes, Asbestos Removal Projects, Title Deeds Restoration Programme Serviced Stands, provision of top structures, and any other engineering support we can provide to government."

This collaborative approach allowsthe HDA to deliver integrated human settle-ments that combine housing, infra-structure, tenure security, and eco-nomic opportunities, creating sustainable communities where people can live, work, and thrive.

The HDA is also advancing several investment projects that are expected to play a key role in urban regeneration and affordable housing delivery.

Among the most significant are the redevelopment opportunities in Sea Point, Braamfontein, and Strand. These strategically located properties have the potential to support affordable and mixed-use developments that bring people closer to economic opportunities.

The anticipated benefits include increased housing supply, job creation, greater private sector investment, revitalised urban precincts, and improved spatial integration.

The HDA as a catalyst for change

As a project implementing agent for the government and a developer, the HDA plays a major role because it operates at the intersection of land, housing, infrastructure, and spatial transformation.

By unlocking strategic land, facilitating development, and building partnerships, the agency creates opportunities for eco-nomic growth, urban regeneration, and social inclusion. The HDA helpsbridge the gap between government pri-orities, community needs, and private sector investment.

Ultimately, the HDA seeks to help build more inclusive, sustainable, and prosperous communities where all South Africans can live with dignity and access opportunities for growth and development.

"The HDA of today is a transformed, capable, and results driven organisation. We strengthened our systems, enhanced our expertise, and sharpened our focus on delivery.

"Whether you are a municipality, provincial government, investor, developer, or strategic partner, we invite you to work with us. Drawing on extensive experience gained through the implementation of some of the largest and most complex human settlements projects across the country, the HDA is uniquely positioned to support and accelerate the development of sustainable human settle-ments at scale.

"Our proven track record, technical expert-ise, and national footprint enableus to deliver solutions that create lasting impact and meaningful change in communities across South Africa," Khenisa concludes.

HOUSING

Four HDA success stories

Delivered in partnership with the Western Cape Depart-ment of Infrastructure, the N2 Gateway remains one of South Africa's flagship human settlements develop-ments, providing more than 16 800 housing opportunities. The project has become a benchmark for large-scale housing delivery and inclusive urban development.

Implemented in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, the Zanemvula Project delivered more than 10 000 housing opportuni-ties, focusing on informal settlement upgrading, infra-structure provision, and expanded access to essential services. The project improved living conditions and re-stored dignity for thousands of households.

Implemented on behalf of the Free State Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), the R12.5 billion Vista Park Catalytic Project is one of South Africa's flagship integrated human set-tlements developments. Gazetted as a Strategic Integrated Project (SIP 24) and launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2022, the development is expected to create approximately 28 000 socio-economic oppor-tunities while delivering a fully integrated community.

The installation of engineering services in Zandspruit on behalf of the Gauteng Department of Human Settle-ments laid the foundation for more than 700 standalone houses and 1 262 walk-up housing units, while signific-antly improving access to essential services and advancing the integration of the community into the formal urban environment.