Southern African Home and Residential Alliance kicks off

Source: Residential Investment & Development Summit (Reside) chair and Sahara chief executive officer, Debbie Tagg.

The news came on the back of the South African Local Government Association (Salga) local government showcase conference which was held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

Sahara is a collaborative not-for-profit organisation umbrella body of member organisations aimed at amplifying the collective-industry impact by lobbying government and contributing to policy development as well as consolidating stakeholder resources and networks across the residential
sector.

Members include organisations and institutions with interests in multi-family housing, student accommodation, retirement villages, social housing and affordable as well as other support member industries.

Reside chair and Sahara chief executive officer, Debbie Tagg commented:“Sahara has been established in response to industry demand to consolidate the impact of existing stakeholder bodies, by complementing and supporting its organisational efforts. Each of the member organisations bring unique strengths and perspectives to the table. By uniting under the Sahara umbrella, we can harness these strengths and work together towards our shared objectives.”

Speaking at the second annual Reside Summit taking place from Tuesday, 16 July to Friday, 19 July, 2024 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, Tagg said the residential sector is the cornerstone of any society as it provides shelter, security and a sense of belonging.

"The residential sector faces many challenges including affordability, rapid urbanisation, sustainability, demand and changing demographics," she said. "To address these challenges requires concerted, collaborative efforts and this is the reason for the launch of Sahara, which aims to weave together the threads of our individual member organisations to create a stronger, more vibrant residential sector for Southern Africa."

Addressing housing challenges

Xolani Sotashe, chairperson of the Human Settlements & Urban Agenda's national working group at Salga said South Africa has one of the highest rates of urbanisation, at about 63% among emerging economies globally. It also has a very high housing backlog, with approximately 3,309 informal settlements and increasing illegal land occupation.

“Government cannot address the housing challenge alone – hence we value partnerships between the public- and private sector. As Salga, we had already started venturing into bringing the two sectors together in the human settlements space, in particular residential property development aimed at collaborating to address challenges in the housing sector.

“Our key area of focus in the delivery of housing is the lower end of the market through subsidised housing in affordable rental housing,” said Sotashe.

Speaking on Tuesday, 16 July during the Reside conference and Salga investment showcase, Sotashe emphasised the importance of partnerships between the public- and private-sector entities, such as Sahara, to address challenges in the residential property sector.

Some of the benefits of being part of Sahara include:

• Collaborative networking: Being able to engage with a diverse network of professionals and organisations across the residential sector, and being able to share insights, challenges, and solutions in a collaborative environment.
• Resource sharing: Having access to a central repository of resources, including research, policy guidelines, and best practices, to enhance operations and decision-making.
• Advocacy and representation: Being able to benefit from a unified voice in policy discussions and advocacy efforts
• Innovation and research: Being able to participate in joint research initiatives and innovation projects aimed at addressing the pressing issues facing the sector such as affordability and sustainability, and
• Cultural exchange: Enjoying the promotion of cultural exchange and understanding among residents, fostering inclusive and harmonious communities.

“Sahara is committed to transparency, inclusivity and mutual support. We believe in the power of collaboration and the strength of unity. By working together as member organisations, we can create a future where every resident in Southern Africa has access to safe, affordable and sustainable housing,” added Tagg.