Leadership Framework for Sustainable Housing Production in South Africa

Abstract

A primary objective of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-9) is providing  quality, 
affordable, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, for every part of the global community by 2030. 
This is also a fundamental principle in the New Urban Agenda by the UN-Habitat. Studies have shown lack 
of adequate and affordable housing in many African cities, evident in slums such as Kyelitsha in Cape 
Town, Makoko in Lagos, and Kibera in Nairobi which house millions of urban dwellers. In South Africa, 
Section 26 of the constitution establishes the citizens' right to have access to adequate housing as 
incontrovertible. In order to achieve this, the South African government put in place several policies to 
ensure the attainment of the right. However, scholars acknowledge the poor rate of housing delivery by the 
government and view it as a symptom of an inadequate response to urban populism and a lack of leadership 
in the housing sector. This paper examines how leadership failures have impeded housing policy and 
practice implementation in South Africa. The study employs a systematic literature review and case studies 
in showing how lack of leadership affects the attainment of adequate housing provision. The paper proposes 
a leadership framework for sustainable housing provision and good governance in the housing sector