The Local Government Property Development Summit, held on 26–27 March 2026 in Modderfontein, Sandton, brought together municipalities, developers, financiers, regulators and sector partners for two days of practical dialogue on unlocking residential property development and accelerating affordable housing delivery.
Opening the Summit, Cllr Dada Morero, Executive Mayor of Johannesburg and host municipality, welcomed delegates and urged stakeholders to use the platform “to unlock the full value of the property development ecosystem.” He stressed that local government is central to property development – from releasing strategically located land and providing basic services to delivering infrastructure that allows projects to proceed.
Keynote speaker, Minister of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane, noted that forums like this have “diagnosed the problem; now it is time to fix it.”
She highlighted ongoing policy work to review low‑cost and affordable housing approaches including social housing eligibility criteria and the specifications for delivery (e.g., the standard 40‑square‑meter RDP house).
The Summit focused on four key areas:
- Policy & approvals: Make planning rules work better; speed up land‑use approvals and help municipalities enable development.
- Partnership models: Share local and international case studies showing what works for affordable and social housing.
- Funding solutions: Explore new ways banks, DFIs, metros and developers can finance projects and scale affordable rental housing.
- Innovation & climate resilience: Spotlight smart, green building solutions (like modular methods and climate‑resilient design) to deliver faster and at scale.
As co‑host and strategic partner, the Gauteng Partnership Fund (GPF) used the Summit to demonstrate that it is not only a blended‑finance institution, but increasingly a full‑spectrum delivery partner for municipalities and the province. GPF Chief Executive Officer, Lindiwe Kwele positioned the entity as ready to support practical delivery across the affordable housing value chain.
“The reality is that South Africa’s housing backlog is estimated at 2.6 million units and continues to expand amid rapid urbanisation and the proliferation of informal settlements. This demands a rather urgent solution,” she said during her address.
Kwele outlined the GPF’s expanding role, covering rental housing, social housing, student accommodation, and large-scale mega-settlements, as well as its ability to offer turnkey development solutions, including planning support, financing, zoning facilitation and servicing pathways. She emphasised that “the future of human settlements will be collectively determined,” reinforcing the Summit’s central message: that delivery at scale requires cooperation between municipalities, the private sector and aligned public entities.
The GPF’s contribution also featured prominently in the Summit’s financing discussions. On Day 2, Sandra Ruiter, Project Specialist at the GPF, join a panel discussion spotlighting the investment barriers and the kinds of blended solutions that can make affordable housing projects bankable.
It is hoped that this Summit will serve as a springboard for accelerating affordable housing, enabling investment, and reshaping South African cities into centre of dignity, inclusion, and economic opportunity.
You can watch recordings of the entire summit via the GPF YouTube page: https://youtu.be/VPjp30XVy28
