GPF Publications 2021

BLACK PROPERTY DEVELOPERS CAN BOOST THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SECTOR – 30 March 2021

GPF Publications 2020

GPF Publications 2019

GPF Publications 2017

AdVoice BY THE GAUTENG DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS 22 February 2017

Financial Mail – Affordable able housing for all March 30 – April 5, 2017

GPF Publications 2015

GPF Publications 2014

GPF Publications 2013

GPF Publications 2012

GPF Publications 2011

MEC Maile, Gauteng Partnership Fund Leadership Clear Air on Allegations Following Thorough Investigation

Johannesburg, 13 November 2023 – In a significant revelation today, the MEC for Human Settlements and Infrastructure Development, Mr Lebogang Maile presented a comprehensive overview of the investigation into the allegations surrounding funding and loans to Nonkwelo Investments by the Gauteng Partnership Fund (GPF). The investigation aimed to address concerns raised by a News24 article in July 2023, and provide clarity on the reported irregularities.

Contrary to media reports suggesting a disbursal of R30 million, the investigation confirmed that the actual amount disbursed on the project was R7,246,126.83. Importantly, this substantial difference underscores the need for accurate reporting and emphasises the commitment of the GPF to transparent financial practices.

The disbursement, as clarified in the report, was directed into the project, contrary to previous misconceptions. This dispels any speculation about the misallocation of funds, as the investigation found no evidence of maladministration or corruption within the GPF’s handling of the Nonkwelo Investments project.

Furthermore, the report exonerates the trustees, employees, and even the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Paul Mashatile from any conflict of interest, affirming the integrity of the individuals associated with the GPF.

The CEO of the GPF, Ms. Lindiwe Kwele said following a press conference held at the organisation’s Sandton offices: “We have proactively responded to lessons learned from past projects, implementing enhanced appraisal and screening processes. The introduction of controls such as the Technical Credit Risk Committee (TCRC) and the implementation of policies like the Delegation of Authority (DOA), Charter for the TCRC, and the Politically Exposed Person policy reflect our organisation’s commitment to robust governance practices.”

She added that, crucially, the Auditor General (AG) had audited the GPF and found no malice in the project, further affirming the organisation’s commitment to financial transparency and accountability.

The GPF has noted that the Nonkwelo Investments project’s trajectory was not unique as the series of events was common to other projects, such as selection as an Entrepreneur Empowerment Property Fund Program (EEPF) participant, approval of EEPF funding, withdrawal of funding by the National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC), full funding by the GPF, changes in project scope, and the conclusion of a settlement agreement for an incomplete project allowing the GPF to dispose of the property without a court order. This context places the Nonkwelo project within the broader framework of the GPF’s historical initiatives, approved over a decade ago.

In conclusion, MEC Maile expressed gratitude for the diligent work of the investigative team and underscored the importance of learning from past experiences. The GPF’s commitment to continuous improvement and adherence to stringent governance measures will undoubtedly contribute to the organisation’s sustained integrity and reliability in future endeavours.

Gauteng Partnership Fund Celebrates Launch of The Wagon Rental Housing Project

Johannesburg – 21 September 2023 – The Gauteng Partnership Fund (GPF) is proud to announce the successful completion and launch of The Wagon – a 72-unit affordable rental housing development located in Benoni, east of Johannesburg.

The development is co-funded with the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) at a total project cost of R37 788 14 which includes capitalized interest.

The accomplishments of the developers of The Wagon, Ephenia Moeti and Nthabiseng Masithela,  who are the visionary women behind Lekotu Enterprise, symbolise the spirit of transformation that lies at the heart of the GPF’s mission.

The Chairperson of the Gauteng Partnership Fund Board, Mr Craig Cornish stated, “The launch of The Wagon, showcases the innovative and entrepreneurial work done by the Gauteng provincial government, through its entity, the Gauteng Partnership Fund (GPF):

• In empowering emerging black property developers to participate in the affordable residential property market, and
• In facilitating spatial transformation for the benefit of historically disadvantaged individuals and families, by providing affordable housing in areas where they are more integrated within existing communities.”

The Wagon Project is an EEPF project – that is the GPF’s  Entrepreneur Empowerment Property Fund. The  Entrepreneur Empowerment Property Fund (EEPF) is for the 100% Historically Disadvantaged Individuals (HDI) owned companies. It is an incubator programme designed to promote participation of HDI owned companies in the affordable rental property market.

Over 20 years the GPF  has proven to be a key player in the facilitation of affordable housing developments for Gauteng Province. At the heart of our work lies the mobilization of resources, both financial and technical, to fund and execute crucial projects. The entity has built excellent strategic relationships with property developers and funders and has successfully co-funded projects with senior funders. The GPF is passionate about transforming the property market by encouraging the participation for Historically Disadvantaged Individuals (HDIs) to participate in the market.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Gauteng Partnership Fund, Lindiwe Kwele, expressed her heartfelt congratulations, saying, “Today, we joined Ephenia and Ntabiseng to celebrate, not just the opening of a building, but a symbol of empowerment and progress. These two women have shown us what can be achieved through determination and a commitment to excellence. We stand beside them in this remarkable achievement and look forward to further collaborations that will empower communities across Gauteng.”

The GPF extends its gratitude to the Public Investment Corporation, a key co-funding partner, whose support and collaboration were instrumental in bringing this visionary project to life. The strong partnership between the GPF and the Public Investment Corporation demonstrates the collective commitment to building more inclusive and equitable communities in Gauteng.

Board Chairperson of the Gauteng Partnership Fund, Craig Cornish, added, “The Wagon is a testament to the power of collaboration and the potential for positive change when organisations join forces. We are grateful to our co-funding partner, the PIC, and are inspired by the tireless efforts of all those involved in seeing this wonderful development to its completion.”

The GPF encourages property developers to familiarise themselves with its products and qualification criteria, before applying for funding. Once they have acquainted themselves with the requirements, they can apply for funding via the GPF’s online platform by visiting the GPF website at www.gpf.org.za.

The entity, which offers funding products designed to share project risk with the private sector, is also seeking co-funding partners who share its mission to enhance the lives of people in communities, while also providing investors and partners with sound financial returns.

The Gauteng Partnership Fund (GPF) is an implementing agency of the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements, and is focused on contributing towards spatial transformation in the Gauteng province through the delivery of sustainable, integrated human settlements.

For further information or interview requests, please contact:

Ntombenhle Gwina

Marketing, Communication, and Stakeholder Manager

Email: ntombenhlen@gpf.org.za

Mobile: 063 771 4181

GAUTENG PARTNERSHIP FUND HAS ANNOUNCED A NEW BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The Gauteng Partnership Fund has announced a new Board of Trustees to take the organisation to new heights of performance. The Board of Trustees was appointed effective from the 1^st of June 2023 for a period three years. The GPF is an entity of the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements and serves as the funding and implementing agency for integrated and sustained human settlements in the Gauteng City Region.

The new Board consists of: Mr Craig Cornish (Chairperson), Adv Maseapo Kganedi (Deputy Chairperson), Gilberto Martins, Ms Mpho Hlahla, Ms Rethabile Kikine, Rev Solomuzi Mabuza, Dr Ezra Ndwandwe, Mr Litha Mbokotho, Ms Busi Mhaga, Ms Gugulethu Phakathi, Mr Leon Marincowitz and Ms Nangamso Matebese. Ms Puleng Ratlabala has been appointed as the Gauteng Department of Human Settlement’s (shareholder) representative on the Board.

Each of the Board members brings a unique perspective and great drive to the Gauteng Partnership Fund which will enable it to continue to deliver on its mandate. The GPF looks forward to benefit from the expertise that the new members will bring to the organisation.

The GPF expresses its deep appreciation to the outgoing board members for the strategic leadership and governance oversight they provided in steering the organisation. The outgoing members who contributed significantly to the success of the GPF: Mahlengi Bhengu- Motsiri, Sello Morero, Keith Khoza, Douglas Kutumela, Karabo Mbele and Lindiwe Mthimunye.

For more information, please contact:

Ntombenhle Gwina

Manager: Marketing, Communications and Stakeholder Management

Tel: 011 685 6600

The Gauteng Partnership Fund (GPF) will host key stakeholders in the affordable housing sector at its upcoming GPF Funding Seminar, taking place on 29 March 2023 at the Protea Hotel by Marriott® Balalaika in Sandton.

The event is themed: “Twenty years in delivering affordable housing through strategic partnerships”.

The seminar will explore how the GPF, through the delivery of housing and job creation,  has positioned itself as a partner of choice for impact investment.

The GPF is an agency of the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements responsible for leveraging various resources in collaboration with the private and public sector to accelerate the realisation of dignified affordable rental housing  located in close proximity to amenities and economic opportunities resulting in improved socio-economic conditions within Gauteng communities.

The seminar aims at highlighting human settlement investment opportunities in the province as well as providing a platform for a dialogue between key players in the sector. These strategic contributors include development finance institutions (DFIs), investment management firms and property developers. The event seeks to create meaningful windows of collaboration and partnership between funding institutions, while also opening channels for property developers to access funding.

Since its inception, the GPF has extended more than R2 billion towards affordable housing projects and managed to leverage more than R3 billion from the private sector.

Lindiwe Kwele, Chief Executive Officer of the GPF states: “This event offers us a unique opportunity to gather all the relevant role players in the property sector, including banks, developmental finance institutions, government departments, and industry professionals to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the delivery of affordable housing. We are pleased to have the support of many of our partners for this vital assembly and our hope is that this will lead to the firming up of even more partnerships to help us realise impact on our significant mandate.”

Kwele added that the GPF  had recently marked its milestone 20^th anniversary since its establishment and that the event offers opens space for reflection and celebration of the great work the organization has implemented on behalf of its founder, the MEC.”

You can access the event virtually via Zoom here:

Topic: GPF Funding Seminar

Time: Mar 29, 2023 08:30 AM Johannesburg

Honourable Mayor

Honourable MMCs Present

HoD of the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements

Chairperson and CEO of the Gauteng Partnership Fund

Distinguished Guests

Members of Media

As a country, we are faced with a chronic problem of a shortage of student accommodation, further exacerbated in Gauteng because of the multiplicity of institutions of higher learning that pervade the province and the high influx of new students that come into the province each year as a result, looking for an opportunity to better their own lives and those of their families through pursuing a higher education qualification that will give them the skills and expertise to enter the job market.

Government contributes about R4 billion per annum to higher education institutions, in the manner of a grant, with the hope of making a dent in this rapidly expanding social problem of a lack of sufficient student accommodation, owing to demand side pressures, but of course this is still not enough and much more needs to be done in the form of investment in order to resolve it more adequately.

According to the Department of Higher Education’s Ministerial Review of SA University accommodation, less than 10% of first-year students can be accommodated. As the student population increases, demand also rises for student housing which so far is experiencing a critical shortage, creating excellent investment opportunities in South Africa.

Affordable, quality student accommodation is critical for the success of not only individual students but for South Africa as a whole, because the  shortage of accommodation is dehumanising for students, mostly from historically disadvantaged backgrounds, who cannot afford accommodation, and this has a direct effect on their academic prospects too.

Affordable, quality student accommodation at public higher education institutions is the responsibility of the state, the university and society at large, meaning that we need to create a social compact, encouraging private sector investment in order to address this most urgent need and as we do so, we should be cognisant of the fact that student housing should be more than just the provision of beds; it should, just as importantly create living, learning and social communities, an environment that stimulates learning and innovation so that students that come out of our institutions of higher learning are not just ready for the job market but are also globally competitive.

As part of the ANC-led government’s commitment to providing free higher education to learners, who are mostly from historically disadvantaged and working-class backgrounds, we are looking at addressing challenges these students typically face in finding accommodation as well as availability of transport and also accessing study material, in pursuit of a more equitable, fair, just society that offers opportunities to all, as opposed to a select, elite few.

It is within this broader ambit that we must view the project that we are launching today, Winchester Heights, a student accommodation project that will offer 224 students from the University of Johannesburg quality, affordable, accommodation, with transport to and from campus being included as part of the developer’s service offering to students.

This project has been funded under the Student Accommodation Fund of the provincial government entity, the Gauteng Partnership Fund and with the developer being a 100% black-owned company, it also contributes to our economic transformation objective of empowering emerging black property developers to participate in the highly lucrative affordable residential property market more meaningfully and significantly.

The project contributes to the Gauteng Provincial Government’s objective of improving the quality of life and living conditions of those who reside in the province, which of course includes students, through the provision of decent shelter which is close to transport, to social amenities and other opportunities for social and economic upliftment.

THANK YOU!!!

5 January 2022 – The Gauteng Partnership Fund (GPF) announces the appointment of Lindiwe Kwele as Chief Executive Officer, with effect from 5 January 2022. The organisation has been without a permanent CEO since March 2021.

Commenting on Kwele’s appointment, the Chairperson of the GPF, Hlengiwe Bhengu-Motsiri said:

“We are extremely pleased about this appointment and believe that having a permanent CEO is critical in firming up the strategic positioning of the GPF, to ensure that the organisation makes an improved contribution as a partner of choice in the affordable housing sector in Gauteng. The organisation went through a rigorous process in selecting a new CEO – with the assistance of an independent recruitment agency – and we believe that we have the right candidate for the role.  Ms. Kwele will work closely with the board to oversee the repositioning of our organisation. We believe her arrival will help the GPF improve its effectiveness as a strategic player in the province, also address its financial sustainability issues.”

Kwele holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Wales and a Bachelor’s Degree in Administration from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.  She has also completed a range of business and leadership programmes through several prestigious business schools.

She is a seasoned executive who can communicate effectively at all required strategic levels. Her wealth of experience has equipped her with the requisite competences in managing diverse and competing stakeholder expectations. Kwele’s leadership qualities ensure that she can direct both operations and strategic functions effectively. Her background has seen her successfully serving in several senior executive roles including that of Chief Executive Officer, Chief of Operations and Deputy City Manager.

“The GPF will most certainly benefit from Ms. Kwele’s depth of experience and strategic capability,” said Bhengu-Motsiri.

Lindiwe Kwele takes up office as GPF Chief Executive Officer on 5 January 2022.

ENDS

A report by the South African Human Rights Commission on housing challenges in Gauteng, makes the following pertinent observation: “Since the advent of democracy, the South African government has delivered in excess of 4.5 million housing opportunities. Although this is to be lauded, the reality remains that South Africa’s housing crisis persists. This housing crisis, although national, is more pronounced in certain provinces and is increasingly becoming a defining characteristic of South Africa’s urban centres. With trends all pointing to a further increase in the rate of urbanisation, attempts to address the housing crisis in metros across the country require closer scrutiny.”

In agreeing fully with the sentiments of the report as expressed above, we must also add that it will require not only greater scrutiny, but also innovation and an entrepreneurial approach from government, in partnership with the private sector and other stakeholders to address housing challenges within the province and come up with creative, sustainable solutions.

In line with this innovative and entrepreneurial approach to housing delivery, the Gauteng provincial government is working through its entity, the Gauteng Partnership Fund (GPF) to:

• facilitate spatial transformation for the benefit of historically disadvantaged individuals and families, by providing affordable housing in areas where they are more integrated withing existing communities.
• contribute towards acceleration of spatial transformation and addressing spatial inequality within our city region and improving the quality of life of historically disadvantaged individuals and families through the provision of dignified shelter that is close to transport, work and other amenities and
• empower emerging black property developers to participate in the affordable residential property market.

The GPF has an Entrepreneur Empowerment Property Fund (EEPF), which is  an incubator programme that was established in 2010 to encourage emerging black property developers to participate in the affordable housing residential property market, a market which remains untransformed and there is a need to ensure participation by previously disadvantaged developers.

Applications are open to any historically disadvantaged Individuals’ (HDI) entities who want to participate in this lucrative but untransformed segment of the property market, which itself requires greater efforts at transforming. Since inception of this incubator programme,  36 projects have been completed, yielding 1736 liveable units. We want to scale this up for greater impact as part of socio-economic transformation.

Black ownership within the R6 trillion property sector sits at less than 7% and black developers continue to be constrained by the lack of access to finance and the lack of access to land. As the Property Sector Transformation Charter itself clearly states, “Commercially, direct property ownership is dominated by institutional investors, large private owners, collective investment schemes, property loan stocks and listed property entities, with government being the largest commercial player. There is limited participation of black people, particularly women, in ownership and control of these entities. The commercially driven activities surrounding property, including development, management and sales, rests largely in white-owned hands.”

We want to facilitate the entry and development of black developers within the affordable housing residential sector specifically. We want to assist in creating an enabling environment, support mechanisms, funding options and the regulatory framework for smaller black developers to enter the space and not just compete, but be able to become significant, even industry-leading players.

The granting of approvals and development rights by municipalities must be slanted towards the empowerment of emerging black developers. We must look at land release opportunities for emerging black developers or even state-owned land that could be released or leased to emerging black developers for development.

We see a unique opportunity for the private sector to partner with us through the GPF in the following manner, amongst other things:

• Fundraising and investment facilitation: Use of public sector funding to leverage additional funding and facilitate capital flows into integrated, sustainable human settlements, through the formation of strategic partnerships with local and international donors, development finance institutions and private sector partners.
• Project Financing: To facilitate an equitable risk sharing and project the spatial transformation of the GCR to develop integrated, sustainable human settlements is through leveraging financing model.

We are doing all of this in pursuit of the spatial transformation of GCR by developing integrated, sustainable human settlements so that we can address all of the requirements that the -International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights identified as critical in providing adequate housing: legal security of tenure; availability of services, materials, facilities and infrastructure; affordability, habitability, accessibility, location and cultural adequacy.

Lebogang Maile  MPL, is the Gauteng Member of the Executive Council for Human Settlements, Urban Planning, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

Motsweding – DEPARTMENT OF COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

The Gauteng Department of Housing and Human Settlements said in this financial year, service stands will be allocated to all people living in informal settlements across the city of Tshwane. The Department says the process of allocating stands has been fast tracked as it is unacceptable that some people are still on a waiting list for almost four years. The issue has been raised during an Affordable Housing Indaba under the theme planning the Future of Integrated Human Settlements.

Video 1 – ANN7 – DEPARTMENT OF COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

Vuka Africa – The Gauteng Human Settlements Department says it will use at least R5billion, to accelerate housing and urban renewal projects in the 2015\16 financial year. This emerged during the housing indaba, in Johannesburg that is aimed at bringing various stakeholders together from both public and private sectors.

Video 2 – ANN7 – DEPARTMENT OF COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

Vuka Africa – The Gauteng Human Settlements Department says it will use at least R5billion, to accelerate housing and urban renewal projects in the 2015\16 financial year. This emerged during the housing indaba, in Johannesburg that is aimed at bringing various stakeholders together from both public and private sectors

Morning Talk,EEPF interview with Vinolia Mashiane 25 July 2013 

Radio interview with our CIO, Boni Muvevi on KAYA FM on Monday, the 30^th April at 17h23.