Micro‑developers remain the quiet heroes of housing delivery in the Western Cape.  They are turning backyards, small erven and underused plots into homes for families and workers who cannot afford formal market prices, says Nomfundo Molemohi, the client coverage consultant at uMaStandi.  She says the interest rate pause is not the relief micro-developers were hoping for, but with disciplined financial management, smarter building practices and stronger local support systems, the sector can continue to grow and deliver the kind of affordable housing the province desperately needs. “As uMaStandi (Tuhf), we note the SARB’s decision to keep the repo rate at

Cape Town’s long-running effort to modernise its ageing water and sewer network is steadily advancing, with thousands of metres of new piping already installed this year as part of a broader plan to protect essential services and reduce water losses across the metro. During January and February 2026 alone, municipal teams replaced roughly 11,9km of water pipes and 3,5km of sewer infrastructure across multiple suburbs, stretching from the deep south to northern industrial areas, as per the City of Cape Town. Over the first eight months of the 2025/2026 financial year, nearly 47,7km of water pipes have already been replaced, placing

South Africa’s electricity grid has faced extraordinary pressure over the past decade. From load-shedding crises to the urgent need to modernise ageing infrastructure, the demand for reliable, high-quality transformers has never been more critical. Transformers — the silent workhorses of every substation, power line, and industrial facility — are at the heart of the country’s efforts to stabilise and expand its electricity network. This article profiles the leading transformer manufacturers operating in South Africa today, examining what makes each one significant, the types of products they produce, and the role they play in strengthening the nation’s power infrastructure. Why Transformer Manufacturing Matters

Many South Africans are increasingly using personal loans to finance home construction and renovations. However, using this method to achieve their home ownership and improvement goals often results in higher interest rates, as the credit is not specifically structured for costs related to construction. To address this gap, Absa has partnered with Cashbuild to introduce tailored in-store finance, allowing customers to apply for funding where they buy their materials, with pricing based on their individual circumstances. The partnership launched at the Cashbuild Southgate store and will initially be piloted across 11 locations in South Africa. This is open to customers, regardless of whether they

The government is moving ahead with plans to establish a new State-backed property investment vehicle aimed at unlocking economic value from thousands of underutilised public buildings and large tracts of State-owned land. This comes as the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure on Tuesday outlined a strategy to transform the way the State manages its vast property portfolio. The initiative follows commitments made in the State of the Nation Address by Cyril Ramaphosa to better leverage public assets to support economic growth, housing development and fiscal sustainability. If implemented successfully, the initiative could mark a significant shift in how the South African government manages and monetises one of its

Even with the significant slowdown in the net “semi-gration” into the Western Cape, doubtful at this stage, the province will still likely be the outperforming residential property region in 2026.  This year, the Western Cape will once again be the outperformer in terms of house prices and residential rental growth, says John Loos, an independent economist.  He says some have argued that the deterioration in relative home affordability should ultimately stem the Western Cape’s property market outperformance, and indeed, at some point, one would expect this. “There have even been claims of a net ‘reverse semi-gration’ trend emerging, whereby the migration of

Residents of Glenwood and Morningside have expressed frustration after enduring a power outage that has lasted more than three days. The blackout began late on Friday and is believed to have been triggered by a severe storm that lashed parts of Durban at the time. At the time of publishing, many residents in the affected areas were still without electricity. Technical teams have been conducting continuous repair work across multiple locations, including Burman Bush, Livingston, Kensington, Trematon Drive, Londonderry Road and Connaught Bridge. Repair efforts have focused on restoring major cables that feed into substations and mini-substations, with teams locked

Westown, known as the “New City of the West,” is a visionary and catalytic greenfields project located in Shongweni, KwaZulu-Natal. Strategically nestled between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, the development is geared to transform the once-rural expanse into a thriving, modern mixed-use urban precinct. Owned and developed by Fundamentum Property Group, Westown is the first major activity within the broader 2,000-hectare Shongweni Urban Development, an initiative supported by eThekwini Municipality, the KZN Department of Economic Development, and national government.With an estimated investment of R15 billion over the next 10–15 years, Westown is more than a construction project—it is a long-term, lifestyle-centric commitment

Planned fixed investment projects worth around R800 billion have been announced for South Africa. According to Nedbank’s Capital Expenditure Project Listing, the roughly R800 billion announced in new projects trumps the annualised R193.2 billion and R260.4 billion recorded in 2023 and 2022, respectively. The improvement comes from a significant jump in new projects announced by all sectors. Projects in the private sector jumped sharply from just under R85 billion to around R200 billion. However, the private sector accounted for only 26% of the total, dwarfed by a jump in the value of projects announced by the general government. The largest