Development Action Group

02/06/2026

Can South Africans actually afford to live in Cape Town and the Western Cape? 🏘🏙💰

Last week, DAG’s Programme Director, Helen Rourke, took part in a panel discussion hosted by the Western Cape Property Developers Forum, joining Cape Town’s Executive Deputy Mayor, Eddie Andrews, and property experts David Cohen and Colin Strumpher to discuss the affordability crisis facing the province.

The event began by laying out a stark contrast: the national average property price is R1.6 million, yet in the Western Cape it rises to R2.3 million, creating one of the steepest barriers to entry nationwide. These are not merely statistics; they represent the structural exclusion of the majority of South Africans from the province's formal property market.

What emerged clearly from the panel discussion is the fact that affordability is not simply a matter of property costs. It is a structural issue linked to infrastructure that is not keeping pace with demand, public transit networks that remain weak, and insufficient densification in the parts of the city with the highest need. Building entirely new housing stock will not solve this crisis alone; there also needs to be a parallel focus on reducing the cost of existing housing and unlocking value in secondary property market transactions.

Crucially, the room recognised that there are no silver-bullet solutions. Cities are ever-evolving organisms. The sector, state, civil society, and property developers need to be genuinely responsive to that reality together, rather than waiting for a single solution.

What is needed is a suite of complementary, interlocking interventions and solutions shaped to the Western Cape context. That's where we come in.

🔗 dag.org.za

29/05/2026

Developing Cape Town's next generation of affordable housing developers 🏘️

On the 23rd of May, DAG's Contractor and Developer Academy completed the final lecture series for the current cohort of the Small-Scale Developer Programme, with graduation set for the 6th of June.

The session hosted three expert speakers: Dr Amanda Filtane from the University of Cape Town, who shared insights on construction management; Nomfundo Molemohi
from uMaStandi, who spoke on finance mechanisms; and David Beattie from the Chorus Property Group, who unpacked property development considerations.

Participants' feedback reflects the programme's objectives. "We have gained insights into the processes around finance, property management, development, compliance, and professionals in the industry that I wasn't aware of before," said one participant. "If you are interested in the industry, this is the best place to start."

This is the gap that DAG's CDA works to close, supporting small-scale developers in building the knowledge and skills they need to deliver viable, sustainable property developments and, in doing so, expanding the supply of affordable rental housing in Cape Town's townships.

Congratulations to this cohort on their upcoming graduation. We look forward to celebrating with them on the 6th of June.

🔗 dag.org.za

29/05/2026

Are you a contractor or property developer in George? 👷🏽‍♂️🏗️

Join us at this exciting expo co-hosted by DAG, where we’ll unpack key opportunities and insights to support your growth in the industry.

🚧 YOU’RE INVITED: CONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENT EXPO 2026 🏗️

Calling all SMMEs, contractors, developers, suppliers, and built environment professionals!

Join us for a day of networking, business opportunities, industry insights, and engagement with key stakeholders in the construction and development sector.

📍 Venue: Conville Community Hall, George
📅 Date: Thursday, 18 June 2026
⏰ Time: 09:00 – 14:00
🎟️ Entry: FREE (Registration essential)

✅ Event Highlights:

• Compliance & Municipal Services
• Funding & Enterprise Support
• Business & Supplier Opportunities
• Construction & Property Development Insights
• Exhibition Stalls & Service Desks
• Networking & Industry Connections

📌 Register before 8 June 2026:
Register here, RSVP link: Attendee Registration: Business Expo – Fill out form
or
https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=tRDxFKblTECgygzvaOgMy8Wh8-YDU4JKtNTLIfj_-KpUNE00QjhQNE9OQzFZQzAwOUozWVRFUVBZNy4u&route=shorturl

For more information contact Lizalise Dodi:
📞 044 801 9212
📧 [email protected]

28/05/2026

🏡 BIG NEWS 🏡

DAG and Asivikelane Knysna have been featured in South Africa's official National Progress Report on the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda!

The report spotlights Asivikelane Western Cape, led by DAG's Crystal West as a model for gender-responsive urban governance and basic services in informal settlements.

Here's what the project has done and why it matters:

Since 2020, community facilitators living in informal settlements in Knysna have collected data on water, sanitation, and waste removal using the KOBO app. Their work uncovered a reality that often goes undocumented: communal toilets that are shared, unsafe and located far from where women and children live, creating dangerous conditions, especially after dark.

With this evidence, Asivikelane directly shaped the tender specifications and budget processes for 2023 and 2024 in Knysna, driving a gender-responsive approach. The municipality revised its sanitation tender and awarded contracts to better serve all communities.

Most importantly, Asivikelane’s advocacy helped shape the Western Cape’s 2024 Policy on gender responsiveness, ensuring the involvement of women across the service delivery pipeline, from needs assessment to contract monitoring.

The report makes it clear: this bottom-up, data-driven approach creates real accountability and safer, healthier communities.

We are incredibly proud of our Asivikelane team, our Knysna Community Facilitators, and everyone who has made this work possible. This is what it looks like when communities lead.

📄 Read the full report here:https://www.urbanagendaplatform.org/sites/default/files/2026-04/South-Africa-National-Report-2026.pdf

25/05/2026

Calling all Built Environment Professionals in Cape Town! 🏗🏘🛠👷

We're hosting a Built Environment Professionals Breakfast Session, and we'd love to see you there.

Join the Development Action Group (DAG) on Tuesday the 2nd of June, from 09:00 AM – 12:00 PM at Community House, Salt River, Cape Town for a morning of meaningful conversation and a great breakfast on us!

Topics to be discussed?
• Unpacking the City of Cape Town's incentives for small-scale rental housing
• The role of built environment professionals in enabling affordable rental housing delivery
• Peer-to-peer exchange on lessons and challenges when supporting small-scale developers

Whether you're already active in the affordable rental housing sector or simply curious about its potential, this is your space to engage, connect, and contribute to solving one of Cape Town's most pressing challenges.

RSVP by 29 May 2026 using the following link: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=tRDxFKblTECgygzvaOgMy5OEatLRcyBNm62Xa4XwkKNUNVdFODI2R0dXMVVYTk0yR1RCS0RaR1c5Si4u&route=shorturl

25/05/2026

What does tenure security look like when it’s fully realised? 🏘️🤝📜

In Rio de Janeiro, the Shangri-lá Housing Cooperative offers a powerful answer: a community where residents collectively own, govern, and protect their homes - where no one can be priced out or pushed out.

As we close our reflections on the Brazil Learning Exchange, we’re reminded that this is not a distant ideal. It’s a living model.

For 40 years, DAG has worked alongside communities to strengthen tenure security in informal settlements, from resisting displacement to supporting self-organised development, to advancing community-led models like the Community Land Trust (CLT).

Shangri-lá brings these principles into sharp focus: permanent affordability, collective ownership, and community governance. The same foundations underpin DAG’s work across Cape Town, Stellenbosch, and Knysna, from informal settlement upgrading, to people-led housing solutions, to building the civic infrastructure that enables communities to lead.

“The C in CLT is where the importance lies.”

This exchange was never about copying and pasting. It’s about recognising shared struggles, shared ingenuity, and adapting what works to our own context, where people have always been at the center of building their cities.

Shangri-lá shows us that community-governed housing is not abstract. It is possible. It is working. And it is deeply relevant to South Africa.

The path forward is clear: when communities lead, lasting change follows. Thank you for following along on this CLT learning journey with us. Stay engaged, keep learning, and help shape community-centered solutions by following our work at dag.org.za.

21/05/2026

This morning at WUF13, DAG's Michael Clark joined Stellenbosch Municipality's Senior Spatial Planner Chantel Hauptfleisch to present two South African case studies for the Lincoln Institute for Land Policy's training, 'Land Value Capture for Affordable Housing, Slum Upgrading and Climate Action: Practical Lessons from the Global South'. 🤝🌍

The presentation drew on Stellenbosch's Inclusionary Zoning Policy and the City of Cape Town's incentive-based zoning framework for small-scale rental housing and produced three key findings relevant across contexts.

First, using evidence is crucial. A deep understanding of local housing market gaps helps ensure LVC tools meet specific needs rather than generic challenges.

Second, officials must understand LVC principles and methods to spot and seize opportunities before they disappear.

Third, context matters. LVC tools are not universal; they must adapt to local needs to deliver outcomes.

Both case studies feature in the new publication Financing Housing Justice, produced with the Hub for Housing Justice and the International Institute for Environment and Development.

We look forward to continued collaboration across the Global South.

🔗 dag.org.za

21/05/2026

Leadership Rooted in Values, Driven by Communities 🤝💡📣

This May, 30 budding community leaders joined us for Module 2 of DAG’s Active Citizens Training Course (ACTC), taking another step on their leadership journey. The module focused on having real conversations on what it means to lead, make a difference, and steer communities toward a brighter future.

Guided by DAG Programme Manager Crystal West, participants discussed how hope, action, and the unique strengths held by each individual community can drive positive change. Crystal reminded participants that every community holds assets, skills, and untapped potential. Through discussions, participants reflected on the challenges facing South African communities, from inequality to the realities of informality, and explored the importance of value-driven leadership in affecting real change.

Module 2 offered targeted opportunities for dialogue, reflection, and mutual learning, all designed to inspire impactful leadership. DAG Programme Manager, Zama Mgwatyu, further emphasised the impact of small, everyday actions and the necessity of leadership that is anchored in shared values and vision. Participants left with practical leadership tools and renewed determination to drive change in their organisations and communities.

The ACTC mission continues, fueled by collaborative leadership and a shared commitment to a just, inclusive South Africa.

20/05/2026

DAG IN BRAZIL 🗺

On the 14th of April, DAG’s Crystal West and Akhona Siswana joined practitioners from Brazil, Portugal, and the United States in Rio de Janeiro for the Global CLT Peer Exchange, hosted by the International Centre for Community Land Trusts.

The gathering centered around horizontal learning among Global South practitioners, and discussions focused on how CLT models could be adapted to informal settlement contexts, with an emphasis on tenure security and community governance.

The exchange reaffirmed that horizontal learning serves both as a value and as a practical methodology. Perspectives from site visits and practitioner discussions reinforced that communities learn most effectively from each other and that horizontal learning isn’t simply a value, it’s a methodology.

South Africa’s policy and constitutional frameworks guarantee the right to housing, yet delivery mechanisms are often underdeveloped. CLTs provide a legally robust pathway for community leadership, and DAG and the International Center for CLTs are exploring how the model can be innovated to develop a distinctly South African approach.

The challenge now is clear: to translate these shared lessons into locally rooted models that put communities at the centre of land and housing justice.

20/05/2026

WUF 13: What does it take to finance housing justice? ⚖ 🏘 🏙

Today in Baku, DAG’s Zama Mgwatyu participated in the launch of Financing Housing Justice, a publication by the Hub for Housing Justice and the International Institute for Environment and Development that explores pathways toward fairer, more sustainable housing systems.

DAG's Land Value Capture team participated in workshops on the publication and contributed two South African case studies: Stellenbosch's Inclusionary Zoning Policy in the Adam Tas Corridor and Cape Town's policy supporting small-scale rental housing.

The publication outlines principles to guide just housing finance and the actions needed to advance them. It also identifies obstacles justice advocates must overcome, helping connect housing rights and financing discussions.

Dive into the full publication here:https://www.hubforhousingjustice.org/sites/default/files/2026-05/financing-housing-justice-website.pdf