South Africa is rapidly urbanising, while facing growing pressure on housing, infrastructure and municipal services — and the question is whether we have enough architectural and technical expertise to build safely for the future. Statistics South Africa reports that 12.1% of households lived in informal dwellings in 2025, rising to 16% in metropolitan areas.

The National Briefing · Sep 9, 2026 · 7m

South Africa is rapidly urbanising, while facing growing pressure on housing, infrastructure and municipal services — and the question is whether we have enough architectural and technical expertise to build safely for the future. Statistics South Africa reports that 12.1% of households lived in informal dwellings in 2025, rising to 16% in metropolitan areas. Who should be held accountable when unsafe buildings, poor planning or weak professional oversight put communities at risk?

Guest: Charles Nduku - President of the South African Council for the Architectural Profession