South African architecture precludes jobs

We need to turn the national dialogue away from owning “land” to owning “property”. The former is a rural conception: owning soil and the notions attached to that. The latter is a modern, urban idea that leads to real economic gains. With two-thirds of the population living in urban areas, what South Africa needs is urban reform.

South Africa faces two substantial problems: high unemployment and inadequate housing. These problems are intimately related. The World Bank and UN have both researched the effects of urbanisation and the conclusion is clear: cities combat poverty.

South Africa, conversely, has failed to provide adequate housing for those moving from rural areas. New arrivals in cities are greeted with inadequate housing and a scarcity of employment opportunities. Rampant poverty, social inequality, and the inability to cultivate an urban middle class in South Africa are over determined. Any one of the causes is sufficient: historical and systematic oppression, vast corruption, or the inept leadership the people are burdened with.

Click here to read the full article.