Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: High interest rates on credit products in South Africa are not unusual. This would be beneficial to the South African consumers if the cost of incurring these credit products was lower than the benefit derived from incurring them .This is unfortunately not the case to the majority of the South African population. The unlikelihood of this situation is a direct result of the lack of access to appropriate savings and insurance products to a large number of South Africans. Most South Africans use credit, in the form of microloans to augment their consumption patterns. The majority of South Africans do not have a culture of saving; therefore they use credit as a substitute for the lack of savings when consumption patterns exceed income. Using credit as a substitute for the lack of savings becomes extremely costly for low income earners. The result is a perpetual dependence on credit, lack of accumulation of wealth and a lack of improvement in their standard of living. The perpetual dependence on credit has brought about unscrupulous lenders who take advantage of the low income earners dependency on credit for their daily existence. It is due to such exploitations that the South African government through its Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) intervened to bring normality in the South African credit market. This intervention was done through the promulgation of the National Credit Act (NCA), Act No.34 of 2005. The purpose of this study is to focus on a sub set of the credit providers in South Africa known as housing microfinance (HMF) lenders. The study explores the impact of the National Credit Act in the South African credit industry. The Act’s intentions are elaborated and the reality of the implementation of the Act on the drivers of profitability for the housing microfinance institutions is measured. The finding is that housing microfinance institutions have to restructure their business processes in order to be profitable and sustainable in the ambit of the National Credit Act. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Vir menige finansiële produkte in Suid-Afrika is rentekoerse wat wissel tussen 80 en 150 persent is nie ongewoon nie. In ekonomiese terme kan verbruikers slegs voordeel trek uit hierdie hoë rentekoerse as die koste om hierdie krediet te verkry laer is as die voordeel wat voortspruit uit die aangaan van die koste. Hierdie situasie is hoogs onwaarskynlik in die oorgrote meerderheid van gevalle in Suid-Afrika. Die onwaarskynlikheid van hierdie situasie is die direkte gevolg van die gebrek aan toegang tot toepaslike spaar- en versekeringsprodukte vir ‘n groot aantal Suid-Afrikaners. Die meeste Suid-Afrikaners gebruik krediet (naamlik mikrolenings) om hulle verbruikerspatrone aan te vul. Die gebruik van krediet as ‘n plaasvervanger vir spaargeld word uitermate duur vir die lae-inkomste verdiener. Die gevolg is ‘n ewigdurende afhanklikheid van krediet, geen akkumulasie van welvaart nie en ‘n gebrek aan verbetering van lewenstandaard. Die ewigdurende afhanklikheid van krediet het gewetenlose uitleners geskep wat die lae-inkomste verdieners uitbuit wat afhanklik is van krediet vir hul daaglikse bestaan. Dit is as gevolg van hierdie tipe uitbuiting dat die Suid-Afrikaanse regering deur sy Departement van Handel en Nywerheid tussenbeide getree het om normaliteit te bring in die Suid-Afrikaanse kredietmark. Hierdie intervensie is gedoen deur die uitvaardiging van die Nasionale Kredietwet, Wet No. 34 van 2005. Die doel van hierdie studie is om te fokus op ‘n onderdeel van die kredietverskaffers in Suid-Afrika bekend as die behuising-mikrofinansiering-uitleners. Die studie ondersoek die impak van die Nasionale Kredietwet in die Suid-Afrikaanse kredietindustrie. Die Wet se oogmerke word uiteengesit en die realiteit van die implementering van die Wet op die drywers van winsgewendheid vir die behuising-mikrofinansiering-instansies word gemeet. Die bevinding is dat behuising-mikrofinansiering-instansies hulle besigheidsprosesse moet herstruktureer ten einde meer winsgewend en volhoubaar te wees binne die strekking van die Nasionale Kredietwet.

The right to adequate housing is recognized internationally as a basic human right. South Africa is one of the countries that include this basic right as one of the cornerstones in its constitution. Quite a number of ways and means have been implemented and various kinds of mechanisms have been put into place to kickstart and spearhead the process of providing shelter mainly to the poor segments of the communities in South Africa at large. Towards this end the South African Housing Policy is formulated around the notion of the enabling approach whereby state assistance in the form of a lump sum subsidy is given to households to enhance and intensify the beneficiaries' own efforts towards improving their housing. In other words the smooth operation of the enabling approach is to a large extent dependent on the individuals' substantial contribution in many if not all aspects of housing process. The study demonstrates that since the implementation of this enabling approach too little has been achieved in terms of housing delivery. The study therefore identifies three key issues (among other issues) that are seen as major bottlenecks in the implementation of the enabling approach in housing delivery for all. The study argues that in order for the beneficiaries to consolidate their housing, they need to augment their low-income with a loan or any other form of a housing credit. It is the central argument of this study in this regard that proper housing credit mechanisms suited to the circumstances of the low-income groups have not been adequately addressed. The study further observes that the majority of low-income groups do not have proper labour and employment skills in that these groups also lack access to employment opportunities. This study therefore adopts the position that proper structures need to be put in place in-order to eradicate these above-mentioned major hurdles standing in the way of the enabling approach. The study argues that if these issues are not adequately addressed, housing consolidation among low-income groups will remain a major problem and the enabling approach will eventually be regarded as non-viable and incompetent. / Thesis (M.Arch.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

Problem Statement: The business of property finance has not been properly documented in South Africa. Available resource material focuses on the perspective of the property developer and investor largely neglecting the business of property finance. Thus comprehensive information on this business was not available to students and researchers This study set out to correct this deficiency. Research Procedure: Key property finance personnel in the major banks in the Republic of South Africa were interviewed to establish how the business of property finance is conducted. Jointly the interviewees represent 77% by volume of business over a period of two years A parallel process of literature research was undertaken to compliment the interview research and provide technical depth to the findings. Findings: The empirical and literature research results were combined to comprehensively document the processes, structures, systems, products / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

Problem Statement: The business of property finance has not been properly documented in South Africa. Available resource material focuses on the perspective of the property developer and investor largely neglecting the business of property finance. Thus comprehensive information on this business was not available to students and researchers This study set out to correct this deficiency. Research Procedure: Key property finance personnel in the major banks in the Republic of South Africa were interviewed to establish how the business of property finance is conducted. Jointly the interviewees represent 77% by volume of business over a period of two years A parallel process of literature research was undertaken to compliment the interview research and provide technical depth to the findings. Findings: The empirical and literature research results were combined to comprehensively document the processes, structures, systems, products / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)