An estimated 20% of South Africa's population is currently housed in low cost dwellings. These dwellings are extremely energy inefficient and it has been shown that these households spend almost 20% of their disposable income on heating in winter. This situation is undesirable for both the home owners and ESKOM who must ensure an unusually high electricity demand especially on winter nights. Some of the people don't use electricity for heating but fire and this contributes to the high levels of pollution in these communities. By ensuring better energy efficiency in these houses the demand for electricity will decrease and the pollution levels will obviously decrease as well. The process that strive to reduce this electricity demand is called Residential Demand Side Management (RDSM) and is strongly supported by ESKOM. This dissertation investigated the international experience concerning RDSM and some of the possible steps that could be taken to establish an RDSM program in South Africa. It was discovered that the two most important steps relevant for South Africa would be to install ceilings in low cost dwellings and to install insulation in middle income and low-income households. Various computer simulations using QUICKcontrol, a thermal design software package, was done to assess the effect that these steps would have on energy usage. Before any decisive steps could be taken to install these products in houses, it was important to hear what the public thought of the low-cost ceiling concept. It was decided to conduct a Socio Economic study to estimate the public opinion and the response towards the low cost ceiling turned out to be extremely favorable. The participants supported the idea of a low cost ceiling but the access to the ceiling might still prove to be difficult. Through experience it was found that people often don't want to invest in a certain product if the only benefit is a slight monetary saving. It has become necessary to investigate other aspects concerning the ceiling and insulation that would encourage people to buy into the concept. This line of thinking led to the "Comfort" study. The finding that insulation will ensure that almost three times more people are satisfied with their indoor situation is quite significant. The improvement of the indoor aesthetics if a ceiling is installed in a low-income dwelling is also an important consideration when a decision has to be made to install the product. This type of information could persuade people to purchase these products to the benefit of themselves, ESKOM, the insulation manufacturer and the environment. / Dissertation (M Eng (Mechanical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / unrestricted

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / One of the serious problems facing South Africa is that of the provision of adequate low-cost housing for its people. According to Statistics South Africa (2009), 56% of South Africans lived in fully-owned formal dwellings in 2009. Not only does it seem impossible to work away the backlogs, but problems with the standard of construction, location and continuing urbanisation adds to the challenge. International commitments such as the UN’s Millennium Goals put further pressure on government to permanently resolve the issue. Adequate housing is recognised globally as a basic human right. This includes access to running water and sanitation and a safe environment. This study does not aim to investigate, in any way, construction techniques, specific choices of location or other planning-related issues. However, it does try to find a more successful approach to the challenge of the provision of housing given the already stated challenges, combined with, amongst others, the provision of the necessary financing and relevant political processes. The provision of low-cost housing is a wicked problem. This means that it has certain characteristics, including being unique in character and can never be fully resolved. However, within futures studies, systems theory is recognised as one of the more successful ways to address wicked problems. By investigating low-cost housing programmes in Brazil, Argentina and Peru and identifying the elements of systems theory used, it was possible to find pointers to help formulate a set of steps (or actions) to use to address South Africa’s low-cost housing challenge. This research report proposes that, while the challenge of housing provision in a country like South Africa will most probably always be present, it can be alleviated by applying systems thinking to the problem.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Globally microfinance is recognised as an important tool in addressing poverty and in building the assets of poor people. Housing microfinance is emerging as an important tool for assisting poor people to improve their housing conditions and to build their asset values. However, microfinancial institutions are perpetually dogged by small scale financially unviable operations. This study seeks to identify the factors that must be present to ensure that a microfinance initiative is able to scale up significantly, and further investigates the Kuyasa Fund as an example of a microfinance organisation that is scaling up. The McKinsey 7S model is used to evaluate the Kuyasa Fund’s plans for scaling up and the shared values, strategy, structure, skills, staffing requirements, style and systems of the Kuyasa Fund is examined in determining the scalability of the Kuyasa Fund. Overall Kuyasa have either already addressed the critical factors in determining its growth or it is in the process of addressing those factors. The biggest strengths of the Kuyasa Fund in its growth plans are the cohesive strategy and in the compelling strategic intent that represents its shared values. However in the medium and long term the greatest challenge is located in the long-term financing and transformation of the Kuyasa Fund from a non-profit to a for-profit entity that has equity shareholders. In achieving this transformation Kuyasa would be required to balance its development objectives with the requirements of equity holders, who will require prescribed rates of return. Preventing mission drifts and achieving scale will be the most important tensions to balance. To mitigate these risks and to set clear guidelines for its operations, the Kuyasa board developed clear criteria for the evaluation of equity partners and the board also set a trajectory for the transformation of Kuyasa to a company. The intention of these is to guide the Kuyasa operation towards the milestones that must be reached before conversion and to set the criteria to select partners. The Kuyasa Fund’s path to conversion from a small niche player limited to one province to a national role player, transformed into an equity holding company will present interesting material for learning about scaling up development efforts, and not just for microfinance. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Mikrofinansiering word wêreldwyd erken as ‘n belangrike hulpmiddel in die stryd teen armoede en in die bou van bates vir arm mense. Behuising-mikrofinansiering is besig om as ‘n belangrike instrument na vore te tree om arm mense te help om hul behuisingsomstandighede te verbeter en hul batewaarde op te bou. Mikrofinansieringsinstansies word egter aanhoudend lastig geval deur kleinskaalse besighede wat nie finansieel lewensvatbaar is nie. Hierdie studie poog om die faktore te identifiseer wat teenwoordig moet wees om te verseker dat ‘n mikrofinasieringsinisiatief beduidend kan uitbrei en ondersoek verder die Kuyasa Fund as ‘n voorbeeld van ‘n mikrofinansieringsorganisasie wat tans uitbrei. Die McKinsey 7S-model word gebruik om die Kuyasa Fund se planne vir uitbreiding te evalueer. Die Kuyasa Fund se gedeelde waardes, strategie, struktuur, vaardighede, personeelvereistes, styl en stelsels word ondersoek om die uitbreidingsmoontlikhede van die fonds te bepaal. Oorhoofs het Kuyasa alreeds die kritiese faktore aangespreek wat hul groei bepaal of hulle is in die proses om hierdie faktore aan te spreek. Die grootste sterkpunte van die Kuyasa Fund se uitbreidingsplanne lê in die samehangende strategie en in die gebiedende strategiese rigting wat sy gedeelde waardes verteenwoordig. In die medium- tot langtermyn is die grootste uitdaging geleë in die langtermyn-finansiering en transformasie van die Kuyasa Fund van ‘n niewinsgewende tot ‘n winsgewende entiteit met ekwiteitsaandeelhouers. Ten einde hierdie transformasie deur te gaan, sal van Kuyasa vereis word om sy ontwikkelingsdoelwitte te balanseer met die vereistes van die aandeelhouers, wat hul eie opbrengskoerse sal vereis. Om koersvas hul missie na te streef teenoor die beplande uitbreiding te behaal sal die belangrikste spannings wees om te balanseer. Ten einde hierdie risiko’s te beperk en duidelike riglyne daar te stel vir sy bedrywighede, het die Kuyasa raad duidelike kriteria ontwikkel om ekwiteitsvennote te evalueer. Die raad het ook ‘n vorderingsplan bepaal vir die transformasie van Kuyasa tot ‘n maatskappy. Die bedoeling hiervan is om die Kuyasa bedryf te lei op die pad na mylpale wat bereik moet word voordat omskakeling kan plaasvind en om kriteria daar te stel om vennote te kies. Die Kuyasa Fund se pad na omskakeling van ‘n klein niche speler, beperk tot een provinsie, tot ‘n nasionale rolspeler, wat getransformeer het tot ‘n ekwiteitsmaaskappy sal interessante leergeleenthede bied oor die uitbreiding van ontwikkelingsmaatskappye en nie net op die gebied van mikrofinansiering nie.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa embarked on an ambitious program to rehouse the informally housed poor. These initiatives were formerly called the RDP and later the BNG programmes. This was aimed at improving the living conditions of the urban poor and consequently their health and poverty status. These low-cost houses were quickly augmented by backyard shacks in almost all settlements. The present study is an epidemiological assessment of the health and sanitation status of inhabitants of specific low cost housing communities in the City of Cape Town as contrasted with those occupying ‘backyard dwellings’ on the same premises. The study was undertaken in four low-cost housing communities identified within the City. A health and housing evaluation, together with dwelling inspections were carried out in 336 randomly selected dwellings accommodating 1080 inhabitants from Tafelsig, Masipumelela, Driftsands and Greenfields. In addition, the microbiological pollution of surface run-off water encountered in these settlements was assessed by means of Escherichia coli levels (as found by ColilertTM Defined Substrate Technology) as an indication of environmental health hazards. The study population was classified as ‘young’ - 43% of the study population was aged 20 years or younger. Almost a third of households were headed by a single-parent female. In all four communities combined, 47.3% of households received one or other form of social grant. At the time of inspection 58% of the toilets on the premises were non-operational, while all the houses showed major structural damage - 99% of homeowners reported not being able to afford repairs to their homes. In 32% of dwellings one or more cases of diarrhoea were reported during the two weeks preceding the survey. Five percent of the participants willingly disclosed that they were HIV positive, while 11% reported being TB positive (one of them Multiple Drug Resistant TB). None of the HIV positive or TB positive persons was on any treatment. The E. coli levels of the water on the premises or sidewalks varied from 750 to 1 580 000 000 organisms per 100 ml of water - thus confirming gross faecal pollution of the environment. Improvements in health intended by the re-housing process did not materialise for the recipients of low-cost housing in this study. The health vulnerability of individuals in these communities has considerable implications for the health services. Sanitation failures, infectious disease pressure and environmental pollution in these communities represent a serious public health risk. The densification caused by backyard shacks also has municipal service implications and needs to be better managed. Policies on low-cost housing for the poor need realignment to cope with the realities of backyard densification so that state-funded housing schemes can deliver the improved health that was envisaged at its inception. This is in fact a national problem affecting almost all of the state funded housing communities in South Africa. Public health and urban planning need to bridge the divide between these two disciplines in order to improve the health inequalities facing the urban poor. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika is besig met 'n ambisieuse program om diegene wat in informele behuising woon te hervestig. Hierdie inisiatiewe is voorheen die HOP en tans die “BNG” programme genoem. Hierdie hervestigingsprogramme is gemik daarop om die lewensomstandighede van die stedelike armes en dus hulle gesondheid- en armoedestatus te verbeter. Hierdie laekoste huise is algou in byna alle nedersettings aangevul deur krotwonings in die agterplase. Die huidige studie is 'n epidemiologiese beoordeling van die gesondheid en sanitasiestatus van inwoners van spesifieke laekoste behuisingsgemeenskappe in die Stad Kaapstad in vergelyking met diegene wat krotwonings op dieselfde erwe bewoon. Die studie is onderneem in vier laekoste-behuising gemeenskappe geselekteer in die stadsgebied. 'n Gesondheid- en behuisingevaluasie tesame met 'n inspeksie van elke woning is uitgevoer in 336 ewekansig geselekteerde wonings wat 1080 inwoners gehuisves het. Die woonbuurte was Tafelsig, Masipumelela, Driftsands en Greenfields. Mikrobiologiese besoedelingsvlakke van oppervlak-afloopwater in hierdie gemeenskappe is bepaal deur middel van die bepaling van Escherichia coli vlakke (met behulp van ColilertTM Gedefinieerde Substraat Tegnologie) as aanduiding van gesondheidsgevare in die omgewing. Die studiepopulasie is as ‘jonk’ geklassifiseer - 43% was 20 jaar of jonger. Amper een-derde van die huishoudings het 'n enkelouer-vrou aan die hoof gehad. In al vier gemeenskappe gesamentlik het 47.3% van die huishoudings die een of ander vorm van maatskaplike toelae ontvang. Tydens inspeksie is 58% van die toilette op die erwe as "nie-funksioneel" bevind, terwyl al die huise substansiële strukturele skade getoon het - 99% van die huiseienaars het gerapporteer dat hulle nie herstelwerk aan hulle huise kan bekostig nie. In 32% van die wonings is daar een of meer gevalle van diarree gedurende die voorafgaande twee weke voor die opname gerapporteer. Vyf persent van die deelnemers het vrywillig gerapporteer dat hulle HIV positief was terwyl 11% gerapporteer het dat hulle TB positief was (een was Veelvuldige Middelweerstandige TB). Nie een van die HIV positiewe of TB positiewe persone was op enige behandeling nie. Die E. coli vlakke van die water op die erwe of sypaadjies het gewissel vanaf 750 to 1 580 000 000 organismes per 100 ml water - wat erge fekale besoedeling van die omgewing bevestig het. Die verbetering in gesondheid wat deur die hervestigingsproses voorsien is, het nie gematerialiseer vir die ontvangers van die laekoste-behuising in hierdie studie nie. Die kwesbaarheid van die gesondheid van die individue in hierdie gemeenskappe hou groot implikasies vir gesondheidsdienste in. Sanitasiefalings, infektiewe siektedruk en omgewingsbesoedeling hou groot openbare gesondheidsrisiko in. Die verdigting wat deur agterplaaskrotte meegebring word asook die gevolge vir munisipale dienste benodig beter bestuur. Beleide oor laekoste-behuising vir armes kort herbeplanning om die realiteite wat saamgaan met verdigting deur agterplaaskrotte te kan hanteer sodat die verwagte verbetering in gesondheid kan materialiseer. Hierdie is inderwaarheid 'n nasionale probleem wat omtrent alle staatsbefondste laekoste-behuising gemeenskappe in Suid-Afrika affekteer. Openbare gesondheid en stadsbeplanning behoort die skeiding tussen hierdie twee dissiplines te oorbrug om sodoende die ongelyke gesondheidstatus van die stedelike armes aan te spreek.

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / Please see accompanying Errata document to be viewed with original document. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The current housing backlog facing the informal residents of South Africa is daunting. With current research showing that the backlog is not shrinking fast enough, the stakeholders of the formal and informal housing sector are facing an immense challenge. Most houses constructed after 1994 utilised conventional brick and mortar construction, with alternative means of building homes taking up a negligible share in the total housing supply. The purpose of this study is to test the feasibility of container-based homes as an alternative to brick and mortar homes in South Africa’s low-cost housing supply according to the triple constraints of project management i.e. cost, time and quality. Social acceptance and environmental sustainability are also analysed as two secondary parameters that will influence container-based projects. These parameters form the basis of the three pillars of sustainability, i.e. economic, societal and environmental parameters, which indicates the feasibility of a new design implementation. Two test cases for the feasibility study were designed. The first case considers a modular single-storey residential home, equivalent to standard “Breaking New Ground” housing solutions. The second test case considers a multi-storey, medium-density residential building, capable of housing multiple families .The test cases represent possible container-based solutions, with traditional brick and mortar construction (single and multi-storey) acting as the control solution. The three sustainability parameters act as benchmarks of each solutions’ feasibility, with the control solution acting as the counter-performance example. The comparison of the economic parameter relies on the cost of each design case, its construction time and the quality of the end-product. The bills of quantities were measured against a conventional building type, and it was found that a single-storey solution will prove more costly than a small brick and mortar home. However, the multi-storey solution proves to be feasible when compared to a concrete three-storey structure. Regarding time, the construction of an Intermodal Steel Building Unit (ISBU) home is up to 3 times faster compared to a conventional house. The end-product quality will depend on the quality system used by the contractor and its correct implementation; thus it is not an important dividing factor when comparing conventional versus Alternative Building Technology (ABT) systems. The societal parameter of an ISBU solution rests on its acceptance by the beneficiaries. Traditionally, resistance has met ABT home implementation, as stakeholders consider them as inferior products. A comprehensive survey was carried out in an informal settlement to test this statement. The results show that the majority of beneficiaries prefer conventional homes, unless the ABT home resembles its conventional counterpart. The environmental sustainability of a new product relies primarily on the carbon footprint of the materials and methods used. This was tested by comparing the impact of an ISBU solution with a conventional solution. The “upcycling” (as opposed to recycling) of used containers provides a large environmental benefit when comparing it to newly constructed brick for conventional homes, and thus the impact is lower. The findings of the study show that a single-storey solution utilising containers proves ineffective, as it is more expensive per square meter than a conventional home. However, a multi-storey container solution is feasible, as it is lower in cost (than comparative conventional solutions), faster to construct, allows for higher density expansion of settlements and is more environmentally friendly. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die enorme behuisingsagterstand van informele nedersetters in Suid-Afrika skep 'n geweldige uitdaging vir die rolspelers in die formele behuisingsektor. Huidige navorsing toon dat hierdie agterstand nie vinnig genoeg verminder nie, en baie mense verkeer in nood. Die meerderheid van huise wat opgerig is sedert 1994 maak gebruik van konvensionele baksteen en sement konstruksie, terwyl alternatiewe maniere van konstruksie 'n nietige aandeel het. Die doel van hierdie studie is om die bruikbaarheid van skeepshouer-gebaseerde huise te bepaal in teenstelling met konvensionele baksteen en sement huise, spesifiek vir die lae-koste behuisingsgeval in Suid-Afrika. Dit word uitgevoer volgens die "drietallige beperking" beginsel van projekbestuur, naamlik koste, tyd en kwaliteit parameters. Addisioneel word die sosiale aanvaarbaarheid sowel as die omgewingsvriendelikheid van die konsep getoets teen konvensionele maniere van konstruksie. Hierdie parameters vorm saam die “drie pilare van volhoubaarheid”, wat betrekking het tot ekonomiese-, sosiale- en omgewings-aspekte. Twee toetsgevalle is ontwerp volgens argitektoniese en tegniese standaarde sowel as gemeenskap benodigdhede. Die eerste geval is ontwerp as 'n enkel-verdieping huis, met behulp van modulêre skeepshouers. Die tweede geval is 'n meertallige-verdieping, medium-digtheid residensiële gebou wat verskeie families kan huisves. Die toetsgevalle modelleer verskeie skeepshouer oplossings, terwyl konvensionele konstruksie oplossings dien as beheer gevalle. Elke geval word volgens die drie volhoubaarheids beginsels getoets, met die beheer gevalle wat dien as die teen-prestasie voorbeelde. Die vergelyking van die ekonomiese parameter berus op die koste van elke ontwerp, sy konstruksietyd en die eindproduk kwaliteit. Die lys van hoeveelhede is gemeet teen dié van ʼn konvensionele huis, en daar is bevind dat die enkelverdieping skeepshouer-geval veel duurder sal wees. Die meertallige-verdieping geval aan die ander kant, maak gebruik van baie kostebesparings metodes, en lyk uitvoerbaar. Die tyd-aspek wys dat die konstruksie m.b.v. “Intermodal Steel Building Units” (ISBUs) tot en met 3 keer vinniger te wees teenoor ʼn konvensionele huis. Die eindproduk kwaliteit hang af van die tipe kwaliteit stelsel wat die kontrakteur gebruik, sowel as die korrekte toepassing van hierdie stelsel; dus is dit nie ʼn skeidende faktor tussen alternatiewe en konvensionele boumetodes nie. Die gemeenskaplike aspek van die gebruik van alternatiewe konstruksie berus op die aanvaarding van die huisbewoners. Gemeenskappe het tradisioneel nie ʼn hoë dunk van Alternatiewe Bou-Tegnologie (ABT) behuising nie, aangesien hulle dit as swak kwaliteit bestempel. Om hierdie stelling te toets is ʼn opname uitgevoer in ʼn informele nedersetting. Die resultate wys dat die meerderheid inwoners die konvensionele opsie verkies. Daar is wel bevind dat die inwoners ʼn ISBU huis sal oorweeg indien dit ʼn visuele ooreenkoms toon met ʼn konvensionele huis. Die omgewingsvolhoubaarheid van ʼn nuwe produk berus hoofsaaklik op die koolstof-voetspoor van die materiale en boumetodes wat gebruik is. Hierdie aspek is getoets deur ʼn ISBU oplossing se omgewings-impak te meet teen dié van ʼn konvensionele huis. Die “upcycling” voordeel wat skeepshouers gebruik gee ʼn groot voordeel teenoor die konstruksie van konvensionele huise, siende dat min nuwe materiale gebruik word. Dus is die totale omgewings impak laer as die van ʼn konvensionele huis. Die bevindinge van die navorsing wys dat ʼn enkelverdieping ISBU oplossing onprakties is in terme van koste per vierkante meter, aangesien dit veel duurder as ʼn konvensionele metode is. Die meertallige-verdieping geval is wel uitvoerbaar, aangesien dit ʼn laer koste tot gevolg het, vinniger gebou word, hoër-digtheid behuising bevorder en meer omgewings-vriendelik is.