More than 2,200 families in KwaZulu-Natal are expected to receive permanent homes by 2028, as government expands rural housing delivery and accommodation for flood-affected communities.
The Maphephetheni Phase 3 Rural Housing Project, north of Durban, is targeting 2,286 households, providing families living in inadequate housing with an opportunity to move into safer, permanent structures.
Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane, KwaZulu-Natal Transport and Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma and eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba are scheduled to hand over completed housing units to qualifying beneficiaries on Wednesday, 28 October 2026.
The project has received an allocation of nearly R7 million for the 2026/27 financial year and forms part of government’s broader programme to improve living conditions in rural communities.
South Africa has set a national target of replacing approximately 7,000 mud houses, addressing housing conditions that leave vulnerable households exposed to harsh weather and inadequate living environments.
For families in Maphephetheni, access to permanent housing represents an opportunity for greater security, stability and improved living conditions.
Meanwhile, another housing development in KwaZulu-Natal is providing permanent accommodation to families who lost their homes during the devastating floods of 2022.
The Cornubia Integrated Human Settlements Project in eThekwini has welcomed its first group of flood survivors into permanent homes, with construction of a further 146 housing units expected to be completed by December 2026.
According to the Presidency, nearly 3,000 fully subsidised homes have already been delivered at Cornubia since the project was launched more than a decade ago.
The development is ultimately expected to provide 12,593 housing units through several programmes, including fully subsidised Breaking New Ground housing, First Home Finance and social housing.
Cornubia also includes infrastructure such as a school, retail facilities and recreational spaces, helping residents access essential services and opportunities closer to where they live.
The integrated development is intended to address spatial inequalities inherited from apartheid-era planning, which left many low-income communities far from employment centres and public services.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to visit Cornubia on Thursday, 29 October, to mark the project’s progress and highlight the role of cooperation between national, provincial and local government in expanding access to housing.
The President is also scheduled to visit Montclaire Lodge, a government-owned Temporary Emergency Accommodation facility that provides shelter to people displaced by disasters.
The facility offers temporary accommodation while longer-term housing solutions are pursued, forming part of government’s response to communities affected by emergencies.
Together, the Maphephetheni and Cornubia developments represent efforts to address rural housing shortages, support disaster-affected families and improve access to permanent accommodation.
While the delivery of thousands of additional homes remains a future target, the housing units already completed and the planned handovers mark progress towards providing more KwaZulu-Natal families with secure places to live.
