38
PROJECT
Old inner-city
buildings take
on new role
Located in the Johannesburg Central Business
District (CBD), is the heritage-listed Jeppe Street Post
Office that was primed for conversion opportunities.
Jeppe Street Post Office.
Compiled by Benjamin Brits
Currently in South Africa, it is estimated that we have
a housing backlog of around 2.1 million units. This is
equivalent to approximately 12 million people without
access to adequate housing. Affordable property is
difficult to come by, social housing is vastly under-
supplied, and homebuilders are facing the reality of a
slow and unpredictable economic environment.
In South Africa’s urban areas, where employment and
education opportunities are fairly easy to come by, the
problem is even more stressed. The CBDs of the major
cities are difficult places in which to find accommodation.
March 2019 Volume 25 I Number 1
Despite significant demand in the market, supply fails to
keep up as more and more people are attracted to the
economic opportunities on offer.
In the post-1994 election period, the Johannesburg inner
city became an unattractive place and many corporates
exited the area. This essentially left a stockpile of empty
buildings, that when repurposed, would be one solution
to this crisis. This opportunity was grabbed by Affordable
Housing Company (Afhco), founded by entrepreneur
Wayne Pitt in 1996. The company then started repurposing
old buildings into quality residential spaces. Part of one
www.plumbingafrica.co.za