SA Affordable Housing November / December 2017 // Issue: 67 | Page 28

PROJECTS
The house that could take building homes faster to the next level.
Creating hope in three weeks
It can take about a year or more to construct a decent typical two-
bedroomed home but Gogo Khumalo only waited three weeks for hers.
By Ntsako Khosa
U
sing innovative technology from Norwegian
company Hjott Export AS, Selcrete are changing the
way of building affordable homes amidst limited
funding and borrowed time. With the help of Sphandile
Enterprise, they have partnered to deliver 100 000
residential and commercial units in the City of Ekurhuleni
Municipality on the East Rand of Gauteng over the next
three years.
Gogo Khumalo’s house is the first house that shows
what they are capable of.
WHAT IS SELCRETE’S TECHNOLOGY?
Designed by CMAI Architects and built using Selcrete’s
innovative panel system – comprised of their trademarked
combination of cement, polystyrene and additive. It uses a
technique that has been proven in Scandinavia and
northern Europe, provides homes with a lower risk to fire,
three to four times better insulation than traditional bricks
during winter and summer and is a lot more
environmentally friendly. Selcrete blocks and panels are
light weight, can be produced on site and are quick to
assemble, offering this and future houses and buildings has
the advantage of being built faster.
Gogo Khumalo’s new home consists of two bedrooms, a
lounge/dining room, one bathroom with a toilet, shower
and basin and a kitchen. The entire house is 44.14m 2 .
Construction took place in three phases over about three
weeks. Gogo Khumalo was very happy to have had her
dilapidated shack replaced with a house and expresses
great thanks to everyone who was involved in the
construction project. Chief whip of the City of Ekurhuleni
identified her shack as needing urgent construction during
a site visit.
Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for human
settlements, Lesiba Mpya, says, “It is humbling to finally
hand over Gogo Khumalo’s house.
GIVING GOGO KHUMALO A HOME
Her former home in the township of KwaThema in
Ekurhuleni, was identified as needing urgent construction
during a site visit to the area earlier this year by the chief
whip of the City of Ekurhuleni.
26
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2017
AFFORDABLE
SA HOUSING
Neighbours and friends attended Gogo Khumalo's home
hand over event.