Farm-Worker Housing in South Africa: An Evaluation of an Off-Farm Housing Project

Although farm-worker housing has been neglected in South Africa historically, new policy, tabled in 2004, specifically targets the constraints that have been hampering delivery in rural areas. While either on- or off-farm farm-worker housing is envisioned, constraints with regard to on-farm housing and service provision, such as the prerequisite of security of tenure, prevent generalised delivery to the rural population, despite the fact that ESTA provides for security of tenure under certain conditions. There is a need to upgrade the living conditions of people on farms where they are currently residing, in order to ensure the right to adequate shelter as envisioned by the Constitution. However, under current legislation tenure rights must first be secured before such action can be taken. Research on an off-farm housing project in Bothaville was conducted in order to determine the sustainability of this approach, while simultaneously assessing the broader housing policy context, with a view to making policy recommendations.