Once a convenient apartheid era dumping ground on the windswept Cape Flats for displaced black people, Khayelitsha is undergoing a metamorphosis, thanks to the R1.5-billion Urban Renewal Project that is slowly changing the area.

With projects that include a new hospital, a new court complex, government offices and rail extensions into previously unserviced areas of the sprawling township, Khayelitsha is finally coming into its own.

And with a flourishing central business district and an increasing number of jobs being created as a result of new investments, it’s not surprising that the property market is starting to take off in some areas.

Much of the development is happening around the Khayelitsha Mall, which opened in 2005, and includes a new magistrate’s court and new premises for the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Social Development.

Better known to outsiders for its burgeoning informal settlements and poor living conditions of its residents, there is now a growing demand for formal houses.

“There is a very high demand at the moment for houses in Khayelitsha and it is still continuing to rise,” said Peter Sonwabiso, owner of Peter’s Properties.

“The reasons for the rise in housing demand are the developments happening in the area, and the mall and the government departments have brought job opportunities for people, which mean they are seeking places to live.”

And, said Sonwabiso, with the number of job opportunities expected to increase, the demand for housing will rise as people seek to cut their travel costs by looking for work closer to their homes.

In Khayelitsha’s Mandela Park, where a large amount of Urban Renewal Project (URP) investment is taking place, property development company Nation Housing is offering new two- and three-bedroom houses, ranging in price from R307 000 to R417 000.

“We’ve been building houses in Khayelitsha for the past 10 years and we have built about 600 houses around the area,” said Nation Housing marketing manager Paul Winter.

“So far in Mandela Park, where the (URP) developments are happening, we have built 65 houses - and with the demand for housing we are sure that the number will increase,” said Winter.

And there are many more projects on the cards for Khayelitsha, according to the City of Cape Town URP Manager Patrick Nqadini.

“There are quite number of planned interventions for Khayelitsha, including the upgrading of Monwabisi beach and resort, the upgrading of the Look-Out Hill and a golf driving range, and the development of Site C and the upgrading of Khayelitsha’s informal settlement areas.”

Small business has also not been overlooked.

Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF) chairman Zamayedwa Sogayise said there was also a focus on the economic development of residents.“We have started by building formal spaza shops for those in business, to help them grow their businesses.”

There were also plans to build a fruit and vegetable market so locals did not have to travel to other areas for supplies, he said. – West Cape News

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