For many years, small-scale developers have been building rental apartments in their backyards in townships. These developers provide affordable rental accommodations for households that cannot afford inner-city property prices, individuals waiting for government housing, and those who earn too much to benefit from a subsidy. These developers also play a vital role in the township economy by creating jobs and facilitating spatial transformation. A key question that framed the Development Action Group’s (DAG) response to this sector was how best to support these micro-developers and homeowners, while enabling the scaling up of their interventions.
In 2017, DAG incubated what is now called the Contractor and Developer Academy (CDA). In 2022, the CDA piloted a customised training programme specifically tailored to equip and empower micro-developers delivering small-scale rental units in the township. Since then, the programme has grown, and in 2025, we celebrate a new cohort of 19 participants who underwent training between May and July. This year’s programme cohort is a diverse group of professionals from various backgrounds who are entering the world of small-scale rental housing. They include teachers, accountants from big accounting firms, and a compliance officer who are launching their first developments, as well as seasoned contractors with hands-on experience in residential and commercial construction, a professional town planner, and an eco-conscious recycler committed to green development. The cohort also included a commercial pilot and a marketing expert who channels retail creativity, as well as a trio of real estate agents who, after years of selling homes, are now set to build them. An attorney turned developer is reimagining retail property as affordable rentals, while an animal advocate and a Ph.D. candidate are both working to address real-world housing challenges. Through construction, compliance, creativity, and community upliftment, the Class of 2025 will shape the future of urban development.
On the 12th of July 2025, DAG’s CDA was thrilled to celebrate the closing ceremony of the training programme. As part of the ceremony, participants pitched funding proposals, networked with industry players and celebrated their achievements through an awards ceremony. In their funding proposal pitches, each group identified a building site, and outlined key design issues, market demand, legal obligations, a breakdown of costs, and how the building will be managed and maintained post-construction. It was impressive to witness the participants applying the knowledge and skills they had gained over the past three months of the programme. One group has now signed an offer to purchase their chosen site, while another group member used the assignment to help a group member develop her property. The pitch presentations from this cohort clearly demonstrate their strong desire to apply what they learned in class.
The pitch panelists included key industry players such as Deon van Zyl from the Western Cape Property Development Forum (WCPDF), Shamila Abrahams, Tarquin Geldenhuys, David Gardner, and Meyer de Waal. Anthea Houston, the current CEO of Communicare, was the keynote speaker.
