City land is a public resource – let’s not auction away the opportunity for affordable housing
This past week, the City of Cape Town auctioned off 53 parcels of municipal land. On the surface, this may seem like routine property management – the sale of surplus assets to generate revenue. But a closer look reveals something far more consequential. Among these parcels are at least 14 sites that fall within the […]
Celebrating the next generation of construction industry leaders
The CDA’s Contractor Training Class of 2025 On 29 August, DAG’s Contractor and Developer Academy (CDA) hosted a milestone celebration to mark the graduation of its 2025 Contractor Training cohort. The programme plays a vital role in advancing DAG’s mission to build equitable, inclusive, and sustainable neighbourhoods. Since its launch in 2017, the CDA has […]
Building more than homes: the CDA champions township transformation
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 […]
Reflecting on the Technical Land Preparation Workshop with the City of Tshwane
On 26 May, DAG as the secretariat of the National Land Value Capture Programme and in collaboration with the Centre for Public Real Estate (CPRE), facilitated the third in a series of four technical support workshops that aim to assist City of Tshwane’s officials in developing a clear methodology for packaging, preparing and releasing identified […]
Reflecting on the In-Person Convergence Exchange of Social and Feminist Movements
From the 23rd to the 25th of April, Habitat International Coalition (HIC) and Abahlali Basemjondolo co-hosted the in-person exchange of social and feminist movements. The theme of the exchange was “Building our collective agenda and action for habitat-related human rights.” Cape Crisis Committee Chairperson (CCC) Latifah Jacobs, and Development Action Group Project Officer, Vuyokazi Hlwatika […]
Budget 2025: A call to government to adhere to its constitutional obligation to prioritise poor and vulnerable citizens.
On 13 March, the finance minister Enoch Godongwana presented what has in jest been referred to as Budget 2025 2.0. This is on account of a forced postponement of the first budget speech that was to have taken place in February this year. However, this widely leaked second attempt at the national budget is no […]
DAG Makes Compliance with the Property Development Industry Accessible
DAG’s Contractor and Developer Academy (CDA) has been supporting emerging contractors’ and developers’ capacity to deliver affordable housing developments. The CDA’s regular interaction with communities through information sessions further equip those within the property development industry by informing participants of the regulatory frameworks that need to be adhered to when constructing and developing rental flats. On […]
The Bellville South Residents’ Association (BSRA) takes initiative to ensure community input into proposed Bellville road scheme changes
The City of Cape Town is currently proposing significant road scheme changes in Bellville South and sent out invitations to two public participation gatherings that unpacked these changes. BSRA ensured that they had representation at the engagements. Once they realised the impact that these proposed changes could have, BSRA arranged for the City to hold […]
Understanding the Proposed By-law Amendments: What It Means for Township Developers and Landlords
On August 24th, 2024, the Development Action Group (DAG) hosted an important information session at their office, bringing together micro-developers and homeowner landlords to discuss proposed amendments to the City of Cape Town’s Municipal Planning By-law, 2015 (MPBL). This event organized through DAG’s project, Contractor and Developer Academy (CDA) marked a big win in the […]
International Budget Partnership Trailblazers Profile of Crystal West
Each month, we shine a spotlight on partners who are using budget advocacy to bring transformational change to their communities. This month, we’re highlighting Crystal West, program manager at South Africa’s Development Action Group (DAG) and head of Asivikelane’s Western Cape project. Read More..