Infrastructure

The rising cost of living, and particularly rental pressure, is a reality we take very seriously.

But we must also understand what is driving it.

1. More people are moving to the Western Cape

2. Because our economy is growing

3. Because our government works

That success brings opportunity, but it also brings pressure.

So our response cannot be short-term or reactive. It must be structural, coordinated, and forward-looking.

Our strategy rests on three pillars.

1. Well-located land release

Through our Rapid Land Release Programme, we are unlocking state-owned land in areas of opportunity.

Not far from jobs.

Not disconnected from transport.

But located where people can access opportunity.

Because affordable housing far from opportunity is not affordable, it is exclusion.

2. Inner-city and mixed-use development

We are actively developing well-located land in urban centres in projects like:

Prestwich Precinct

Leeuloop

Founders Garden

These are designed to bring residents closer to:

• Jobs
• Public transport
• Economic activity

This is about reversing apartheid spatial patterns, in a practical, deliverable way.

3. Scaling delivery through the Infrastructure Pipeline

We are aligning:

• Land
• Bulk infrastructure
• Funding
• mplementation

All this through a single, coordinated pipeline.

Because housing delivery does not fail at construction- it fails when these elements are not aligned.

And that is exactly what we are fixing.

Honourable Speaker,

This is not abstract.

It is about people:

• Families accessing opportunities in developments like Welmoed
• Residents being brought closer to work, schools, and services
• Individuals who are no longer trapped by distance and cost

Affordable housing is not just about the number of units:

• It is about access
• It is about dignity
• t is about opportunity

So let me conclude with this:

Affordable housing is not about distance, it is about access.

And in the Western Cape, we are bringing people closer to opportunity.

We are not chasing headlines.

We are building a system that delivers today, and into the future.