Sankwasa plans SA trip to assess 'cheap' housing factory

The government’s push for low-cost alternative housing solutions appears to be gaining momentum, with plans underway to assess a South African manufacturing model that could be replicated in Namibia to help address the country’s housing backlog.

Speaking to Namibian Sun this week, Minister of Urban and Rural Development James Sankwasa said a delegation of local authority officials will travel to South Africa before the end of June to inspect the factory behind the alternative building technology currently being showcased in Namibia.

Sankwasa said the visit forms part of the government’s due diligence before any large-scale rollout is considered.

“I don’t want to deal with an investor that I know on paper, but I don’t know physically,” he said.

According to the minister, the delegation will assess whether the construction model used in the Katutura demonstration house can realistically be localised in Namibia.

The development follows President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s recent calls for faster and cheaper housing delivery methods aimed at reducing construction costs and accelerating housing provision.

Sankwasa said importing materials for large-scale housing projects would not be sustainable.

“We don’t want to import. We want to manufacture on the ground in Namibia so that the price comes down,” he said.

He added that government is exploring the establishment of a local factory and regional distribution warehouses to lower transport and material costs.

“If we are able to build about 5 000 to 10 000 houses, we cannot import all of the materials. It’s too expensive,” he said.

Several local authorities, including Arandis, Ondangwa and Katima Mulilo, have reportedly identified serviced land for possible housing projects, while Acharongo has offered land for a proposed factory.

Sankwasa said municipalities and town councils would determine beneficiaries based on existing housing waiting lists and available serviced plots.

Meanwhile, ABT Panels Namibia chief operating officer Teddy Ditsabatho confirmed that discussions with government stakeholders are at an advanced stage.

Ditsabatho said representatives from the National Housing Enterprise, Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia, Karibib Town Council and Otjiwarongo Municipality recently visited South Africa to inspect the company’s housing technology and manufacturing partners.

Another visit involving the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development is also being planned.

According to Ditsabatho, ABT Namibia is engaging vocational training institutions to introduce specialised courses aimed at training and certifying Namibians in the company’s building system.

“We have been sending local artisans for training at various sites in South Africa,” he said.

He added that discussions over land allocation for a possible production facility in Namibia are progressing positively.

Ditsabatho said localising production and labour would be key to reducing housing costs and making the project viable.

The company has already completed an eight-bedroom teachers’ quarter at Helao Nafidi Primary School in Okongo-Oshiti using the alternative building system, while several municipalities and town councils have expressed interest in establishing demonstration houses.

“The housing situation in Namibia is a crisis and should be treated as such,” Ditsabatho said.