Unpacking the Role of Alternative Building Technologies in Housing

The Topic this week is…

Unpacking the Role of Alternative Building Technologies in Housing

The country’s demand for housing continues to outpace supply with significant student accommodation and general housing shortages. It is estimated that there is backlog of over 300,000 beds across universities and TVET colleges while the human settlements face over 2 million units of housing backlog despite substantial investments by the public sector. Globally, alternative building technologies have been adopted to accelerate delivery timelines, reduce lifecycle costs, and improve the quality of housing. These technologies offer an opportunity to close the backlog in South Africa while promoting climate resilience. However, the pace at which these are being utilised in the country is slow despite their benefits. This underscores the need to fully understand these technologies, especially for large-scale housing programmes. 

In this insightful webinar Dr Coralie van Reenen from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research will explore the role of alternative building technologies in scaling up the delivery of housing. The webinar will highlight the benefits and limitations of alternative building technologies, and practical considerations for the government in closing the housing backlog. 

Join us for this exciting discussion as we will explore available innovations, showcase successful applications, and identify pathways to close the housing backlogs and accelerate delivery.

Date: Friday, 14 November 2025
Time: 14:00 to 15:15
Webinar link: Click Here