Latest news with #ToniAnderson
IOL News
08-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Lack of title deeds: a stumbling block to homeownership that everyone's trying to solve
Thousands of Gauteng residents have been left in limbo over the past years due to a backlog of title deeds. Image: Sisonke Mlamla/Independent Newspapers Despite raising families, repairing leaking roofs and painting the walls year after year, millions of South Africans do not own the homes they have lived in for decades. These are homes filled with memories but lacking one vital thing: a title deed, says Standard Bank. That could change for a thousand families in the foreseeable future. Through a partnership with the Khaya Lam Initiative, a national project working to transfer home ownership to those who have lived without formal recognition, a major title deed drive is underway, bringing long-awaited legal ownership to residents of municipal housing across South Africa. These title deeds will come at no cost to the recipients. But the impact is priceless. 'These are not high-profile or high-value properties. It's municipal homes that house many vulnerable, low-income families. They are occupied by pensioners, child-headed households, and multi-generational families,' says Toni Anderson, the head of Home Services at Standard Bank. The financial institution said it will match every employee donation rand-for-rand to accelerate progress towards the 1 000 title-deeds target. There is an estimated 5 to 7 million municipal homes in South Africa, housing more than 20 million people. Many of these homes were said to have never been formally transferred to the families living in them, often due to lack of capacity in local municipalities or the cost of the legal process. Delivering the Department of Human Settlement(DHS) Budget Vote last week, Minister Thembi Simelane said they remained concerned about the slow delivery of title deeds to beneficiaries. She said the major challenge to this project is the delayed and stalled processes of township establishment and proclamation. In this regard, the minister said they have resolved to seek concessions in respect of certain provisions of the Spatial Planning and Land-Use Management Act (SPLUMA) and the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) from the respective Ministries, which would enable them to unlock title deeds for 398 194 households. Simelane said the acceleration of the issuing of title deeds will be a critical focus area during the 7th Administration to ensure security of tenure and unlock household asset value. 'We will continue to prioritise our work as part of Operation Vulindlela to accelerate delivery, because coordination between various sector departments is central in assisting to unblock some of the challenges that currently exist.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Khaya Lam intervenes by identifying homes with potential for transfer, verifying rightful occupants, and coordinating with local attorneys to finalise the paperwork. Each transfer costs R3 750, a small amount in bureaucratic terms, but a significant hurdle for families living on the margins. The current initiative, enabled by donations from the bank and its employees, aims to cover these costs for one thousand families. For many recipients, this will be the first legal recognition that the home they've long known to be theirs, is legally recognised as such. 'When you hold your title deed, you hold more than paper, you hold the key to your family's future,' Anderson says. 'You can pass it on, improve it, and most importantly, it becomes an asset these families can leverage when looking for funding.' In 2018, a similar drive by Standard Bank and Khaya Lam saw 100 title deeds handed over to families in the Free State. Now, Standard Bank said it has invited its employees to help fund the initiative, with the company's Corporate Social Investment (CSI) unit matching their contributions rand-for-rand. 'The goal this time is to make the impact ten times bigger. Our hope is that this will spark a much larger movement, one that encourages more partners to step in and help close the massive title deed gap in our country,' Anderson said. Earlier last week, Simelane handed over title deeds to senior citizens or their children to those who had passed away at Bishop Lavis in the City of Cape Town. The minister said a title deed is not merely a piece of paper, but ensures security, stability and a promise of a better future. She added that it is more than a legal document; it is a tangible affirmation of one's right to land, to property, and to a home. It provides families with the ability to invest in their futures, to build wealth and to create an environment where future generations can flourish. Independent Media Property
IOL News
08-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Lack of title deeds: a stumbling block to homeownership that everyone's trying to solve
Thousands of Gauteng residents have been left in limbo over the past years due to a backlog of title deeds. Image: Sisonke Mlamla/Independent Newspapers Despite raising families, repairing leaking roofs and painting the walls year after year, millions of South Africans do not own the homes they have lived in for decades. These are homes filled with memories but lacking one vital thing: a title deed, says Standard Bank. That could change for a thousand families in the foreseeable future. Through a partnership with the Khaya Lam Initiative, a national project working to transfer home ownership to those who have lived without formal recognition, a major title deed drive is underway, bringing long-awaited legal ownership to residents of municipal housing across South Africa. These title deeds will come at no cost to the recipients. But the impact is priceless. 'These are not high-profile or high-value properties. It's municipal homes that house many vulnerable, low-income families. They are occupied by pensioners, child-headed households, and multi-generational families,' says Toni Anderson, the head of Home Services at Standard Bank. The financial institution said it will match every employee donation rand-for-rand to accelerate progress towards the 1 000 title-deeds target. There is an estimated 5 to 7 million municipal homes in South Africa, housing more than 20 million people. Many of these homes were said to have never been formally transferred to the families living in them, often due to lack of capacity in local municipalities or the cost of the legal process. Delivering the Department of Human Settlement(DHS) Budget Vote last week, Minister Thembi Simelane said they remained concerned about the slow delivery of title deeds to beneficiaries. She said the major challenge to this project is the delayed and stalled processes of township establishment and proclamation. In this regard, the minister said they have resolved to seek concessions in respect of certain provisions of the Spatial Planning and Land-Use Management Act (SPLUMA) and the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) from the respective Ministries, which would enable them to unlock title deeds for 398 194 households. Simelane said the acceleration of the issuing of title deeds will be a critical focus area during the 7th Administration to ensure security of tenure and unlock household asset value. 'We will continue to prioritise our work as part of Operation Vulindlela to accelerate delivery, because coordination between various sector departments is central in assisting to unblock some of the challenges that currently exist.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Khaya Lam intervenes by identifying homes with potential for transfer, verifying rightful occupants, and coordinating with local attorneys to finalise the paperwork. Each transfer costs R3 750, a small amount in bureaucratic terms, but a significant hurdle for families living on the margins. The current initiative, enabled by donations from the bank and its employees, aims to cover these costs for one thousand families. For many recipients, this will be the first legal recognition that the home they've long known to be theirs, is legally recognised as such. 'When you hold your title deed, you hold more than paper, you hold the key to your family's future,' Anderson says. 'You can pass it on, improve it, and most importantly, it becomes an asset these families can leverage when looking for funding.' In 2018, a similar drive by Standard Bank and Khaya Lam saw 100 title deeds handed over to families in the Free State. Now, Standard Bank said it has invited its employees to help fund the initiative, with the company's Corporate Social Investment (CSI) unit matching their contributions rand-for-rand. 'The goal this time is to make the impact ten times bigger. Our hope is that this will spark a much larger movement, one that encourages more partners to step in and help close the massive title deed gap in our country,' Anderson said. Earlier last week, Simelane handed over title deeds to senior citizens or their children to those who had passed away at Bishop Lavis in the City of Cape Town. The minister said a title deed is not merely a piece of paper, but ensures security, stability and a promise of a better future. She added that it is more than a legal document; it is a tangible affirmation of one's right to land, to property, and to a home. It provides families with the ability to invest in their futures, to build wealth and to create an environment where future generations can flourish. Independent Media Property
Zawya
28-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa: Gauteng and Western Cape lead South Africa's affordable housing boom
Affordable housing in South Africa is experiencing renewed momentum, driven by steady demand for properties priced between R350,000 and R700,000. Standard Bank reports a double-digit increase in activity in this segment over the past four years, as rapid urbanisation continues to fuel the need for accessible housing in metropolitan areas. 'This segment continues to show resilience, particularly in Gauteng and the Western Cape, where demand remains strong despite economic pressures,' says Toni Anderson, head of Standard Bank Home Services. Who's buying affordable homes? Households earning up to R30,000 a month are the primary buyers of affordable homes. While the uptake of sectional-title homes has more than doubled in the past four years compared to the four years leading up to 2020, the majority of buyers still prefer full-title, standalone houses. 'These are likely to be on the outskirts of key metros, but strong sales suggest buyers are willing to make that trade-off for full-title homes,' adds Anderson. Geographically, while provinces like KwaZulu-Natal and the North West have also seen rapid growth in home-loan uptake for affordable housing, Gauteng leads the market. In the four years leading up to February 2025, Gauteng accounted for 47% of all affordable housing loans issued by Standard Bank—a trend that was evident even before the pandemic. However, the demand for affordable housing extends beyond traditional markets. Despite rising house prices, the Western Cape has remained active in the affordable housing market – a trend it has consistently shared with Gauteng. Over the four years leading up to February 2025, the Western Cape accounted for 18% of all affordable housing loans issued by Standard Bank, with KwaZulu-Natal following in third place at 12%. 'When you look at the Western Cape and Gauteng, there is significant private-sector investment in affordable housing projects and urban development. This has spurred growth and created more opportunities for first-time homebuyers, who typically purchase within this price range,' says Anderson. Anderson adds that the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal's strong performance aligns with their status as two of the top three provinces for first-time home buyers, many of whom seek properties in the affordable price range. A foot in the door Many Standard Bank customers take out only one affordable housing loan, but a growing subset is also accessing additional funds for home improvements or expansions—indicating that these purchases serve as entry points into the housing market for buyers with bigger aspirations. Anderson says this is why Standard Bank has developed a strong value proposition for the affordable housing market. For first-time buyers, the bank offers up to 108% bond financing to cover upfront costs such as registration and transfer fees. Additionally, it provides re-advances, making it easier for customers to obtain funds to improve or expand their homes. These re-advances are less complicated than applying for a new home loan, and funds become immediately available once the customer meets all the requirements. 'The provision and financing of affordable housing is critical in South Africa, given the shortage of housing in the country,' adds Anderson. "Our commitment remains to helping more aspiring homebuyers secure and improve their homes." All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
