The Reside Summit 2026 made one thing clear: housing in South Africa can no longer be treated as a set of disconnected problems. Held at the Sandton Convention Centre on 20–21 May, the fourth annual summit drew more than 1 000 delegates and united voices from student accommodation to senior living, affordable rentals to bonded ownership. Consequently, developers, financiers and policymakers repeatedly urged collaborative approaches to unlock scale and resilience across the housing sector.
Collaboration at the core
From the outset, Reside’s CEO Debbie Tagg set the tone. She recalled how the summit began as a small conversation about collaboration and has since grown into an industry forum that maps more than 100 organisations connected to residential development. ‘From the plumber right up to the architect – 100,’ she said, emphasising the need to knit these stakeholders together to reduce obstacles and accelerate delivery.
Climate-smart housing takes centre stage
Moreover, the summit placed climate-smart housing at the centre of affordability debates. Diep Nguyen-van Houtte from the IFC argued that climate action and affordability are complementary rather than competing priorities. She explained that aligning policy, investment logic and practical tools will remove barriers that currently stall projects. Importantly, the IFC’s EDGE certification has already verified over 40 000 green homes in South Africa, with a further 70 000 in the pipeline. Therefore, climate-smart design, credible verification and scaled finance can reduce living costs rather than increase them.
Construction technology reshaping housing
In addition, the summit showcased how construction technology can shrink timelines and costs. Professor Jeffrey Mahachi of the University of Johannesburg demonstrated a 3D-printed, 40m2 two-bedroom RDP-style home printed in 10 hours. He argued that modern construction methods are no longer optional given a backlog of 2.5–3 million units. As printer costs fall, these technologies will reshape how quickly and affordably the sector can build.
Macroeconomic context and investment shifts
At the same time, macroeconomic context mattered. Absa economist Miyelani Maluleke warned that global tensions have already pushed up local fuel and inflation figures. Nevertheless, he noted a positive policy shift: more than 365 consecutive days without load shedding has opened space for private investment and increased domestic resilience.
From ambition to implementation
Meanwhile, the Development Bank of Southern Africa urged a shift from ambition to implementation. Palesa Ryan highlighted that capital exists, but many projects lack bankable preparation. She pointed to the Student Housing Infrastructure Programme, which delivered 12 000 units through coordinated delivery, as a model for platform approaches to reach the 2.2–2.5 million people still in need.
Institutional investors and public–private partnerships
Finally, institutional investors are waking up to residential. Absa’s Simon Chemaly reported a R2.3 billion investment book for affordable housing and argued that residential offers downside protection compared with office or retail assets. Municipal managers from Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and other metros offered land and streamlined approvals conditional on rapid, sustainable delivery, making public–private partnerships critical for unlocking dormant sites.
Reside Summit 2026 advanced a practical, collaborative agenda: design for performance, verify credibly, finance at scale, adopt modern construction, and move from plans to bankable projects. If stakeholders act together, South Africa can accelerate inclusive, resilient housing across all life stages and tenures.
