Gauteng’s R100 billion plan to build 30 new cities

In his recent state of the city address, Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina said that the city is in the process of constructing three new mega projects – namely John Dube, Daggafontein and Leeuwpoort.

The new cities, backed by the Gauteng government and the Department of Human Settlements, will have a total yield of 50,571 units, aimed at addressing the need for affordable housing in the area, he said.

These ‘mega projects’ are just three of 30 earmarked for Gauteng, where the provincial government aims to undo the historic settlement patterns of the apartheid era.

Masina said that 26,000 low-cost houses have been built over the last two years, with a vision to have the 50,571 units by 2021.

A number of projects have been in the pipeline since before 2017, but were neatly compiled into an investment document in June 2018, and outlined by the Department of Human Settlements’ Gauteng Partnership Fund (GPF).

“Mega projects emerge as a corrective measure for the challenges encountered in the first ten to fifteen years of the democratic South Africa,” the GPF said.

“The initiative seeks to close the gaps, whilst redefining future cities in line with the dictates of the National Development Plan, and the Gauteng City Region (GCR) strategy.”

According to the development plan for the project, the mega cities project is a R100-billion economic corridor investment, which ultimately aims to deliver more than 800,000 houses within 30 residential developments spread across the five development corridors in Gauteng.

These corridors are:

The Central Development Corridor – anchored on the city of Johannesburg as the hub of finance, services, information and communication technology, and pharmaceutical industries;
The Eastern Development Corridor – built around the economy of the Ekurhuleni metro as the hub of manufacturing, logistics and transport industries;
The Northern Development Corridor – anchored on Tshwane as the administrative capital city and the hub of the automotive sector, research, development, innovation and the knowledge-based economy;
The Western Corridor – encompassing the economy of the West Rand district and the creation of new industries, new economic nodes and new cities; and
The Southern Corridor – encompassing the economy of the Sedibeng district and the creation of new industries, new economic nodes and new cities.

The plan involves the redevelopment of cities in areas of existing infrastructure, as well as drawing investment into developing infrastructure in new areas.

These are some of the biggest projects:

Lanseria Airport City

Lanseria falls within Region A of the city of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.

The Mega Project for Integrated Residential Development at Lanseria Airport City is designed to be a mixed-use residential development, and business district.

The existing Lanseria International Airport will anchor the success of the proposed Lanseria Airport City Mega Project.

The project would create 50,000 residential units and approximately 5 million square metres of commercial floor space.

Cullinan Mega City

The Cullinan Mega City Development is situated on a 180 ha land in Cullinan, within the City of Tshwane. It will be based just off Collin road and within a two kilometre radius to Cullinan CBD and four kilometres within the Cullinan Diamond Mine and Refilwe Township.

It is also 45 kilometres from Tshwane CBD which makes it possible for residents to work and live within a reasonable distance, the department said.

It promises a modern mixed-use new-town development with a range of housing types.

Daggafontein Mega City

The Daggafontein Mega Housing Development is located within the Greater Springs Area, and is adjacent to Edelweiss Extension, South of the N17 Highway.

It is designed to be a Smart City Development, with the aim of providing world class housing. This will include 15,511 subsidised housing units out of a total of over 17,000 units spread over an area of 750ha.

Goudrand Mega City

The site is situated adjacent to Randfontein Road/Main Reef Road (K198) and West, and adjacent to Dobsonville Road. Currently the whole township is known as Goudrand Ext 4 and it will be subdivided into 15 different phases to be known as Goudrand Ext 5 to 19.

The proposed Goudrand Ext 4 development is an integrated development consisting of 13,000 plus potential housing opportunities.

The first phase of the development is a mixed use project comprising of 13,197 housing opportunities in a mix of 1,204 residential 1 bonded units, 1,325 residential 1 FLISP units, 10,668 residential 3 units, 5 educational sites, 3 shopping centre sites, and 7 crèche sites, 8 worship sites, a hospital site, a cemetery and municipal sites.

John Dube Mega City

The John Dube Mega City project has already launched, with construction beginning in Duduza in Ekurhuleni.

The development will include:

A civic and business centre
Seven primary schools;
Three secondary schools would be built.
Eight business facilities
53 parks would be established and community gardens
Full medical facilities including a hospital.

The aim of the Project will be to maximise the unit yield whilst remaining environmentally sustainable and cost-effective.

Park City

The proposed housing development would be among the largest residential undertaking of its kind in the history of Bronkhorstspruit, east of Pretoria.

The housing development will have precincts with different architectural themes which will be fenced-off separately and have their own entrance and exit and electronically controlled gates. Within each precinct, there will be several blocks of apartments with biometric access control for residents.

The estimated cost of the development is R4.05 billion, to be expended over an estimated period of 5 years.

The project is a fully integrated development that will offer living, work and play opportunities within a secure environment over a total area of approximately 400 hectares.

The proposed residential development includes the following: