On May 17, 2023, the Redhill informal settlement celebrated a momentous occasion with the City’s Dido Valley housing development. The beneficiaries, along with local dignitaries, received the first keys to their new homes. The project has a budget of R170 million and includes 600 housing opportunities. Five hundred of these homes are subsidized Breaking New Ground (BNG) houses reserved for Redhill beneficiaries, while the remaining 100 homes are designated for Luyolo land claimants.
The City of Cape Town has launched a new initiative called the NoCost Property HomeOwnership Transfer Program. It aims to provide eligible beneficiaries with a unique opportunity to become homeowners without incurring any transfer costs. The program is part of the Mayor’s Priority Program, which is expected to achieve around 22,000 nocost transfers over the next three years, with an allocation of R38 million.
Postbank, a South African Post Office subsidiary, has launched a new system for SASSA Gold Card beneficiaries whose cards are expiring. The new system aims to simplify the payment process for social grant recipients, who can now receive payments at participating retailers using ID documents, SASSA Gold Card PINs, and cellphone numbers. This move is expected to reduce the queues for card replacements at Post Office branches. However, some concerns have been raised about possible challenges, particularly among older people or rural populations with limited access to technology and information.
