An important contribution to the ongoing debate around Johannesburg’s 2026/27 budget.
While the City faces significant financial and infrastructure challenges, affordability must remain a key consideration. Excessive tariff increases risk placing additional pressure on households, tenants, businesses and property owners who are already struggling with rising costs.
JPOMA supports a balanced approach that strengthens municipal finances while ensuring that residents and businesses can continue to participate in and contribute to the formal economy.
Published by the Sunday Times on 31 May 2026 An unsustainable Joburg budget will lead to a death spiral “Two academics and a civil society leader point to bloated wage and salary bills for both staff and executives as one of the main issues in the metro’s malaise“
On Day 2 of the Reside Summit, a robust panel discussion moderated by Marius Muller (SoHo Properties) brought together Angela Rivers (JPOMA), Ben Espach (Rates Watch), Katlego Ditshego (JOSHCO), Sanelisiwe Ngcobo (Ngcobo SN Inc), and Keyuren Maharaj (CityMender SA) to examine the implications of class action lawsuits against municipalities, unpacking their impact on service delivery, accountability, and investor confidence in the urban development landscape.
The key takeaway for JPOMA GM Angela Rivers was that it was great to be part of such a passionate and knowledgeable panel. The message however, is clear: litigation is not the solution, but right now it feels like the only course of action when all other avenues are exhausted. The City of Joburg needs to get the basics right to fix the trust deficit.
On 18 May 2026 Angela Rivers appeared on Newzroom Afrika to discuss the pros and cons of residents maintaining their neighbourhoods where CoJ is failing with service delivery.
“What began as a community initiative to paint street kerbs has evolved into a formal partnership between a residential association and the City of Johannesburg. The Blairgowrie Community Association’s partnership with the city is part of a broader D-I-Y project, where residential associations help restore and maintain public spaces. Residents contribute funding and volunteer labour, while the city provides formal approval, technical support and coordination. Angela Rivers, General manager of the Johannesburg property owners and managers association weighs in”.
If you could fix one barrier in residential development in South Africa today, what would it be?
Municipal approvals delaying projects? Infrastructure capacity limiting development? Access to funding for new housing developments? Policy uncertainty affecting investment decisions? Across the residential property sector, these are the real conversations developers, investors and policymakers are having right now. Demand for housing continues to grow, yet delivering new residential developments is becoming increasingly complex. From navigating regulatory processes to securing funding and infrastructure support, the development landscape is evolving rapidly.
At the upcoming 4th Annual Residential Investment & Development Summit, industry leaders will unpack these challenges and explore practical solutions shaping the future of housing in South Africa. Some of the key conversations include:
Streamlining for Scale A panel discussion examining policy reforms aimed at fast-tracking project approvals and unlocking state-owned land for development. Making the Case for Residential Investment A deep dive into international and local case studies that are attracting institutional and foreign capital into residential development. Decoding Semigration and Urbanisation An analysis of demographic and household trends that are reshaping demand in South Africa’s multi-family residential markets. Financing the Green Transition Exploring how developers can access green bonds and preferential funding for sustainable residential developments. Rethinking Townships: From Risk to Resilience A powerful discussion unpacking investment opportunities and misconceptions around township developments.
These are just some of the conversations taking place at the ResideSummit, where developers, investors, financiers, and government come together to explore the opportunities shaping South Africa’s residential landscape. If you are involved in residential development, housing investment, or urban planning, this is a conversation worth being part of.
JPOMA GM Angela Rivers attended the IBT Summit on 3 February 2026.
The IBT Presidential Summit brought together government, industry, financiers, researchers, innovators, and communities to shape a national agenda for accelerating the adoption of Innovative Building Technologies in South Africa. https://ibtsummit.co.za/
Key takeaways 1) We need more creative, cooperative, quicker, better, cheaper housing. 2) We need more decent housing in functioning human settlements.
Innovation in the building sector is a critical!
Challenges Facing the Implementation of IBTS and Intervening Mechanisms in South Africa Panel discussion
Key points: What are the barriers? Research, sustainability, climate change, transition to more sustainable concepts, education, construction delays, policy, scaling, social acceptance. Solutions Climate resilience products, 3D printing of houses, precinct-level interventions, green buildings, collaboration, local government needs to be included as they drive implementation.
Barriers Associated with IBTs and Applied Measures and Interventions Panel discussion
Key points: Need to encourage new innovation through design, inspect and certify. It is not about project delivery it is about the process and we need to get communities involved from the beginning. Community investment is everything. Regulation does not support quick innovation, Regulation has not kept up with the pace of innovation. There needs to be more support in the transition from informal to formal housing. New technology needs to support job creation
Ms. Tandi Mahambehlala Deputy Minister of Human SettlementsMs. Thembi Simelane Minister of Human SettlementsH.E President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa
