An analysis of housing quality in South Africa: former vs non-former homeland areas
Date
2021
Authors
Sithole, Victor
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This study estimates differentials in housing quality between former and non-former
homelands areas in South Africa. Using the 2011 population census (10% household sample)
collapsed by municipal level, the paper uses an ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to
assess the magnitude and patterns of differentials of housing quality between the two areas.
Results reveal that former homeland areas face more housing quality deficiencies compared to
non-former homeland areas. When former homeland status is defined as a dummy variable,
results show a 0.22%-point difference in housing quality to the disadvantage of former
homeland areas. Accounting for municipal characteristics narrows the gap significantly to
0.03% points. The factors that influence housing quality in former homeland areas are
municipal compositional differences in race, gender, age, education, income, tenure and
urbanisation. The study recommends that policy interventions should be targeted towards
improving incomes of the affected groups with more attention directed towards black South
Africans and female headed households to address the current housing quality disparities.
Description
A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Commerce (Economics/Economic Science) to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, School of Economic and Business Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021