• Focus on Housing Reforms: Operation Vulindlela, a joint initiative by South Africa’s Presidency and National Treasury, is targeting the backlog in title deeds for subsidised housing. This is part of the initiative’s focus on 35 key reforms aimed at stimulating economic growth and job creation.
• Steering Committee for Title Deeds: To address the title deeds backlog, Operation Vulindlela has established a steering committee comprising several departments. The committee aims to identify the scale and nature of property registration problems, identify specific interventions, and produce a cross-cutting implementation plan to address the backlog and reform the titling system.
• Future Developments: While this reform is at an early stage, work is underway to address the backlog of title deeds. This programme seeks to leverage the significant investment in housing made by the state since 1994. The progress made by Operation Vulindlela in Q1 2023 signals a strong commitment to driving structural reforms that will bolster South Africa’s economy.

South Africa’s Operation Vulindlela has set its sights on addressing the backlog in title deeds for subsidised housing, according to the 2023/24 Q1 Report. The initiative, a joint venture of the Presidency and National Treasury, has been instrumental in implementing structural reforms aimed at stimulating economic growth and job creation.

Since its inception in October 2020, Operation Vulindlela has been focused on accelerating the implementation of 35 priority reforms. These reforms span across key sectors such as energy, logistics, digital communications, and housing, and are identified for their potential to significantly impact economic growth.

One of the new reforms identified since the initiative was launched is the focus on eliminating the backlog in title deeds for subsidised housing. The report reveals that an estimated 1.1 million subsidised properties developed by the state are in need of title regularisation.

To address this, Operation Vulindlela has established a steering committee comprising National Treasury, the Department of Human Settlements, the Office of the Chief Registrar of Deeds, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, and the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.

The steering committee aims to create a sound body of evidence to demonstrate the scale and nature of property registration problems, identify specific interventions required to create a functioning formal system, and produce a cross-cutting implementation plan to address the title deeds backlog and reform the titling system.

While this reform is at an early stage, work is underway through the titling steering committee to address the backlog of title deeds. This programme seeks to leverage the significant investment in housing made by the state since 1994.

The progress made by Operation Vulindlela in Q1 2023 signals a strong commitment to driving structural reforms that will bolster South Africa’s economy. With a clear focus on key sectors like housing and a roadmap for future developments, the initiative is set to make a significant impact on the country’s economic landscape.