More than 40 per cent of South Africa’s urban population live in townships, and 20 per cent live in informal settlements and low-income housing estates. Townships are usually located outside the urban core and can be formal or informal. They are generally far from places of economic activity and employment. Due to the historic social compression in racially segregated areas, old townships are socially, culturally and economically diverse. Many of them – especially larger townships – contain middle- and lower-income areas and scattered middle-income households. However, most township residents are poor and unemployment rates are very high.

Urban renewal initiatives in townships are broadly categorised into for place outcomes and for people outcomes. For place outcomes target improved neighbourhoods and residential areas, public environments, new property investments and so on. For people outcomes target the residents of an area and seek to enhance education levels, skills, ability to compete for jobs.

The Township Renewal Sourcebook has been developed by National Treasury, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and the SACN through the Training for Township Renewal Initiative.

• Download a copy of the sourcebook [pdf, 4.18mb]
• Download sample presentations for township renewal training purposes
• Introducing the township renewal challenge [pdf, 2.92mb]
• Unlocking township markets [pdf, 471kb]
• Restructuring the township physical environment [pdf, 3mb]
• Packaging township development projects [pdf, 471kb]
• Improving urban management in townships [pdf, 870kb]