Major South African construction group Concor has announced that it has been selected by the City of Cape Town, following an open tender process, to develop an affordable housing project in the suburb of Woodstock. The value of the project has not yet been released. The site, currently used as a car park, is directly adjacent to the city centre.

The development will create a minimum of 375 affordable rental flats for people who earn less than R22 000 a month, as well as more than 400 flats that will be sold on the open market as sectional title properties. There will be two blocks, with the affordable rental units in one, and the sectional title units in the other. Both blocks will be accessed from a single central ‘podium’. There will also be some retail units. Each block will have nine stories, and a height limit of 25 m.

“Measuring just under a hectare in size, the site is remarkable for its prime location and scenic views,” pointed out Concor property development executive Mark Shonrock. “Located right on the edge of the city centre, it is well serviced by multiple public transport systems – making it incredibly convenient to reach workplaces, retail areas and other key amenities for residents.”

The development is less than a kilometre from Cape Town Station (the city’s railway terminus) and about the same distance from Woodstock Station. Both stations serve all of Cape Town’s metropolitan commuter rail lines. There is also a MyCiti bus rapid transit system station very close by, as well as Golden Arrow bus and minibus taxi routes.

To bid for the project, Concor had to submit a conceptual design, which required major inputs from architects, consulting engineers and urban designers, partnering with the company. “Our depth of project management and construction experience, combined with our proven capability and Level 1 broad-based black economic empowerment status, positions us well to conceptualise, plan and execute complex projects like these,” he affirmed.  

The building of the development should start in the first quarter of next year. It is scheduled to be completed 22 months after the start of construction. This will require the group to maintain close cooperation and partnerships with the relevant local, provincial and national government departments and with its professional private sector partners.

Since 2019, Concor has been leading the 22-ha Conradie Park affordable living project, in another Cape Town suburb, Pinelands. This will deliver 2 000 affordable housing units and is on schedule for completion by the middle of next year.

“As an established construction and development player in South Africa with a solid reputation in the sector, we are proud to partner again with the City of Cape Town in its forward-thinking land release programme to drive more affordable housing,” highlighted Shonrock.