Residential building statistics

Levels of residential building activity in the South African market for new housing improved in 2015, but growth remained relatively low at between 4% and 5% from the 2014 levels of activity. Growth in the planning phase of new housing, as reflected by the number of building plans approved by local government authorities, was in 2015 markedly lower than in the preceding year. The construction phase of new housing, i.e. the volume of housing units reported as completed, showed some growth last year after two consecutive years of contraction. These trends are based on data published by Statistics South Africa in respect of building activity related to private sector-financed housing (see explanatory notes).

The number of new housing units for which building plans were approved increased by 5% to a total of 59 667 units in 2015. The segments of smaller-sized houses (<80m²) and flats and townhouses were the main contributors to the increased level of plans approved. These two segments of housing were the major focus areas of housing supply over the past more than twenty years, mainly as a result of factors such as the availability and cost of development land, building costs, the affordability of housing and continuously changing lifestyles in especially the major metropolitan areas of the country.

Click below link to download ABSA Building Stats Dec 2015:
ABSA Building stats Dec 2015.pdf - 426 KB