Funds there for women who want to build
Many find bad credit history a stumbling block
Bad credit history has been flagged as one of the challenges leading entrepreneurs to struggle with accessing funding from several government agencies which offer financial support to business owners.
This was among topical issues raised during the Women In Construction indaba hosted by the department of human settlements and which concluded on Friday in East London.
The indaba saw scores of women in construction from around the country, engaging on challenges and developments in the sector.
Eastern Cape human settlements MEC Mlungisi Mvoko said it was imperative for delegates to monitor progress and the implementation of the 30% allocation to women contractors which was recently approved by the National Treasury.
“I hope this is not grandstanding. After August [Women’s Month], all must not be lost.
“We must monitor the progress as this will also reduce corruption as people will be forced to be accountable.
“Women empowerment does not only contribute towards their financial emancipation, but also contributes a great deal towards fighting the scourge of abuse in society,” Mvoko said.
South African Women in Construction president Kile Mteto said it was imperative for women to play their part in the development of the country and create social housing developments for low-income citizens.
“While there are a lot of business owners who struggle to access funding due to bad credit history, there are other avenues that can be explored through joint ventures and co-operatives,” she said.
Social Housing Regulatory Authority’s corporate services manager Alice Puoane said their entity, which is responsible for affordable housing, had funds available for people in the construction sector.
“Our mandate is to capacitate, invest in and regulate the social housing sector.
“The primary intention of the Social Housing Act is to deliver affordable rental housing for low to moderate income groups and to achieve spatial, economic and social integration of the urban environments throughout SA,” she said.
Puoane added: “For every unit built, we pay R265,000 and we encourage women to form co-operatives, combine their different skills and experience and apply with us.
“These are not tenders; we are waiting on you to apply with us, so you can build”.
Puoane said land availability, title deeds, support from the municipality and confirmation of bulk services’ availability, were among key pre-requisites for approval.
National Home Builders Registration Council’s CEO Mziwonke Dlabantu said they also offered several programmes to empower and upskill in construction environment.
“We have had a growth in interest from women over the years which has been encouraging.
“As a regulatory body of the home-building industry, our goal is to assist and protect housing consumers who have been exposed to contractors who deliver housing units of sub-standard design, poor workmanship and poor quality material,” he said.