Thursday, 6 August 2026

First Home Finance targets employed first-time buyers earning between R3,501 and R22,000, including rural applicants with permission to occupy; payments go directly to attorneys, bond accounts, builders or suppliers to prevent misuse.

The Human Settlements department says the first-home subsidy has grown strongly, exceeded targets by more than 200% in the previous two financial years, and is now used mostly by women beneficiaries at 62%.

PPRA is rolling out a new entry route for property careers: matric, 12 months with a mentor and six theory modules, aimed at bringing more previously disadvantaged young people into real estate and franchises.

Women in security say transformation must mean real procurement, leadership and measurable access to contracts; many women-owned firms are still blocked by funding rules, high entry requirements and slow mentoring.

AFASA linked its farm-to-fork model to human settlements, saying the sector can support backyard farming, local value chains and agro-hubs, and that it helped reach more than 250,000 people during Covid support programmes.