Ubuntu Design Group

Wandile is the CEO and Co-Founder of Ubuntu Design Group, a project which uses architecture and housing to overcome financial exclusion in a sustainable manner. He identified the issue that around 13% of South African families lack access to dignified housing (1) and set about correcting that injustice with his idea in 2015.

Wandile and his team recognised that the flaws of social housing is that it excludes consultation with the families, often are located far from economic opportunities, and lack the space for growth. As a result, Ubuntu properties are designed for each family specifically with the capacity to add space later, and each one contains a commercial space to allow for them to move beyond poverty. 

In 2017, the company built their pilot project for a low-income Durban based family also struggling with a disability. The commercial space was designed for their daycare SME. This project inspired Ubuntu to develop a unique model to work with both public and private companies to provide micro-mortgages for entrepreneurial low-income families. Not only did this provide dignified housing to a vulnerable family, but tripled the income of their small-business. 

Since the organisation was officially accredited in 2018, they have built households for 10 families, including rainwater collection systems which provided free, clean water directly into each household.

In 2020, Wandile aims to build a further 36 households, for which the organisation must fundraise an additional $1 million.

Sources:

(1) https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Housing/InformalSettlements/SERI…