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Riots, like the ones experienced in July, may have been preventable if developers did more to address socio-economic issues in South Africa.
This is the view of the Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS) who issued a call to action for the industry last month.
We speak to Mosha Senyolo, newly elected vice-president and Larry Feinberg, executive director of the ASAQS to find out more about what this could mean for the industry.
What’s the idea?
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The idea is that developers invest in the surrounding communities so that they feel more connected to the homes and businesses around them.
‘There is a general feeling from one of the townships that was looted that the community has nothing to lose when developments come up, they have nothing invested in them,’ explains Senyolo.
This is by no means a new concept or an idea that has been uniquely suggested for communities within South Africa.
Back in 2011 investment interventions were mooted after the London riots. Instead of hard action against rioters, it was suggested it would be far more effective to invest in the poor, especially the young, than allow tensions to escalate in rioting and filling up prisons.
A tale of two malls
Senyolo references one example that involves two malls in the Alexandra Township. One, she says, is currently standing empty with no efforts to clean up the debris after the looting.
The other mall, meanwhile, benefited from some security but was also more proactive within the community and didn’t suffer as much damage than the other.
As a result, 90% of the community members are flocking to the mall that didn’t suffer as much damage and they’ve realised how connected their day-to-day needs are to this shopping district.
Built up resentment
Poverty and unemployment are the main reasons behind deep resentment that has built up, particularly among the youth.
Some of it is aimed at the developments that have sprung up in recent years because they have, even if indirectly, resulted in small businesses and Spaza shops going bust in townships as consumers rush to shop at malls.
‘You generally do have township economises and when the malls come along it gets taken away from them and it does harbour some resentment especially with the high youth unemployment,’ says Senyolo.
How to help
Senyolo points out that there are opportunities to assist people to start their own businesses and allow them to thrive without the usual capital constraints that goes with running a business that requires a physical location.
‘For example, an office space developer could allocate a small rent-free portion to a business that just needs a physical location at a great address to give them an edge,” explains Feinberg. ‘Similarly, a retail developer could allocate a small rent-free portion to spaza-type shops, allowing the shop owners to benefit from the foot traffic of the established brands located in the mall.’
‘Collaboration between the public and private sector will be key to bringing these important changes about,” adds Senyolo.
More outreach is needed
Senyolo admits she’s seen success in some outreach programmes implemented by shopping mall developers but points out that this is not yet a widespread practice.
‘I think it’s a trend that has been started in certain areas and still needs to grow especially in the more urbanised spaces,’ she says.
Investing in communities and ensuring developments are connected will go a long way to creating a link between the poor living in townships and the developers of malls.
Senyolo adds: ‘You will find that people will be whistle blowers to prevent these attacks. I believe having people rally around your investments is one of the biggest gains that any development can have.’
