The South African government plans to upgrade 500 000 shacks in informal settlements by 2014, through the provision of basic services and land tenure rights.

Speaking at a briefing in Cape Town this week, Social Development Minister Edna Molewa said the government still wanted to work towards a country where there was no need for informal settlements, but pointed out that the demand for housing had outstripped supply.

There are currently about 2 700 informal settlements with 1.2-million households across the country, Molewa said, adding that people moved to informal settlements for a number of reasons, including to take advantage of job opportunities or after being evicted from farms.

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