Selcrete™, in partnership with Sphandile Trading Enterprise has bid to secure a tender to build 100 000 residential and commercial units in the City of Ekurhuleni Municipality on the East Rand of Gauteng over the next three years. A demo unit utilising Selcrete™’s innovative building technology was handed over to a previously indigent Ekurhuleni resident this week.
A first of its kind in Ekurhuleni and designed by CMAI Architects, the house is built using Selcrete™’s innovative panel system – comprising their trademarked combination of cement, polystyrene and additive. The technique has been proven in Scandinavia and northern Europe and provides homes with a lower risk to fire, is three to four times better insulated than traditional bricks during winter and summer and is more environmentally friendly.
Selcrete™ blocks and panels are lightweight, can be produced on site and are quick to assemble, offering this and future houses and buildings the advantage of being built faster.
The new home belongs to proud 87-year-old Gogo Khumalo of the Kwa Thema Township. Her former home, made of corrugated iron, was identified as needing urgent construction during a site visit to the area earlier this year by Chief Whip of the of the City of Ekurhuleni.
The new home consists of two bedrooms; a lounge/dining room; one bathroom with a toilet, shower and basin; and a kitchen. The entire house totals 44.14 m2. Construction took place in three phases over approximately three weeks.
Dumisane Ntuli, Founder and the current Executive Chairman of Sphandile Trading Enterprise says: “We believe in the benefits that Selcrete™’s product can provide to address the existing backlog of housing in South Africa.”
“Selcrete is giving hope to other areas affected by the housing crisis in South Africa. After the successful construction of phase one of the Noluthando Day Care Centre in Khayelitsha Cape Town in 2016, Selcrete™ set out to introduce the product to other municipalities across South Africa. Should Selcrete™ and Sphandile Trading Enterprise be awarded this tender it will mean great things for solving South Africa’s housing crisis.
“Selcrete™ is fully Agrément SA certified and approved, offering a better more affordable and greener solution to easing the housing backlog” says Graeme Horwood, CEO of Selcrete™.
Selcrete™ are currently in advanced discussions with Ekurhuleni, Knysna and the City of Cape Town. Further to this, the product has been introduced to Eastern Cape and KZN municipalities and negotiations with other SADC countries are underway.
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