‘We’re not opposed to social housing,’ say Sandton residents against housing corridor bridging Sandton, Alexandra

Joburg’s northern skyline has long reflected the city’s inequality – Sandton’s high-rise offices on one side of the M1 freeway and Alexandra’s dense township on the other. That divide is now potentially being reshaped by two major developments that promise to bridge the gap and test whether city policy, infrastructure and community consent can align.

The two housing projects are the Johannesburg Social Housing Company’s (Joshco) R375-million, 384-unit social-rental complex in Kelvin, and the R18-billion Bankenveld City mixed-use development on Wits University’s former Frankenwald land. Together they form an 8km corridor from Sandton through Marlboro, Kelvin and Buccleuch into Bankenveld.

Kelvin infrastructure concerns

Joshco says its Kelvin development “forms part of its mandate to provide well-located, affordable rental housing close to major employment centres”. The project, one of Joscho’s most ambitious suburban builds, is designed to “contribute to spatial integration by creating mixed-income neighbourhoods that are closer to work opportunities”.

It sits on Erf 54 Kelvin, bordered by Cone Way, South Way and the Eastern Service Road. It will comprise 16 four-storey blocks containing 384 apartments, with nearly 600m of new internal roads and intersection upgrades to the local grid.

The Kelvin Residents Association (KRA), representing about 1,300 households, is not happy. It has filed a formal objection to the rezoning from Residential 2 to Residential 4, citing inadequate infrastructure, lack of consultation and the loss of the suburb’s only communal open space.

It further claims there was no proper submission of documents to residents. The association says the land has long served as a park, meeting area and informal place of worship and may contain historical graves recorded on the title deed as Begrafplaas.

KRA deputy chairperson Fiona Seedat said residents were accused of racism for objecting, but their concerns are about infrastructure. 

“We have water throttling three times a week. The City can’t even tell us whether Eskom or City Power will supply electricity. We are not objecting to social housing; we also objected to a proposed upmarket development because of infrastructure problems.

“The neighbouring Bankenveld development will comprise 8,000 social housing units, and that is in close proximity, so there is no need for this development here. We are a secure area and we already fund our own security.

“The additional 1,100 people expected to move in will also worsen congestion on narrow streets already struggling with heavy peak-hour traffic in this gated area. This is going to devalue our properties. There is not one house in the area that sells for under R1-million.”

Ward councillor Lori Coogan said residents were entitled to demand clarity and transparency.

“Councillors do not decide which developments are approved. Our duty is to ensure the process is transparent, consultative and procedurally fair,” she said.

“The current ANC-led administration has repeatedly ignored legitimate concerns about infrastructure capacity and service delivery. The DA supports responsible development that balances housing needs with infrastructure capacity.”

Joshco dismisses complaints

Joscho’s spokesperson, Nthabiseng Mphela, confirmed that 497 objections had been received and considered by the Municipal Planning Tribunal on 10 September 2025. She said both Joburg Water and Eskom had approved the project’s bulk-service designs. The project targets qualifying tenants earning between R1,850 and R22,000 per month.

Joscho, she said, faced difficulties during the Kelvin social housing rezoning process, particularly with objections raised at the Municipal Planning Tribunal. Some residents expressed concerns about criminality linked to disadvantaged groups and opposed low-cost housing in affluent areas.

These objections were deemed inappropriate, since they conflict with Joburg’s inclusive policies and constitutional directives promoting equitable communities, she said.

Joscho demonstrated a strong commitment to transparency and community engagement, adhering to the City’s municipal planning by-laws. Its approach included robust public participation measures, such as Gazette advertisements, prominent newspaper notices, on-site postings and direct communication with neighbouring residents via registered letters, she added. 

“Joscho’s submission aligned with the City’s Spatial Development Framework and Nodal Review Policy, emphasising socially and economically integrated communities with equitable access to economic nodes and public transportation.”

Comprehensive assessments by specialist engineers confirmed the adequacy of infrastructure for roads, water and electricity. The Johannesburg Roads Agency endorsed the project, recommending developer-funded upgrades based on the traffic impact study.

Joburg Water approved the proposed water and sewer infrastructure plans, and Eskom confirmed sufficient electricity capacity. The City’s Development Contributions Policy ensures that infrastructure upgrades align with the development’s increased land use rights, supporting sustainable growth, added Mphela.

Legal counsel had ensured procedural compliance under the oversight of the tribunal’s chairperson, a legal expert. All submissions had met procedural requirements.

Bankenveld City: A mega-project takes shape

A few kilometres east, bulldozers are cutting access roads into the 290-hectare Frankenwald site – now called the Bankenveld District City (BDC), previously owned by Wits University. For years the site was tied up in legal disputes with the Buccleuch Residents Association over fears of urban sprawl and pollution of the Jukskei River.

That deadlock ended in 2024 when Wits transferred development rights to a public-private partnership led by the Eris Property Group and Calgro M3. The R18-billion, 300ha mixed-use district will include 20,000 to 30,000 housing units priced from R500,000 to R1.5-million, along with 500,000m² of commercial, retail and light-industrial space and will include a component of social housing.

Infrastructure roll-out began in 2025 and is expected to unfold over 15 to 20 years. One-third of the land is reserved for parks, schools and clinics. A new boulevard will link the precinct to the Marlboro Gautrain Station, positioning Bankenveld as Sandton’s “eastern twin” and a potential release valve for Alexandra’s overcrowding.

See the plans for Bankenweld in this video:

History of Frankenwald

The land once known as Frankenwald carries one of Joburg’s most contested legacies. In 1905, mining magnate Sir Alfred Beit donated the 290ha tract “in perpetuity for educational purposes” to what later became the University of the Witwatersrand, stipulating that it should be used to advance learning and research rather than private profit. For decades, the area remained largely undeveloped, an open veld on the city’s northern fringe.

When Wits sought to rezone and commercially develop the property in the early 2000s, residents of Buccleuch and Kelvin, supported by environmental and civic organisations, argued that the sale or lease of the land breached the conditions of Beit’s bequest. The matter led to a series of legal and administrative disputes, with objectors maintaining that the land’s educational trust status prevented its conversion to private use.

Wits argued that the proceeds from development would continue to serve the public good by funding bursaries and academic infrastructure, thereby fulfilling Beit’s intent in a modern context.

After years of stalemate and failed negotiations, the university transferred development rights in 2024 to a public-private consortium led by Eris Property Group and Calgro M3, paving the way for Bankenveld – a move that finally ended more than two decades of litigation but left lingering questions over whether the land’s original educational purpose had truly been honoured.

Environmental issues

Both developments lie within the Jukskei River catchment, where untreated effluent already pollutes wetlands downstream towards Buccleuch and Alexandra. Environmental specialists warn that dense new construction could worsen runoff and erosion.

However, Bankenveld’s masterplan promises riparian-rehabilitation zones, while Joshco says Kelvin’s layout includes attenuation ponds and erosion-control measures. Independent hydrologists consulted by residents say long-term maintenance will determine whether those protections hold.

Joburg’s housing strategy aims to integrate affordable, well-located housing into established suburbs to reverse apartheid-era spatial divides. Joshco’s Kelvin project is one of several rental schemes intended to place lower-income tenants within reach of Sandton, Linbro Park and Longmeadow.

Bankenveld, by contrast, is a catalytic private project meant to extend the city’s eastern economic footprint while meeting inclusionary-housing quotas. DM