2014 Market Intelligence Report: Built Environment

The 2014 Market Intelligence Report: Built Environment by GreenCape provides an overview of the regulatory frameworks, market trends, and opportunities for green building in South Africa, with a specific focus on the Western Cape province. It details the transition toward energy-efficient construction standards, the role of alternative building technologies (ABTs), and the integration of green principles into social and commercial housing.

• The regulatory framework for the built environment in South Africa is primarily governed by the Department of Public Works, with the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act (No. 103 of 1977) serving as the foundation for construction and development. The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) introduced SANS 10400 in 2011, which includes Part XA specifically addressing energy usage in buildings.
• The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) had certified 50 buildings by 2014, with 11 of those located in the Western Cape. Early adopters in the commercial sector are driven by marketing, social and environmental responsibility, and economic benefits such as lower operating costs, higher asset returns, and increased property values.
• The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) has approved 40 alternative building technologies (ABTs) across South Africa, 36 of which are situated in the Western Cape. The Western Cape ABT market is dominated by small manufacturers (approximately 63%), with building insulation making up 42% of the market.
• A Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission (PICC) resolution requires that 60% of the government's social infrastructure buildings be constructed using Innovative Building Technologies (IBTs) by 2017. This initiative was prompted by a pilot project in the Eastern Cape in 2012 involving the construction of 12 schools.
• In the Western Cape, the City of Cape Town (CoCT) has been allocated up to R30 million from the Jobs fund to retrofit ceilings for RDP houses, addressing approximately 50,000 subsidy houses built without insulated ceilings between 1994 and 2005.
• The National Department of Human Settlements (NDHS) updated the Norms and Standards for the Construction of Stand Alone Residential Dwellings in 2013 to align with SANS 10400-XA. These changes, effective April 1, 2014, include requirements for 130mm mineral fibreglass blanket insulation and specific low E glass, bringing the total cost of new dwellings to R 110 947.00.

APA

Didiza, S. (2014). 2014 Market Intelligence Report: Built Environment. GreenCape. https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/GreenCape-MIR-Built-Environment.pdf

Chicago

Didiza, Songo. 2014 Market Intelligence Report: Built Environment. GreenCape, 2014. https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/GreenCape-MIR-Built-Environment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Didiza |first1=Songo |title=2014 Market Intelligence Report: Built Environment |publisher=GreenCape |date=2014 |url=https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/GreenCape-MIR-Built-Environment.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{didiza20142014, author = {Didiza, Songo}, title = {{2014 Market Intelligence Report: Built Environment}}, institution = {GreenCape}, year = {2014}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/assets/Uploads/GreenCape-MIR-Built-Environment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }