Overview of CSI spend on housing and living conditions in 2025

National context  

• The national budget allocated to human settlement, and water and electrification programmes decreased from R59.2 billion in 2024/25 to R57.4 billion in 2025/26, continuing a downward trend and constituting 2.2% of consolidated government expenditure of R2.59 trillion. 
• According to Stats SA’s General Household Survey 2024, the percentage of households that live in formal dwellings increased from 73% in 2002 to 84% in 2024. Almost 12% of households lived in informal dwellings and 3.9% in traditional dwellings. The survey also found that while nearly 72% of urban residents have access to safely managed water, only 36% of rural populations do. The percentage of South African households that were connected to the mains electricity supply increased from 76% in 2002 to 90% in 2024.  
• The 2024 White Paper for Human Settlements reports that government has delivered 5.2 million housing opportunities since 1994, but there are still more than 3.4 million South Africans on the housing needs register. The rate at which government has been providing housing has declined, meaning it will take longer to meet the housing demand at the current rate of supply. The human settlements backlog manifests as the rise of informal settlements, poor-quality physical environments and limited access to social and economic amenities.  
• According to the Department of Human Settlements (DHS), there were 4 297 informal settlements, home to more than two million households, across South Africa in 2023, most of which are in the major metropolitan areas of Johannesburg, Cape Town and eThekwini. The DHS has committed to upgrading 1 500 informal settlements by 2026 and, in total, just over 4 000 by 2029 through the Informal Settlement Upgrading Programme (ISUP).  
• In February 2025, Stats SA released its first thematic report on homelessness in South Africa, A Profile of Homeless Persons in South Africa 2022, based on 2022 Census data. The research found that there has been an upward trend in homelessness over the past three decades. The number of homeless persons increased from 13 135 in 1996 to 55 719 in 2022. Children account for approximately 7% of homeless people, while youth (15–34 years) represent 44%. 

Overview of CSI spend  

Housing and living conditions were supported by 20% of companies and received 2% of average CSI expenditure. 

• Average CSI spend on water and sanitation increased from the least supported intervention type in 2024 (11%) to the most supported in 2025, at an average of 33%, though sample numbers were small. 
• Support for energy and energy efficiency initiatives also increased, from an average of 14% in 2024 to 18% in 2025. 
• In contrast, average sector CSI spend on building houses dropped from the highest in 2024 (31%) to among the least supported in 2025 (3%), alongside maintenance (3%).  
• Companies also reported supporting legal assistance and helping facilitate title deed access. Overall, 18% of average CSI allocations went to other intervention types in this sector.