What’s driving the housing disaster in African nations? | DW News

Kenya is facing a critical housing shortage with a deficit of nearly 2 million units.
Earlier this year, the government passed a controversial levy, that forces employed Kenyans to contribute 1.5% of their income towards housing construction. It claims that this levy would finance the construction of 200,000 affordable houses annually. But how realistic is that? And will it be affordable enough for the thousands of homeless people on the margins of poverty? DW’s Edith Kimani reports from Nairobi.
In South Africa, Cape Town is also facing a housing crisis. There are concerns that an influx of Western remote workers are worsening the situation by driving up property prices.
These ‘digital nomads’ earn in foreign currencies, giving them an edge over locals in the rental market. And South Africa’s new three-year visa for remote workers could attract even more of them, adding to concerns about affordable housing. DW’s Dianne Hawker has more.

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#Kenya #SouthAfrica #HousingCrisis