Gauteng’s property investment patterns continue to reflect spatial inequality, GCRO research shows

Uneven investment, persistent spatial inequality and the gap between policy and implementation remain key challenges shaping Gauteng’s property landscape.

Gauteng’s property investment patterns continue to favour historically advantaged areas, highlighting the need to better connect investment with inclusive economic development and spatial transformation.

This was among the key insights presented by Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) researcher Jason Bell at the Gauteng Property Investment Showcase, organised by the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) on 23 September 2026 at JCCI House in Johannesburg.

Bell participated in Session 3, Leveraging Existing and Potential Property Partnerships, facilitated by GCRO Executive Director Rashid Seedat. The panel explored what property data reveals about investment in Gauteng and how existing development opportunities could be leveraged.

Drawing on GCRO research, Bell highlighted the persistent gap between policy intentions and implementation, noting that investment has not flowed into underinvested areas as anticipated. Instead, economic activity and property investment remain concentrated in established centres, reinforcing spatial patterns inherited from apartheid.

His presentation also examined Gauteng’s changing urban and economic geography, including urban sprawl, housing inequality and the restructuring of manufacturing. While the province has experienced greater racial integration in residential areas since the end of apartheid, significant socioeconomic segregation persists, with disparities in property values, housing conditions and access to space.

Bell highlighted the complex relationship between formalisation and informality in townships. Using Tembisa as an example, he showed how the growth of formal housing can coincide with the continued expansion of backyard dwellings as households seek to supplement their incomes. These dynamics illustrate the need to understand property development in relation to the lived realities of residents.

The presentation emphasised the importance of treating regions as both engines of economic diversification and spaces for urban development. Bell argued for stronger connections between economic activity and urban places, including developing local value chains, strengthening skills pipelines and creating procurement opportunities for local businesses and communities.

He also highlighted the importance of coordinating land, logistics, energy and digital connectivity as part of a broader approach to spatial economic development.

Bell’s contribution reinforced the importance of using property data to understand Gauteng’s uneven development patterns and to inform investment approaches that support both economic competitiveness and more inclusive urban development.