Is it working?

Efforts cannot yet be judged, however the Title Deed Friday campaign has delivered 60,246 deeds since 2023, with wide variation across provinces. Gauteng has issued 32,002 deeds in five years, only a fraction of its 178,000 backlog, while the Western Cape reduced its backlog from 54,000 to around 31,000. Local efforts, like the Transaction Support Centre in Khayelitsha, show success but remain small scale. Research suggests the backlog may be overstated by up to 287,000 deeds, yet at current delivery rates, clearing even the adjusted backlog could take 25 years.

Actions

Several concrete actions have been implemented. The Title Deeds Restoration Programme operates at national level with Operation Vulindlela support, facilitating coordination between sector departments. The Deeds Registries Amendment Act was signed into law by President Ramaphosa in December 2024, introducing an Electronic Deeds Registration System to reduce delays and enhance security. The act imposes strict penalties for unauthorised deed preparation and allows land tenure rights to be formally recorded and converted into full ownership.

Are there plans?

Comprehensive plans exist through Operation Vulindlela's Titling Project, which began in October 2021. The Operation Vulindlela steering committee includes members from National Treasury, DHS, the Office of the Surveyor General, the Registrar of Deeds and the Department of Justice. The project aims to address three key areas: regularisation of the primary transfer backlog, formalisation of off-register transactions and the establishment of an affordable title preservation system.

OV 2 plans to complete the deeds data analysis to map the scale of title deed backlog, enabling targeted intervention planning by December 2025.

Is it on the agenda?

The reform is prominently featured in government priorities, with President Ramaphosa specifically committing in the 2025 SONA to "clear the backlog of title deeds for subsidised housing". The initiative is supported by Operation Vulindlela and listed as an active government commitment.

Goals

The goal is to ensure beneficiaries of state-subsidised housing receive registered title deeds by addressing legal, administrative and coordination barriers thereby securing ownership, enabling property-based economic participation and preventing future backlogs through modernised systems.

Documents

• Document One

Departments / Govt Institutions

National Treasury The Presidency

Is it working?

The small estates threshold increase has not yet been implemented; the threshold has remained at R250,000 since 2015.

Actions

The Administration of Estates Amendment Act No. 3 of 2024, effective February 2025, introduced key reforms - establishing an independent Board for the Master’s Office, clarifying executor appointments and protecting against unauthorised asset disposal. However, the small estates threshold remains unchanged at R250,000, last adjusted in 2014.

Are there plans?

Operation Vulindlela is providing detailed recommendations for the Department of Justice, including raising the small estates threshold to R385,000, aligning estate reporting thresholds, streamlining Letters of Authority and integrating with title deed backlog processes. Annual inflation adjustments and integration with Deeds Office systems for digital “next of kin” certificates are also proposed.

Is it on the agenda?

Yes. Operation Vulindlela lists this as an “immediate priority,” recommending a raise to R385,000 with annual inflation adjustments. The reform is key to improving title deed transfers for subsidised housing beneficiaries.

Goals

The reform seeks to raise the small estates threshold from R250,000 to improve access to simplified, cost-free estate administration for low-income households, especially subsidised housing beneficiaries. Operation Vulindlela recommends increasing the threshold to R385,000 to reflect its real 2014 value.

References

• Reference Link One

Departments / Govt Institutions

Department of Human settlements Department of Justice and Constitutional Development National Treasury The Presidency

Is it working?

Evidence shows that current planning approval processes remain largely ineffective, with delays significantly impacting housing delivery. A lack of standardised systems across municipalities leads to inconsistent outcomes and new developments are still processed without meaningful reform. While some metros have reduced backlogs, there’s little evidence of systemic improvement or better coordination with provinces. Compared to international benchmarks, South Africa’s planning system requires fundamental reform to improve efficiency.

Actions

Limited concrete actions have been implemented specifically for planning approval reform. Broader housing delivery improvements include the Presidential eThekwini Working Group, which demonstrates collaborative approaches to municipal challenges and the District Development Model, which enables coordination between government, business, labour and community organisations. However, research indicates that no clear protocols exist for strengthening coordination between metros and provinces, with no evidence of coherent systems supporting metro projects from inception to revenue. Some metropolitan municipalities have established inter-departmental forums and document recording systems, but implementation remains inconsistent. The revised Accreditation Framework for Municipalities (2023) provides administrative guidelines, though implementation is ongoing.

Are there plans?

Specific plans exist within Operation Vulindlela's framework to address planning bottlenecks. The titling project includes recommendations for municipalities to establish cross-cutting teams for planning, human settlements, engineering, legal and finance departments to progress townships with planning issues. Proposals include granting accreditation to metros to allow transfer of townships for completion, reviewing by-laws to enable township proclamation for backlog projects and developing systems to ensure township establishment documentation is digitised and accessible.

Is it on the agenda?

The President's 2025 SONA commitment to deliver 300,000 serviced stands and expand inner-city housing relies on streamlined approvals. Operation Vulindlela identifies planning delays as a key constraint, with the reform embedded in broader spatial planning and housing policy priorities.

Goals

The reform aims to streamline planning approvals for housing developments to reduce delays and support faster delivery. It seeks to establish a nationally coordinated, collaborative system to overcome fragmented municipal processes and accelerate economic growth.