Received:
2026-05-18 | Accepted:
2026-08-17 | Published:
2026-09-30
Title
Housing satisfaction as a mediating factor between housing provision and quality of life: a case study
Abstract
Adequate housing is a fundamental human right, yet the quality and satisfaction levels associated with Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) housing in South Africa remain a subject of ongoing concern. Despite government efforts to address housing backlogs, many beneficiaries continue to experience substandard living conditions that compromise their quality of life. This study investigated housing satisfaction as a mediating factor between housing provision and quality of life. A qualitative research approach, underpinned by a case study design, was employed. A purposive sample of six municipal officials from Mnquma Local Municipality participated in the study. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. Ethical considerations, including informed consent, confidentiality, and voluntary participation, were strictly observed throughout the research process. Trustworthiness was ensured through credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability measures. Six themes emerged from the findings: housing quality and structural deficiencies; infrastructure and service delivery challenges; safety and social environment concerns; governance and institutional constraints; community participation and beneficiary involvement; and the broader relationship between housing and quality of life. The findings revealed persistent structural defects, inconsistent service delivery, safety concerns, weak institutional capacity, and limited community participation as key factors undermining housing satisfaction and quality of life among beneficiaries. Integrated, community-centred approaches that encompass construction quality enforcement, strengthened governance, reliable infrastructure, and meaningful participation are essential to improving RDP housing outcomes. Housing provision must be complemented by broader socioeconomic interventions to achieve sustainable human development.
Keywords
RDP housing, housing satisfaction, quality of life, service delivery, Mnquma Local Municipality
JEL classifications
I31
URI
http://jssidoi.org/ird/article/277
DOI
Pages
203-210
Funding
This is an open access issue and all published articles are licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
References
Aigbavboa, C. & Thwala, W. 2013. The role of beneficiaries’ participation in South Africa low-income housing occupants’ satisfaction. In: Smith, S.D and Ahiaga Dagbui, D.D (Eds) Procs 29th Annual ARCOM Conference, 2-4 September 2013, Reading, UK, Association of Researchers in Construction Management, 1331-1340 https://hdl.handle.net/10210/12541
Search via ReFindit
Aigbavboa, C. O., & Thwala, W. D. 2012. An appraisal of housing satisfaction in South Africa low income housing scheme. International Journal of Construction Management, 12(1), 1-21 https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2012.10773181
Search via ReFindit
Amoah, C., Van Schalkwyk, T., & Kajimo-Shakantu, K. 2022. Quality management of RDP housing construction: myth or reality? Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 20(5), 1101-1121 https://doi.org/10.1108/JEDT-11-2020-0461
Search via ReFindit
Das, D. 2026. Exploring housing infrastructure attributes to attract knowledge workers to mid-sized cities in the global south. Journal of Housing and the Built Environment https://doi.org/10.1007/s10901-026-10295-5
Search via ReFindit
Emami, A., & Sadeghlou, S. 2021. Residential satisfaction: A narrative literature review towards identification of core determinants and indicators. Housing, Theory and Society, 38(4), 512-540 https://doi.org/10.1080/14036096.2020.1844795
Search via ReFindit
Ghaleb, B. D. S. 2024. Towards A Dynamic Model of Human Needs: A Critical Analysis of Maslow’s Hierarchy. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Approach Research and Science, 2(03), 1028-1046 https://doi.org/10.59653/ijmars.v2i03.674
Search via ReFindit
home-interruption-uncertainty-brought-covid-19-pandemic-marie-huchzermeyer Kurniawati, L., Isnawati, I. & Santoso, I. 2025. Impact of Housing Microclimate and Overcrowding on Pulmonary Tuberculosis in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Global Health & Environmental Perspectives, 2(2), 357-367 https://doi.org/10.61848/ghep.v2i2.153
Search via ReFindit
Huchzermeyer, M. 2021. Rethinking urban resettlement and displacement from the perspective of “home” in the interruption and uncertainty brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Urban Resettlements in the Global South. Routledge https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003124559-10/rethinking-urban-resettlement-displacement-perspective-
Search via ReFindit
Mekebo, T., & Dong, H. 2021. A Literature Review on Satisfaction with Housing and Neighborhood Attributes. International Journal of Academic Multidisciplinary Research, 5(1), 228-233 http://ijeais.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/1/IJAMR210142.pdf
Search via ReFindit
Mhlongo, N. Z. D., Gumbo, T., & Musonda, I. 2022. Inefficiencies in the delivery of low-income housing in South Africa: is governance the missing link? A review of literature. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1101(5), 052004 https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1101/5/052004
Search via ReFindit
Moamba, L. I., & Mamokhere, J. 2025. The Challenges in the Provision of Low-Cost Housing in the Duduza Community of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. Review of Socioeconomic Research and Development Studies, 9(2), 44-61 https://www.acash.org.pk/topics/challenges-in-the-provision-of-low-cost-housing-in-the-duduza-community
Search via ReFindit
Mohit, M. A., & Raja, A. M. M. A. K. 2014. Residential satisfaction-concept, theories and empirical studies. Planning Malaysia, (3) https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v12i3.131
Search via ReFindit
Moolla, R., Kotze, N., & Block, L. 2011. Housing satisfaction and quality of life in RDP houses in Braamfischerville, Soweto: A South African case study. Urbani Izziv, 22(1), 138-143 https://www.jstor.org/stable/24920563
Search via ReFindit
Mosala, S. 2022. The South African economic reconstruction and recovery plan as a response to South African economic crisis. Journal of BRICS Studies, 1(1), 55-67 https://doi.org/10.36615/jbs.v1i1.637
Search via ReFindit
Mutyambizi, C., Mokhele, T., Ndinda, C., & Hongoro, C. 2020. Access to and satisfaction with basic services in informal settlements: results from a baseline assessment survey. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(12), 4400 https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124400
Search via ReFindit
Nyakala, S., Ramoroka, D., & Ramdass, K. 2021. Factors influencing the quality of low-income housing in Polokwane Municipality, South Africa. Acta Structilia, 28(2), 23-52 https://doi.org/10.18820/24150487/as28i2.2
Search via ReFindit
Palimaru, A. I., McBain, R., McDonald, K., Batra, P., & Hunter, S. B. 2023. The relationship between quality of housing and quality of life: Evidence from permanent supportive housing. Housing and Society, 50(1), 13-34 https://doi.org/10.1080/08882746.2021.1928853
Search via ReFindit
Sakariyau, J. K., Muhammad, S. M., Bello, M. U., Aliyu, A. A., & AbdulRazak, R. 2023. Socioeconomic characteristics of households determining housing satisfaction in Bauchi Metropolis, Bauchi State, Nigeria. International Journal of Real Estate Studies, 17(1), 59-69 https://doi.org/10.11113/intrest.v17n1.318
Search via ReFindit
Sekoboto, L., & Landman, K. 2019. Searching for more than just a house? The extent to which government provided RDP housing compared to self-help housing empower poor communities in South Africa. Urban Forum, 30(1), 97-113. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-018-9340-9
Search via ReFindit
Trivedi, A. J., & Mehta, A. 2019. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs-theory of human motivation. International Journal of Research in all Subjects in Multi Languages, 7(6), 38-41 https://www.raijmr.com/ijrsml/wpcontent/uploads/2020/01/IJRSML_2019_vol07_issue_06_Eng_09.pdf
Search via ReFindit
Visagie, J., Turok, I. & Scheba, A. 2024. Social Housing and Upward Mobility in South Africa: An Assessment of Household Outcomes. Urban Forum, 35, 377-404 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-023-09504-z
Search via ReFindit
Zondi, Z. & Haruna, S. 2025. Challenges faced by a selected construction company collaborating with the Department of Human Settlements in delivering low-cost housing in South Africa. International Journal of Management Perspectives, 1(1), 1-23 https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-ijmp1_v1_n1_a8
Search via ReFindit
Zonke, N., & Matsiliza, N. 2015. Community participation in housing development trends-a selected case of Khayelitsha township, Cape Town, South Africa. Africa Insight, 45(2), 86-100 https://share.google/uhsX9T5jsKlEqKNIv
Search via ReFindit
RSS 1.0