No space for culture: ‘matchbox housing’ leaves residents unable to honour customs in a South African town

By: Sinenhlanhla Memela, Rhodes University and Philippa Irvine, Rhodes University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: December 1, 2025

Words: 1,426

Last Updated: 1 month, 1 week ago

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By Sinenhlanhla Memela, Rhodes University and Philippa Irvine, Rhodes University

In South Africa, urban planning is influenced by western-centric and colonial planning, including social housing, building technologies, architectural form, master plans, zoning, and land tenure systems.

The colonial and apartheid planning policies and practices from the 1930s gave European settlers the sole rights to live, work and be educated in urban areas, where they had complete freedom of movement. On the other hand, the …

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