About Gated Communities in SA

The aim of this section is to encourage an active debate on gated communities in South Africa in particular, as well as to serve as a tool to assist information sharing and decision making regarding this topic.

Gated communities, especially enclosed neighbourhoods, is a frequently discussed issue in South Africa. Newspapers write about it, police talk about it, residents argue about it and many Local Authorities have to make decisions about it. Numerous questions are asked, regarding:

• the legal implications regarding the enclosure of public space;
• the privatisation of public functions such as road maintenance and its implications for taxes;
• the fragmentation of urban areas;
• the values of properties or houses within enclosed areas;
• the gain/loss of social connection and contact and increasing social exclusion and separation;
• the perception of safety versus actual reports of crime decreasing in gated communities; and
• the role of private security within enclosed areas

The initial research conducted by the CSIR revealed that, although enclosed neighbourhoods are predominantly encountered in Gauteng, smaller towns are increasingly facing requests for street enclosures. Out of 20 cities and towns that indicated that they have received requests for road closures, 60% were towns with less than 500 000 inhabitants such as Bethlehem and Port Shepstone.

Gated Communities are not only the responsibility of those residents who wish to enclose their areas or to live in secure complexes. Some types directly influence the Local Authorities and their traditional public functions. While several municipalities across the country are receiving requests for neighbourhood enclosures, few have policies in place to address this situation.

Meanwhile, the occurrence of gated communities are growing daily and several questions are asked, especially regarding the long-term impact of this type of development on the urban future. Yet, recent research have indicated that it is very much an issue of balancing short-term need (crime reduction) with long-term costs and impact (impact on urban integration, urban management, etc.). In this sense, it will be necessary to distinguish between different types of gated communities and different models, since their impact and implications may vary considerably (also see research on medium density mixed developments and secure housing).

For further information, please contact:

Karina Landman
Tel: +27 12 841 2084
Email: klandman@ csir.co.za