Namibia’s local authorities embrace alternative building materials

Local authority leaders say they have no problems with home owners’ preferred building material for houses as long as they are safe, adheres to health regulations, and can withstand forces of nature.

Mariental municipality chief executive Paul Nghiwilepo last week said the only challenge home owners face is bank financing should they want to construct dwellings with materials other than brick and mortar.

“Local authorities have no problem if we approve any material that is South African National Standards and South African Bureau Standards approved. Pre-fab houses were built during the apartheid regime and some are still standing,” he said.

Swakopmund chief executive Alfeus Benjamin says the issues of alternative building materials have been discussed since independence and some pilot projects have been allowed at towns.

He says the government is yet to take a legal position to allow for alternative building materials to be used.

“Additionally, the building control regulations have not been adapted to incorporate the use of alternative building materials,” Benjamin says.

Several towns, such as Otjiwarongo, in 2022 experimented with clay houses to provide low cost housing.

Through the Clay House Project, 100 houses and 25 quick–shelters were constructed to the tune of N$8 million.

PRECAST SLABS AS AN ALTERNATIVE

Hilka Kahona, a student from Okahandja’s Ekunde 1 informal settlement, chose precast slabs to construct her house because, according to her, it was a cheap and faster option. Precast slabs which are predominantly used as boundary walls are now being used as cheaper alternatives to home construction materials.

Kahona built her house in 2023 and currently lives with her husband, two daughters, and two sons. Although she was previously employed, she made the decision to pause her career to pursue further studies. At the time she budgeted N$35 000 to build her house.

“By that time I bought one precast for N$55 and one pole was N$60, which cost me about N$15 000 to buy all the material, and everything added up to N$26 000, it was a very cheap option,” Kahona says. She adds that she did research before she chose precast and she found out the longer the house stands, the stronger it becomes. The material is made with wires inside, making it stronger and not easily breakable.

“It took them only one month to finish building three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and sitting room,” she says.

OPPORTUNITY

A qualified precast builder and precast homeowner, Johannes Frans, residing in the informal settlement of Oshetu 3, has been building precast houses for five years. “I saw that there is a demand for precast over the years and decided to start building precast houses,” he say.

Frans explains that precast is 50% cheaper than brick housing and once you own it, there is not much of a difference.

“The advantage of precast is that it is movable, I can pack up and move anywhere I want to,” he says. Frans also emphasises that the weather outside can penetrate the inside but it takes a long time, adding that rain water cannot enter because there is material used to seal the joints.

“People need to find out about precast housing; it is a cheaper option and will save them a lot of money compared to brick housing, “ Frans says, adding that most of his clients are happy and refer him to others.

Modern Architects founder and chief executive Siegfried Kariko, based at Okahandja, says precast housing utilises prefabricated concrete components manufactured off-site and assembled on site, offering a fast, cost saving, potentially sustainable solution for building houses.

“The good thing is that this method can significantly reduce construction time, material costs and labour costs, while potentially improving quality control and reducing material waste and energy consumption” Kariko adds.

He emphasises that precast concrete can be used for various housing types, from individual houses to multi-story buildings, and can be integrated with other materials. He says there are few limitations in designing of precast but these are rare.

“If you want to build a perfectly small round structure, you come out with a hexagonal-shaped structure. But like I mentioned earlier, limitations are few,” he says.

Kariko further adds that precast concrete construction is faster, cleaner and energy sufficient.

“There are advantages and disadvantages, depending on the strength of the precast, “ he says.

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