Imizi Housing Utility (“Imizi”) was formed as a result of co-operation agreement between the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) and the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). SIDA and the NMBM had a 10 year co-operation agreement that involved a number of urban development and housing projects. Discussions around social housing issues began in late 1998 and evolved to the establishment of Imizi Housing Utility in 2003. The first project (Walmer Link) was completed in 2012 and Imizi became fully accredited by the SHRA as a Social Housing institution in 2015.

Today, Imizi operates totally independent from the NMBM and SIDA and is a registered Non Profit Company. Imizi is also a Public Benefit Organisation. The company is governed by an independent board of 8 committed and active directors is managed by the CEO and a staff complement of 32.

It’s current Social Housing Projects comprise Walmer Link (347 units), Fairview Link (512 units), Willowdene (400 units) and Khwezi Uitenhage (385 units), all of which have been developed within the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. Walmer Link, Fairview Link and Willowdene have each been recipients of the Govan Mbeki Best Social Housing Awards. Tenants come from various racial, religious and cultural backgrounds and the projects are all close to places of work, clinic, banks, shopping malls and schools.

There are a series of community development initiatives driven by the Community Development Division such as health and safety, GBV and social development workshops which are all geared to the social upliftment of the company’s tenant base.