Home is where the warranty is

Three years ago South Africa won the bid to host the 12th International Housing and Home Warranty Conference. It will be held in Cape Town at the International Convention Centre from September 24 to 28 (www.ihhwc-southafrica.co.za)—the first time it takes place on the African continent since its launch in 1978.

“The conference is a networking opportunity and learning experience for key decision-makers dealing with the strategic and management issues in our industry,” said Vukile Mehana, chairman of the National Home Builders’ Registration Council in South Africa.

The industry includes warranty organisations, government policy and compliance officials in the housing and warranty sectors, home-finance providers, insurance and risk providers, estate agent professionals, home builders, land developers, lawyers and conveyancers, housing professionals and academics.

Presentations will focus on best practices and challenges in the home-building and warranty industry. (See “Ensuring safe, habitable houses”.) Issues to be tackled include international housing policy, managing risk and protecting consumers, warranty provision and enforcement, technical innovation and climate change.

The conference is hosted by the department of human settlements and the National Home Builders’ Registration Council, which is the custodian of the home-warranty sector in South Africa.

“Beyond job creation and tourism, the key benefit is the direct exposure that African delegates will have to global experts,” said Mehana. “South Africa is the only African country with a comprehensive home warranty scheme. This puts home buyers in other African countries at risk. The conference will promote the value of having warranty schemes and provide information on how to initiate a sustainable scheme.”

The National Home Builders’ Registration Council is a statutory council that was established to protect the interests of housing consumers and regulate the home-building industry in South Africa.

It also promotes innovative technology and compliance in the building environment and administers a warranty scheme that sets norms and standards for the construction of low-income housing. Eight high-density homes being built using sustainable and affordable building technologies will be unveiled during the conference.

The intention is to show appropriate designs and technology for new human settlement, which include energy-reduction concepts and products as well as alternative energy sources such as solar power.

This article originally appeared in the Mail & Guardian newspaper as a sponsored feature