[01] Setsabile Nhlabatsi, Swaziland National Housing Board, Mbabane, Swaziland. [02] Cliff S. Dlamini, WWF South Africa, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, Claremont, South Africa.

The Swaziland National Housing Board (SNHB), a parastatal established by an Act of Parliament in 1988, has a mandate to provide affordable housing in Swaziland. To that end, government controls the rental escalations effected on an annual basis. There is however no subvention paid by government to the SNHB to bridge the gap between the below market rental levies and the market facilities management costs. The research was a case study survey to determine factors that could enable the SNHB to successfully deliver affordable housing. The researcher applied what is referred to as a triangulation method and mixed the qualitative and quantitative data in order to shed more light on the topic. The findings were that the SNHB is struggling and will continue to struggle operationally until the shareholder gets a full appreciation of what the mandate implies. To ensure survival, the SNHB diversified its portfolio and embarked on low, middle and high income projects that were priced at full cost recovery. The resultant prices were as high as those of private developers and this was perceived by government as a mandate shift and competition with the private market.

Swaziland National Housing Board, Affordable Housing, Income Categories, Mandate Shift, Local Authority

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