South Africa's government has a 2.1 million public housing backlog, even after promising its people free housing before being voted into power 30 years ago. This has left the underprivileged frustrated, resulting in a rise of informal home builds in key metros.

Ironically, nearly 100 of these homes have since been demolished by local government in Johannesburg due to not being approved by council. According to legislation approval is granted only if planned by a registered professional, a service cost out of reach for the majority as they are forced to continue to informally plan and build their homes.

AfriSam, a leading cement brand with a purpose to Create Concrete Possibilities set out to democratise low-cost home building at scale. The aim was to enable future home builds and avoid demolition, whilst creating further awareness about the injustice to help those who have lost their homes and life-savings to rebuild.

Discovering that council approvals can be achieved through architectural drawings, we distributed low-cost home build plans as targeted press ads. Getting +500 000 plans directly into the hands of those who live within the neighbourhoods where homes are being demolished, as well as additional underprivileged areas which see a rise in informal home building.

Plan (a) mobilised a conversation within human rights groups across the country, seeing our press ads featured in multiple online and social media discussions reaching +14 000 000 media impressions.

This awareness has subsequently raised +$57 000 for those who have had their homes demolished by government to help them rebuild using Plan (a).

AfriSam and BlackStudio have also been contacted by the Department of Economic Development (a government department responsible for development in Johannesburg and other areas) to discuss the initiative and ways it can be used in the future as a government funded initiative.

Plan (a) is a solution based campaign that has been specifically ideated and executed to assist underprivileged communities who wish to build their own homes due to a lack of government housing support.

The need to create this work was prompted by the demolition of informal home builds being rolled out by government in the South of Johannesburg, within specific communities.

Many of these communities earn a minimum wage ($1.27 per hour), making them unable to afford the high cost of the legislative requirement of a registered professional planning these builds. Plan (a) and its awareness directly focuses on solving this challenge, targeting the audience of underprivileged black communities who wish to build their own homes.

Plan (a) has acted as a demonstrative protest to the South African government on how a simple solution could assist so many in need, adding further nuance to the work fit for this market.

Over the past 30 years South Africans have dreamed of progress and a better life, having ended the oppressive apartheid era through democracy. However, the promises of the past have yet to come to fruition as their needs as people are left unmet. Seeing government figures live in elaborate opulence with tax payers money, with a single(1) government officials home build cost recorded that could have funded home builds for over 600 underprivileged families has shown where priorities lie. This has grown a temperament of self-survival within these communities to make things happen for themselves. It is due to this hardship and stedfast behaviour that has seen over 100 families (with the threat of more) lose their homes and life-savings in ironic demolition. 'Build this ad' is not just a direct solution to build a home without risk, but a call to continue in the pursuit of a better life.