Nissan SA hands over new houses to 24 families in Ga-Rankuwa

City of Tshwane Executive Mayor, Randal Williams, cuts the ribbon at one of the houses donated. | Source: Supplied

City of Tshwane Executive Mayor, Randal Williams (Center), with representatives from Nissan South Africa and Habitat for Humanity. | Source: Supplied

The donation is part of the Nissan Development Area (Nissanda) project, a development initiative in partnership with the City of Tshwane and non-profit organisation (NPO) Habitat for Humanity designed to alleviate the backlog of housing in South Africa.

The Nissanda initiative attempts to tackle poverty, injustice and unemployment in local communities while also cultivating a sense of belonging, ownership and community cohesion. This latest donation brings the total number of houses donated to 74.

Nissan corporate communications director for South Africa Wonga Mesatywa commented: “Having a home empowers people, affirms their dignity and provides them with a sense of ownership and value. The Nissanda project allows us to fulfil a basic human right by providing security to those who are most vulnerable.”

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200 families to benefit from the project

Cyrus Watuku, executive director at Habitat for Humanity South Africa, said that the non-profit organisation is committed to working towards a South Africa where everyone has a decent place to live, and its partnership with Nissan SA and the City of Tshwane has enabled the NPO to move closer to that goal through the Ga-Rankuwa project.

“Through the project, our target is to assist a total of 200 families in gaining access to housing opportunities that will allow the individuals and the Ga-Rankuwa community to thrive and live dignified lives,” Watuku said.

Mesatywa concurred, saying Habitat for Humanity’s ongoing efforts are well aligned with Nissan’s own support of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), most notably SDG 11, which is about sustainable cities and communities.

“At Nissan South Africa, we are committed to real social and economic development. We believe that everyone should enjoy the comfort and security that owning your own home brings. It is our privilege to have a role to play in turning what is one of the most basic human rights into a reality for the beneficiaries of the Nissanda project,” Mesatywa said.