Will the R8k KZN rebuild voucher from government be enough? Here's what it will get you

The government is considering immediate relief measures to help flood victims in KwaZulu-Natal. 

Sunday Times reported  government was considering appointing an independent agency to manage the billions of rand earmarked for disaster relief in the province. 

Other steps include erecting temporary housing units on stands where it is safe to rebuild damaged homes and giving affected families R8,000 vouchers to purchase building materials.

Torrential rain and landslides hit the province last week, destroying homes and infrastructure and displacing thousands of people.

At least 443 people died, with dozens of people still unaccounted for. Nearly 4,000 homes were destroyed and more than 40,000 people were displaced.

How much does building material cost?

According to a building contractor website, Procompare, the average cost of building materials in SA ranges from R1,000 to R6,000, depending on the material. 

The National Building Regulations (NBR) reportedly state that the floor of any permanent building used as a “dwelling house” must be no less than 30m². Permanent category 1 building may be smaller, 27m², and temporary buildings can be as small as 15m². 

To build these you could use between 1,500 and 3,000 bricks. The average prices of 1,000 bricks ranges from R3,000 to R5,000, depending on the brick.

Cement will cost you between R80 and R100 for a 50kg bag, while plaster and building sand costs between R35 and R40 for 40kg.

A quick glance on Builders Warehouse shows the cheapest door is a single hollow core door for R309. The cheapest wooden door at Cashbuild is R259.95.

IBR (inverted box rib) sheeting (0.5 x 686 x 3000mm) starts at R395, depending on the size of the house being built. 

A single corrugated iron sheet (2.4m) ranges from R249 to R270.

How much does a ready-made shack cost? 

Ready-made shacks are built of sheets of corrugated iron nailed together on a wooden frame, with one wall containing cutouts for the door and one or two windows. 

The average cost, according to Facebook Marketplace, ranges from R3,400 to R3,600. A family-size shack costs about R4,600 to R7,000.

Issac Mguni, a Johannesburg-based shack builder, said ready-made shacks could cost R20,000 to R25,000, depending on size, materials, location and how well it is built. 

“Some ready-made shacks are made up of a kitchen, more than one bedroom and a living room. They can house a double bed, wardrobes and have its own electricity box,” he told TimesLIVE. 

How long does it take to build a shack?

Tebogo Johane, a Mabopane-based shack builder, told TimesLIVE a bachelor pad shack can take a day-and-a-half to build. Building a three-bedroom structure could take about a week — a fraction of the time it would take to construct a brick dwelling.

“I make them [shacks] the same height as a regular house and I build them in such a way that a full ceiling can be installed. They can have bathrooms and a kitchen, a garage, whatever my client wants,” he said. 

The most important factors to consider when building a shack is to make sure it is rat and leak proof.

“I paint carbolineum oil on the wood before I use it. The way I link the sheets as well. Mine are able to withstand heavy rain and won’t budge because of the technique I use of drilling holes into the corners. My work could last five to 10 years,” Johane said.  

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