Can AI reinvent housing in South Africa?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the residential-property value chain in South Africa, offering solutions to some of the sector’s most pressing challenges.
From design and construction to finance and property transactions, AI is transforming the way stakeholders interact with the housing market.
Edward de Jager
Director of Operations at BPAS Architects
Enhancing creativity and efficiency in architecture
AI has become a useful tool in real estate as it develops at an impressive pace. For starters, AI has become an invaluable tool for architects. Edward de Jager, Director of Operations at BPAS Architects, highlights how generative AI is helping design and refine layouts, automate drafting and expedite early-stage feasibility studies:
“By visualising multiple design variations quickly, AI frees up architects to focus on creative and client-specific work. However, while AI enhances efficiency, it cannot replace the human touch.”
He explains that AI also plays a role in sustainable and affordable housing. Through rapid simulations, AI helps to test energy-efficient solutions and optimise material use, which ultimately reduces both costs and environmental impact.
“In under-resourced areas, AI can help deliver scalable, cost-effective designs that cater to local climates and materials, making quality architecture more accessible,” says De Jager.
Alice Moeti
Quantity Surveyor and Council Member for the SACQSP
Boosting efficiency and accuracy in quantity surveying
For quantity surveyors, AI significantly enhances the accuracy of cost estimates by analysing historical data. Nosiyabonga Mgudlwa Mongane, Chief Quantity Surveyor at the Department of Basic Education and Past President of the SA Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession (SACQSP), explains that machine learning tools enable faster, more accurate budget projections, which reduces errors and budget overruns. AI can also predict project risks and offer proactive solutions.
Alice Moeti, Quantity Surveyor and SACQSP council member, says that while AI can improve efficiency as it improves workflows, it cannot replace human expertise.
“AI is transforming quantity surveyors into data-driven strategists who focus more on high-value tasks such as risk management, stakeholder communication and ethical oversight,” she says.
Without disclosing figures, Moeti says that AI has significantly improved the speed and accuracy of her cost estimates on projects. “Using 3D modelling, I could identify all elements on the drawings more precisely, allowing me to measure everything accurately. This directly improved cost accuracy,” she explains.
AI also enabled her to merge updated drawings throughout each project’s duration, helping her spot design changes that were not in the original cost plan. “This meant I could flag potential cost overruns early and alert the client in advance of any financial impact,” she says.
Another tool Moeti highlights is auto-measuring, which drastically reduces the manual effort required for take-offs. It speeds up the process, decreases the chance of human error and shortens the time needed to produce estimates and bills of quantities.
In short, AI is helping quantity surveyors like Moeti deliver faster, more accurate costings and manage risks more proactively throughout a project.
Michael Lenz
CEO of TransBridj
Streamlining processes in property transactions
AI is revolutionising property transactions by improving efficiency, reducing delays and increasing accuracy. Michael Lenz, CEO of TransBridj, explains that AI automates compliance fees, municipal payments and commission advances, cutting down on paperwork and speeding up deal closures. This results in fewer deal cancellations and better outcomes for realtors and sellers.
“In a high-interest-rate environment, this is a game changer for estate agents and sellers, as it provides quicker access to funds and enables faster transaction completions.”
TransBridj is a fullstack proptech and fintech platform designed to address the challenges of South Africa’s resale market. With its bank-grade security protocols and easy onboarding, it is democratising access to funding and compliance for both rural and urban property professionals. Full-stack refers to the process of developing both the frontend (user-facing) and the backend of applications.
Lenz explains that TransBridj works with sellers, estate agents and attorneys, not directly with buyers. Its AI tools are designed to streamline the property transaction process for these stakeholders, and to benefit buyers through faster turnaround times and fewer delays.
One example is TransBridj’s AI-powered document verification system. By integrating with trusted verification platforms, the company has reduced the time needed to verify documents for property funding and sales.
“What used to take 24 to 48 hours now takes just a few hours. That means funds are approved and disbursed faster, helping sellers close deals quicker and reducing the risk of sales falling through due to funding delays,” says Lenz.
TransBridj uses AI-driven market intelligence, combining web scraping and trend analysis to keep its clients informed about regional shifts in buyer behaviour, regulatory changes and property trends. “If there’s a spike in demand in a specific area, we can alert our network in real time, enabling sellers to price more competitively and helping estate agents advise clients more strategically,” Lenz says.
Looking ahead, the company plans to invest in analytics to extract insights from transaction data such as identifying common delays and top-performing areas. These insights will help partners streamline their workflows and deliver smoother, more efficient transactions.
“While we do not work directly with buyers, our tools create a ripple effect across the ecosystem by enabling faster, clearer and more informed property deals,” Lenz says.
“Our platform bridges more than just funds but also gaps in process, access and opportunity, making transactions faster, fairer and more transparent.”
George Turck
Vice President of the MRI Agora Platform
Smarter search and property matching
AI is also transforming property matchmaking. George Turck, Vice President of the MRI Agora Platform, explains how machine learning processes large amounts of data to present buyers and tenants with personalised property lists.
AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are making the property search process even more efficient. Available 24/7, these tools guide users through tasks such as scheduling property viewings and answering frequently asked questions. Turck says AI systems can detect anomalies in property listings, thereby helping to identify potential fraud and enhance security.
“Over time, AI learns from user preferences, improving its recommendations and saving clients from manual property searches.”
To show how the platform works, Turck shares the story of “Thandi”, a first-time homebuyer in Johannesburg. Like many, she was excited but overwhelmed by the traditional process – browsing listings, chasing agents, comparing prices and handling paperwork.
Instead, Thandi used an AI-powered property platform. She simply typed: “Pet-friendly, three-bedroom home near Rosebank with natural light.” Within seconds, AI filtered thousands of listings, tailored results to her preferences and predicted which homes she would most likely love. What once took days now took minutes, Turck says.
As she weighed her options, the platform provided real-time price insights, market trends and data on how long similar homes had been listed. One property was flagged as underpriced due to new nearby amenities, so she acted quickly and saved thousands before the market adjusted.
When she requested a viewing, a voice AI assistant responded instantly, answering questions, scheduling tours after hours and capturing other leads simultaneously. There were no delays and no manual follow-up was needed, Turck adds.
Once ready to make an offer, an AI-driven tool drafted the contract, flagged unusual clauses and ensured compliance. Meanwhile, another AI system verified the seller’s details, which reduced risk and sped up the process.
From search to signing, the journey took days instead of weeks. The agent closed a quality deal faster, the seller avoided sitting on the market and Thandi got her dream home with ease and confidence.
Turck says this is just one example, but increasingly, AI is not just improving property transactions but transforming them.
He explains that AI’s impact extends beyond commercial property transactions to playing a significant role in affordable housing. For social housing providers, AI-driven analytics can reduce administrative tasks by up to 80%, allowing developers to focus more on building communities. By streamlining processes and cutting costs, AI helps make housing more accessible to lower-income buyers, says Turck.
Nosiyabonga Mgudlwa Mongane
Chief Quantity Surveyor at the Department of Basic Education and Past President of the SA Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession
Training and development
Despite its potential, AI is not without limitations. Mongane stresses that technology is only as effective as the people using it.
“Many firms now offer ongoing professional development to keep staff up to date, but universities also need to include these tools in their courses to ensure graduates are ready for today’s construction demands,” says Mongane.
Moeti concurs but points out that while AI is reshaping the profession, it is about augmenting the workforce and not replacing it.
“By automating repetitive tasks, it allows quantity surveyors to focus on higher-value, strategic work,” Mongane says.
Moeti believes AI can help address the shortage of quantity surveyors in South Africa by improving efficiency, supporting training and enhancing project delivery. Key benefits include:
- Automating repetitive tasks, allowing quantity surveyors to focus on more complex, strategic work;
- Supporting training and knowledge transfer with real-time feedback, especially in regions like the Western Cape where the average artisan age is 57 making knowledge transfer urgent;
- Enhancing project management to help make better decisions and reduce errors;
- Promoting sustainable construction by analysing energy use, optimising materials and conducting lifecycle costing to meet net-zero targets; and
- Enabling remote collaboration, ensuring that even remote regions benefit from expert guidance.
“Quantity surveyors are crucial to infrastructure delivery and sustainability in South Africa. Losing skilled professionals slows delivery and weakens the profession, as replacing them is more costly than upskilling.”
Impact of technology on quality surveying tasks
Automating tasks
Frees surveyors for strategic work
Frees surveyors for strategic work
Enhancing management
Improves decisions and reduces errors
Promoting sustainability
Optimises materials, meets net-zero targets
Key takeaways
- AI optimises property design, making it faster and more cost effective.
- In quantity surveying, AI reduces errors and enhances predictive capabilities to improve project delivery.
- AI-powered platforms like TransBridj streamline property transactions, thus reducing delays and increasing efficiency.
- Machine learning personalises property matching, which saves both buyers’ and tenants’ time.
- AI is instrumental in supporting affordable housing and sustainability efforts, cutting administrative costs and promoting energy-efficient designs.