Setting the Stage

Langrug

Enumeration Report

The following statistics and information about Langrug were compiled in an enumeration report, or a survey of a community to gather numerical data concerning various aspects like number of people, employment, migration history, etc. The model questions for the surveys were taken from previous enumerations and forms from the City of Cape Town, ISN, CORC and SDI’s work in other countries. Several meetings were held to plan the report and refine the questionnaire from November 2010 to February 2011 as well as informational meetings for the entire community so everyone understood how the enumeration would work, what information was being collected and how it would be used afterwards. The enumeration team divided itself into three groups for measuring, mapping and data collection. They also subdivided the three sections of Langrug into 19 smaller sections so that each housing unit could be identified by a specific code for mapping and data collection purposes. A workshop was held prior to the start of the enumeration where volunteers from the community were instructed how to collect this data by conducting a 15-20 minute face-to-face survey of all of the families within Langrug. This data collection period lasted for about two and a half months. After all of the data was collected, it was entered into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and underwent cross-tabulation analysis to minimize the number of errors, although small errors may still be present due to the inexperience of the volunteers. The data was then presented and explained to the whole Langrug community (Informal Settlement Network, Stellenbosch Municipality, Langrug Community Leadership, & Community Organisation Resource Centre, June 2011).

This enumeration process demonstrates the cohesiveness and cooperation of the community that became the solid foundation for the upgrading process to be successful following the report. It was noted that the volunteers were not met with any resistance, which proves the high amount of trust that exists among community members. The large amount of volunteers necessary for this process showcases the community’s willingness to take matters into their own hands and begin the upgrading process for the improvement of their informal settlement. The enumeration process also demonstrates that communication strategies, like meetings and door-to-door surveying, are useful and effective in this particular situation. All of these factors reveal the fundamental community elements, like trust, cooperation, commitment to their settlement and communication, that have established Langrug as a model for community-driven upgrading.

To view the Enumeration Report, click here.

Demographics

Langrug is an informal settlement located in the town of Franschhoek outside of Stellenbosch, South Africa. It was illegally formed between 1993 and 1994 to provide housing for poor migrants from the Eastern Cape, who make up 72% of Langrug’s population, looking for work on the vineyards surrounding Stellenbosch (Informal Settlement Network, Stellenbosch Municipality, Langrug Community Leadership, & Community Organisation Resource Centre, June 2011). Another 19% of Langrug residents have migrated from the urban areas of the Western Cape. The settlement is currently made up of 1,858 shacks whose 4,088 inhabitants survive on low income, improvised shelters and basic water and sanitation facilities provided by the Municipality of Stellenbosch. There are 49 people per working toilet and 72 people per working tap. Due to the overcrowding that is characteristic of informal settlements, there have been 241 fires and widespread flooding that have affected multiple dwellings.

The employment rate in Langrug is just over 50% while 470 people in the community survive on welfare grants like child support, pensions and disability money. The majority of the estimated community expenses, R1,472,380 per month, are spent on food, clothing and electricity. Around 53% of the households surveyed in 2011 claimed to have been living in Langrug for less than five years while only 6% of the shacks have existed for more than 16 years. The majority of the population is between the ages of 26 and 40. Out of the children available to attend schooling, the group with the most attendance is primary school (6-13 yrs.) at 75%. Schools for children younger than 6 years old and between 13-18 years are attended by about half of those in their age group (Informal Settlement Network, Stellenbosch Municipality, Langrug Community Leadership, & Community Organisation Resource Centre, June 2011).

Pilot Upgrade Project

Langrug is being used as a pilot upgrade project by CORC due to the strength of the leadership within the community as well as the community’s willingness to learn and participate in its own development (Arendorf, 2012). CORC’s project manager in Langrug, Aditya Kumar, emphasized in a statement made in July 2012 that the Langrug project is “community centred and driven development – in partnership with local municipalities, other non-governmental organisations and stakeholders” (Arendorf, 2012). Representatives from the Langrug community were led by municipal officials in a visit to Uganda, where informal settlement upgrade strategies were witnessed, discussed and learned from (Informal Settlement Network, Stellenbosch Municipality, Langrug Community Leadership, & Community Organisation Resource Centre, June 2011). The upgrade project has been aided by other organisations besides CORC which include SDI, the University of Cape Town and the Stellenbosch Municipality (Arendorf, 2012). Langrug’s upgrade project has been so successful as a pioneer approach to upgrading that it recently won an award at the South African Planning Institute’s Planning Africa 2012 conference on 18 September, 2012 (Mxobo, 2012). The award was given in the Community/Outreach category and was received for the outstanding community development that has improved quality of living in the settlement. Langrug serves as an example for other informal settlements in terms of in-situ development, community inclusion and participatory development that have shaped its successful upgrading until this point (Mxobo, 2012).