Housing Finance in South Sudan
Overview
This profile is also available in French here.
To download a pdf version of the full 2021 South Sudan country profile, click here.
South Sudan had an estimated population of 11.2 million in 2020, of which approximately half a million live in the capital and largest city, Juba. The country is ranked 185 out of 189 countries and territories in the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP’s) Human Development Index (HDI). Nine out of 10 South Sudanese experience multidimensional poverty and almost 83% of South Sudan’s population of 11.2 million people live in rural areas, though less than 5% of arable land is cultivated. With an urbanisation rate of 2.68% and high levels of poverty, most of the population (both in rural and urban areas) live in largely self-built and owner-occupied traditional mud houses. South Sudan also lacks efficient land administration services and mechanisms to settle disputes at national and state levels. Housing, land, and property rights, including reclamation, restitution and reconstruction, therefore continue to be an issue.
The Republic of South Sudan became Africa’s 55th country on 9 July 2011 and was plunged into conflict only two years later and again in 2016. In response, the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan was signed on 12 September 2018 by the warring parties and a unity government was subsequently formed in February 2020.
As a small open economy South Sudan is extremely vulnerable to external shocks, a vulnerability exacerbated by dependence on a single commodity, crude oil, which constitutes approximately 33% of its gross domestic product (GDP), 90% of government revenues, and 95% of its exports. The service sector accounts for 6.1% of GDP, and the agriculture sector accounts for 15% of GDP and employs 80% of the population. The resumption of peace reopened oil fields, but falling global oil prices have reduced government revenues by 40% and increased the fiscal deficit to 4.9% of GDP in 2020 from 2.5% in 2019. Economic recovery driven by rising oil prices and a resumption in oil production was set back in 2020 by locust invasions, floods and COVID-19.
Find out more information on the housing finance sector of South Sudan, including key stakeholders, important policies and housing affordability:
- Macroeconomic Overview
- Access to Finance
- Affordability
- Housing Supply
- Property Markets
- Policy and Regulation
- Opportunities
- Urban Informality
- Availability of data on housing finance
- Additional Sources
- Websites
Each year, CAHF publishes its Housing Finance in Africa Yearbook. The profile above is from the 2021 edition, which has up-to-date profiles for 55 African countries.
Download yearbookSouth Sudan
Macroeconomic Overview
South Sudan had an estimated population of 11.2 million in 2020, of which approximately half a million live in the capital and largest city, Juba. The country is ranked 185 out of 189 countries and territories in the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP’s) Human Development Index (HDI). Nine out of 10 South Sudanese experience multidimensional poverty and almost 83% of South Sudan’s population of 11.2 million people live in rural areas, though less than 5% of arable land is cultivated. With an urbanisation rate of 2.68% and high levels of poverty, most of the population (both in rural and urban areas) live in largely self-built and owner-occupied traditional mud houses. South Sudan also lacks efficient land administration services and mechanisms to settle disputes at national and state levels. Housing, land, and property rights, including reclamation, restitution and reconstruction, therefore continue to be an issue.
The Republic of South Sudan became Africa’s 55th country on 9 July 2011 and was plunged into conflict only two years later and again in 2016. In response, the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan was signed on 12 September 2018 by the warring parties and a unity government was subsequently formed in February 2020.
As a small open economy South Sudan is extremely vulnerable to external shocks, a vulnerability exacerbated by dependence on a single commodity, crude oil, which constitutes approximately 33% of its gross domestic product (GDP), 90% of government revenues, and 95% of its exports. The service sector accounts for 6.1% of GDP, and the agriculture sector accounts for 15% of GDP and employs 80% of the population. The resumption of peace reopened oil fields, but falling global oil prices have reduced government revenues by 40% and increased the fiscal deficit to 4.9% of GDP in 2020 from 2.5% in 2019. Economic recovery driven by rising oil prices and a resumption in oil production was set back in 2020 by locust invasions, floods and COVID-19.
The country relies on remittances and foreign direct investment. Banking, which dominates the financial sector, has been affected by the COVID-19 containment measures as credit to the private sector, which fell by 20% in 2019, dropped another 40% in 2020, reflecting the high cost of finance in the country. Real GDP is expected to grow by 0.1%in 2021 and 2.5% in 2022. Inflation, which increased to an estimated 31.1% in 2020 from 24.5% in2019, is expected to drop to 23.3% in 2021 as containment measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 are eased. The exchange rate influences inflation as South Sudan is severely dependent on imports for a wide array of goods such as building materials, medicines, maize flour, sugar and cooking oil. The oil sector has continued to be the primary driver of growth, with estimated oil production of 62.1 million barrels in FY2019/20. In the agricultural sector, the cultivated area increased by 6% in 2020 compared to the previous year.
[1] Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook: South Sudan. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/od.html (Accessed 3 September 2020).
[2] Aljazeera (2020). Timeline: South Sudan since independence. 22 February 2020. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/timeline-south-sudan-independence-200222173029619.html (Accessed 4 September 2020).
[3] Mednick, S. (2020). After 6 years of war, will peace finally come to South Sudan? 23 February 2020. Aljazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/6-years-war-peace-finally-south-sudan-200223114919537.html (Accessed 4 September 2020).
[4] Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook: South Sudan. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/od.html (Accessed 3 September 2020).
[5] Williams, W. (2020) COVID-19 and Africa’s Displacement Crisis. 25 March 2020. https://africacenter.org/spotlight/covid-19-and-africas-displacement-crisis/ (Accessed 4 September 2020).
[6] Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook: South Sudan. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/od.html (Accessed 3 September 2020).
[7] Williams, W. (2020). COVID-19 and Africa’s Displacement Crisis. 25 March 2020. https://africacenter.org/spotlight/covid-19-and-africas-displacement-crisis/ (Accessed 4 September 2020).
[8] UNDP. South Sudan. [8] United Nations Development Programme. https://www.ss.undp.org/content/south_sudan/en/home/countryinfo.html#:~:text=Challenges&text=South%20Sudan%20is%20expansive%2C%20largely,than%20US%241%20per%20day (Accessed 19 September 2020).
[9] Ministry of Finance and Planning (2020). National Budget Brief: South Sudan 2019. http://www.mofep-grss.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/UNICEF-South-Sudan-National-Budget-Brief-2019.pdf (Accessed 4 September 2020). Pg. 7.
[10] Trading Economics. South Sudan GDP 2008-2019 Data. https://tradingeconomics.com/south-sudan/gdp (Accessed 4 September 2020).
[11] Wani, G.A. (2020). Press statement To Mitigate Negative Impacts of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on South Sudan Economy. 13 July 2020. Bank of South Sudan. https://www.bankofsouthsudan.org/2020/07/13/press-statement-to-mitigate-negative-impacts-of-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-on-south-sudan-economy/ (Accessed 4 September 2020).
[12] World Bank (2020). South Sudan: World Bank Provides $7.6 Million in Support of Coronavirus Emergency Response. 9 April 2020. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2020/04/09/south-sudan-world-bank-provides-76-million-in-support-of-coronavirus-emergency-response (Accessed 19 September 2020).
[13] Ministry of Finance and Planning (2019). Citizens Enacted Budget 2019/2020. 21 August 2019. https://www.unicef.org/southsudan/media/2996/file/Citizens-Enacted-Budget-2019-2020.pdf (Accessed 19 September 2020). Pg. 8.
[14] Trading Economics. South Sudan Inflation Rate. https://tradingeconomics.com/south-sudan/inflation-cpi (Accessed 19 September 2020).
[15] Ministry of Finance and Planning (2019). Citizens Enacted Budget 2019/2020. 21 August 2019. https://www.unicef.org/southsudan/media/2996/file/Citizens-Enacted-Budget-2019-2020.pdf (Accessed 19 September 2020). Pg. 9.
[16] Ministry of Finance and Planning (2019). Citizens Enacted Budget 2019/2020. 21 August 2019. https://www.unicef.org/southsudan/media/2996/file/Citizens-Enacted-Budget-2019-2020.pdf (Accessed 19 September 2020). Pg. 9.
Access to Finance
The Bank of South Sudan supervises and regulates commercial banks. The banking legal framework is governed mainly by two acts, the Bank of South Sudan Act 2011 and the Banking Act 2012. South Sudan has 27 regional, national and foreign commercial banks. The main national banks are African National Bank, Agricultural Bank, Buffalo Commercial Bank, Eden Commercial Bank and Ivory Bank, with St Theresa Rural Development Bank being the most recently licensed bank, having begun its operations in 2016. No other depository corporations operate in South Sudan at present.
The exchange rate of the South Sudanese Pound has seen some volatility since the currency was introduced in 2011, but towards the end of 2017 gradually stabilised as the country’s money growth began to slow. This period of macroeconomic stability lasted until the start of the pandemic in March 2021 and the resultant sharp fall in oil revenues led to a resumption of monetary financing of the deficit, leading to “high money growth, exchange rate depreciation and rising inflation.”
The National Revenue Authority (NRA) has recently digitalised the collection of custom duties, which account for approximately 10% of non-oil tax revenue, resulting in a significant improvement in revenue collection from such tax.
South Sudan’s external public debt was estimated at SS£442 million (US$1.355 million), or 41% of GDP, as of June 2020., At that date, commercial loans accounted for 81% of the total external debt. Restructuring of the country’s commercial debt with Qatar National Bank, which accounts for 46% of external debt, improved the country’s risk rating from debt distress to high risk in October 2020, and debt restructuring and clearance of arrears owed to Sudan helped cut overall external debt to 28.3% of GDP. South Sudan’s domestic debt had been low at below 10% of GDP prior to the COVID-19 crisis. Domestic debt is mostly in the form of loans from the central bank. The government had stopped monetary financing in late 2017, which helped lower inflation and stabilise the exchange rate. The COVID-19 crisis triggered some monetary financing, increasing domestic debt by approximately five percentage points in FY2019/20, but there has been no further monetary financing of the budget since September 2020.
Given that most of the population live in rural areas, bank penetration is negligible. With only 1% percent of the population having bank accounts in 2016, the client base of commercial banks is limited. In 2018 the non-performing loan rate was 5.1%, the lowest in the country’s history. Financial sector growth has, however, not led to an increase in credit for construction and real estate, for which the percentage of loans was only 19% in 2018.
Equity Bank South Sudan offers a mortgage and construction loan, which can be used to buy or construct a building for residential use or as commercial premises. For both the mortgage loan and the construction loan the repayment period is a maximum of 20 years for a home purchase. The repayment period is a maximum of 10 years for a commercial property purchase. Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) offers five products, including home loans to buy already-built homes, construction and commercial loans, loans to buy a plot of land, loans to buy a plot and construct and loans to buy or build income-generating housing units. Loan financing is broken down into 90% for straight purchase, with a repayment period of up to 20 years; 80% for commercial or income-generation with a repayment of up to 20 years; and 70% for plot purchase with a repayment of up to five years. The interest rate on these loans is 17%. The loan to buy a piece of land offers financing of up to 85% value of the property with a repayment period of up to 24 months. The loan advanced to buy a plot and construct has loan financing of up to 80% value of property with a repayment period of up to 10 years and interest rates from 15.5%.
South Sudan’s global ranking on the ability of businesses and citizens to get credit is low, with the country being ranked at 181 out of 190 countries in the 2020 World Bank Doing Business report. South Sudan has a weak score on credit registry coverage, currently zero, and a score of two on strength of legal rights index. The country scores a zero on depth of credit information index and a zero on credit bureau coverage. Banks and financial institutions cannot access borrowers’ credit information online and bureau or registry credit scores are not offered to help banks and financial institutions assess the creditworthiness of borrowers. Little has been done to allow greater access to finance for poorer citizens, and access to credit is generally considered low.
[1] African Development Bank Group (2016). Extension of the 2012-2016 interim country strategy paper (I-CSP) to December 2018 and country portfolio performance review (CPPR) 2016. https://www.afdb.org/sites/default/files/2019/07/09/south_sudan_-_extension_of_the_2012-2016_interim_country_strategy.pdf (Accessed4 September 2020). Pg. 5.
[2] Bank of South Sudan (2020). List of Banks. https://www.bankofsouthsudan.org/banking-supervision/banking-supervision/ (Accessed 1 September 2020).
[3] African Development Bank Group (2016). Extension of the 2012-2016 interim country strategy paper (I-CSP) to December 2018 and country portfolio performance review (CPPR) 2016. https://www.afdb.org/sites/default/files/2019/07/09/south_sudan_-_extension_of_the_2012-2016_interim_country_strategy.pdf (Accessed 4 September 2020). Pg. 5.
[4] African Development Bank Group (2016). Extension of the 2012-2016 interim country strategy paper (I-CSP) to December 2018 and country portfolio performance review (CPPR) 2016. https://www.afdb.org/sites/default/files/2019/07/09/south_sudan_-_extension_of_the_2012-2016_interim_country_strategy.pdf (Accessed 4 September 2020). Pg. 5.
[5] Ngahu, J. and Stefanski, S. (2012). IFC Mobile Money Scoping Country Report: South Sudan. https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/7ea00a91-a8fa-4e6b-86c1-30f744ebd600/MobileMoneyScoping_SouthSudan.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=jTaHesT (Accessed 19 September 2020). Pg.22.
[6] Bank of South Sudan (2019). Statistical Bulletin. https://bankofsouthsudan.org/st/19/STATISTICALBULLETINAug19.xlsx (Accessed 29 August 2020).
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Sudan Tribune (2013). Over 90% of houses in South Sudan are grass-thatched, mud huts. 29 April 2013. https://sudantribune.com/spip.php?article46395 (Accessed 4 September 2020).
[10] Ibid.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid.
Affordability
Poverty and unemployment, which disproportionately affect the youth and women in South Sudan, are underlying issues. Approximately 82% of the population in South Sudan is poor according to the most recent estimates based on the US$1.90 2011 purchasing power parity poverty line. Furthermore, more than six million, approximately half of the population, face crisis-level food insecurity in 2021. The extremity of these socioeconomic vulnerabilities means that most South Sudanese cannot afford formal housing.
The price of the cheapest, newly built house by a formal developer or contractor in an urban area in local currency units ranges from SS£5 210 400 to SS£5 861 700 (US$15 992 to U$S17 990). The size of this property would be between 20m2 by 25m2 or 40m2 by 50m2. The typical monthly rental price for the cheapest, newly built house by a formal developer or contractor in local currency units ranges from SS£390 80 to SS£1 302 600 (US$1 199 to US$3 998). The construction labour cost in local currency units for the cheapest, newly built house starts from SS£500 000/m2 (US$1 535/m2) and the total construction cost for the cheapest, newly built house is estimated to start from SS£20 million/m2 to SS£35 million/m2 (US$61 384/m2 to US$107 421/m2). A bag of 50kg of cement costs SS£4 000 (US$ 12, 28).
Estimates from primary mortgage lenders in 2017 were that South Sudan held 800 housing finance loans worth US$1.7 million (SS£554 million), with an average loan size of US$5 000 (SS£1 629 099) and a maximum loan size of US$40 000 (SS£13 032 792) over five years, implying a monthly income of US$400 (SS£130 328). The per capita income in South Sudan is US$1 085 (SS£353 514), with the average monthly net income of those in formal employment reported to be US$586 (SS£190 930).
[1] Murillo, F. (2012). Comparing Shelter and housing strategies in South Sudan. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and UN Habitat. https://www.academia.edu/6138232/Comparing_shelter_and_housing_strategies_in_South_Sudan (Accessed 28 August 2020). Pg. 6.
[2] Murillo, F. (2012). Comparing Shelter and housing strategies in South Sudan. UNHCR and UN Habitat. https://www.academia.edu/6138232/Comparing_shelter_and_housing_strategies_in_South_Sudan (Accessed 28 August 2020). Pg. 18.
[3] Murillo, F. (2012). Comparing Shelter and housing strategies in South Sudan. UNHCR and UN Habitat. https://www.academia.edu/6138232/Comparing_shelter_and_housing_strategies_in_South_Sudan (Accessed 28 August 2020). Pg. 7.
[4] Murillo, F. (2012). Comparing Shelter and housing strategies in South Sudan. UNHCR and UN Habitat. https://www.academia.edu/6138232/Comparing_shelter_and_housing_strategies_in_South_Sudan (Accessed 28 August 2020). Pg. 18.
[5] Murillo, F. (2012). Comparing Shelter and housing strategies in South Sudan. UNHCR and UN-Habitat. https://www.academia.edu/6138232/Comparing_shelter_and_housing_strategies_in_South_Sudan (Accessed 28 August 2020). Pg. 8.
[6] Murillo, F. (2012). Comparing Shelter and housing strategies in South Sudan. UNHCR and UN-Habitat. https://www.academia.edu/6138232/Comparing_shelter_and_housing_strategies_in_South_Sudan (Accessed 28 August 2020). Pg. 18.
[7] Kayiira, D. (2017). Presentation: Landscape of Housing Investments in Eastern Africa. 18 October 2017 African Union for Housing Finance (AUHF) 33rd Annual Conference and AGM. http://www.auhf.co.za/wordpress/assets/Day2_08h00_Kayiira_Consultant-Presentation_Eastern-Africa-Investment-Landscape-Presentation.pdf (Accessed 20 August 2020). Pg. 28.
[8] UN Development Programme. About South Sudan. https://www.ss.undp.org/content/south_sudan/en/home/countryinfo.html. (Accessed 4 September 2020).
[9] Numbeo. Cost of Living in South Sudan. https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=South+Sudan (Accessed 4 September 2020).
Housing Supply
The continuing delay in approving the National Land Policy, under development since 2006, undermines filling gaps in housing, land and property-related legal frameworks that draw from the land policies. Also, most of the formal implementing institutions provided for in the 2009 Land Act and in the Draft Land Policy have not been established, making it difficult for rural communities to access housing-related services.
In various locations in South Sudan individuals must pay for a land survey to secure land ownership. Sometimes those able to pay for the land survey first have a greater chance of securing land ownership, regardless of rightful ownership. The absence of a harmonised and coherent national land registration and documentation system contributes to the increase in land disputes and hinders their resolution.
As part of the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development FY 2020/21 budget plans, the ministry will reconstruct 50 low-cost housing units in Juba and construct 5 000 public affordable low-cost housing units for returnees in state capital cities, construct three solid and three liquid waste management facilities in Juba, Wau and Malakal and establish a research centre for building material testing in Juba. Shelter Afrique signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Juba-based real estate firm Triangle Real Estate for a military housing project in South Sudan. Under the agreement, Triangle Real Estate will act as the developer and contractor of the project while Shelter Afrique will provide the funding and act as the lead arranger to help raise additional financing through the syndication of other developmental financial institutions. The cost of the housing project is estimated to be around US$1.5 billion (SS£489 billion) and will involve building a total of 26 000 housing units, divided into 148 housing blocks. The housing units will be constructed at New Site, Qiada Junubiya, J-3 Presidential Guards Apartments, and at New Bonga.
[1] Ministry of Finance and Planning (2020). National Budget Brief: South Sudan 2019. http://www.mofep-grss.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/UNICEF-South-Sudan-National-Budget-Brief-2019.pdf (Accessed 4 September 2020). Pg. 10.
[2] Knoema (2019). South Sudan – Urban population as a share of total population. https://knoema.com/atlas/South-Sudan/Urban-population (Accessed 4 September 2020).
[3] Kayiira, D. (2017). South Sudan Landscape of Investment. December 2017. Centre for Affordable Housing Finance Country Report. https://housingfinanceafrica.org/app/uploads/South-Sudan_-FINAL-.pdf (Accessed 4 September 2020) Pg. 2.
[4] Kayiira, D. (2017). Presentation: Landscape of Housing Investments in Eastern Africa. 18 October 2017 AUHF 33rd Annual Conference and AGM http://www.auhf.co.za/wordpress/assets/Day2_08h00_Kayiira_Consultant-Presentation_Eastern-Africa-Investment-Landscape-Presentation.pdf (Accessed 29 August 2020). Pg. 24.
Property Markets
In 2014 it was estimated that 50% of the urban population lived on unregistered land. The occupation of unregistered land potentially demarcated for alternate uses results in a high risk of eviction in urban and peri-urban areas. South Sudan has seen an increasing number of people living in fast-urbanising areas. For census purposes, only people who live in towns and cities are considered to be the urban population and as of 2020 this represents approximately 22% of the country’s total population. The rapid urbanisation taking place in South Sudan has been driven by massive rural and urban migration caused by the prolonged conflict in the country. However, the peace agreement and independence of South Sudan have also led to streams of internally displaced people and returning exiles flocking to urban centres, with the effect that the city of Juba has grown in size approximately five times in the past 10 years. This growth has happened without any proper layout or planning and has led to spontaneous settlements, which authorities have not been able to keep pace with and to which services have not been extended.
The World Bank Doing Business 2020 report shows no official statistics are available for tracking the number of transactions for property registration. All privately held land plots are not registered and there is no electronic database for recording boundaries, checking plans and providing cadastral information. Acquiring construction permits takes 23 procedures over 131 days at 8.5% of the property value. Registration of a property takes seven procedures over 48 days at 14.6% of the property value.
[1] World Bank (2014). Land Governance in South Sudan: Policies for Peace and Development. May 2014. http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/ru/421901468336313987/pdf/869580WP0P14370nance0in0South0Sudan.pdf (Accessed 4 September 2020). Pg. viii.
[2] Shelter NFI Cluster South Sudan (2017). Key Housing, Land and Property (HLP) Issues in Urban Areas of South Sudan. September 2017. https://www.sheltercluster.org/sites/default/files/docs/key_housing_land_and_property_hlp_issues_in_urban_areas_of_south_sudan_.pd (Accessed 4 September 2020). Pg. 7.
[3] Shelter NFI Cluster South Sudan (2017) Key Housing, Land and Property (HLP) Issues in Urban Areas of South Sudan. September 2017. https://www.sheltercluster.org/sites/default/files/docs/key_housing_land_and_property_hlp_issues_in_urban_areas_of_south_sudan_.pdf (Accessed 4 September 2020). Pg. 6.
[4] World Bank (2020). Doing Business 2020. Economy Profile South Sudan. https://www.doingbusiness.org/content/dam/doingBusiness/country/s/south-sudan/SSD.pdf (Accessed 4 September 2020). Pgs. 26-27.
[5] World Bank 2020). Doing Business 2020. Economy Profile South Sudan. https://www.doingbusiness.org/content/dam/doingBusiness/country/s/south-sudan/SSD.pdf (Accessed 4 September 2020). Pg. 11.
[6] World Bank (2020). Doing Business 2020. Economy Profile South Sudan. https://www.doingbusiness.org/content/dam/doingBusiness/country/s/south-sudan/SSD.pdf (Accessed 4 September 2020). Pg. 22.
Policy and Regulation
The administration of land is governed by the Land Act of 2009, the Local Government Act of 2009 and the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan of 2011. The Land Policy of 2011 is not yet in force. The ministry in charge of housing in South Sudan is the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.
[1]Martin, E. and Mossel, I. (2011). City limits: urbanisation and vulnerability in Sudan: Juba Case Study. January 2011. https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/6511.pdf (Accessed 4 September 2020). Pg. 7.
[2] Mabior, M.M. (2017). Is the SPLM Vision of “Taking Towns to People” still Alive or Dead? 17 January 2017. Paanluelwel. https://paanluelwel.com/2017/01/17/is-the-splm-vision-of-taking-towns-to-people-still-alive-or-dead/ (Accessed 4 September 2020).
[3] Martin, E, and Mossel, I. (2011). City limits: urbanisation and vulnerability in Sudan: Juba Case Study. January 2011. https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/6511.pdf (Accessed 4 September 2020). Pg. 7.
[4] Ministry of Finance and Planning (2019). National Budget Plan. http://www.mofep-grss.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/FY-2019-2020-Approved-Budget-Book.pdf (Accessed 4 September 2020). Pg. 7.
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Opportunities
Following the transitional government’s power-sharing agreement, the state intends to diversify and stabilise the economy. The economy is now heavily reliant on the oil sector, as well as support from the international community from a humanitarian and developmental investment perspective. A possible breach in the peace accord and oil price fluctuations are the main downside risks to the growth outlook for South Sudan.
The housing value chain in South Sudan is characterised by a lack of urban professionals such planners, municipal engineers, urban designers and architects. The lack of these type of professionals and the necessary technical equipment has resulted in the uncontrolled growth of urban settlements and urban planning in South Sudan has consisted mainly of rudimentary subdivision layouts usually intended to demarcate plots to be allocated by local authorities. The issue of spontaneous settlements is exacerbated by the waves of returnees and refugees which the country regularly has to deal with.
[1] Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook: South Sudan. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/od.html (Accessed 3 September 2020).
Urban Informality
Approximately 91.4% of the urban population in South Sudan lives in inadequate housing, with 40% of the population having access to safe water and 10% of the population with access to sanitation. In 2020 South Sudan had an urbanisation rate of 2.7% and a population growth rate of 1.2%.
There is insufficient data to specify housing stock availability and while also evident among the urban population, poverty in South Sudan is said to be primarily rural. Traditional mud huts are the most common housing typology across South Sudan, even in urban centres. Although these units are easy to build, they have flawed foundations, are prone to flooding, are poorly ventilated and have high maintenance requirements.
[1] Radio Tamazuj (2020). South Sudan halts flights to countries affected by coronavirus. 15 March 2020. https://radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/south-sudan-halts-flights-to-countries-affected-by-coronavirus (Accessed 1September 2020).
[2] Radio Tamazuj (2020). South Sudan closes schools, universities amid coronavirus fears. https://radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/south-sudan-closes-schools-universities-amid-coronavirus-fears (Accessed 1 September 2020).
[3] Radio Tamazuj (2020). South Sudan imposes night time curfew over coronavirus. https://radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/south-sudan-imposes-nighttime-curfew-over-coronavirus (Accessed 1 September 2020).
[4] World Aware (2020). COVID-19 Alert: South Sudan Partially Easing Lockdown Measures. 8 May 2020. https://www.worldaware.com/covid-19-alert-south-sudan-partially-easing-lockdown-measures-may-8 (Accessed 1 September 2020).
[5] Wani, G.A. (2020). Press statement To Mitigate Negative Impacts of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on South Sudan Economy. 13 July 2020. Bank of South Sudan. https://www.bankofsouthsudan.org/2020/07/13/press-statement-to-mitigate-negative-impacts-of-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-on-south-sudan-economy/ (Accessed 4 September 2020).
[6] Wudu, W.S. (2020). South Sudan Central Bank Lowers Interest Rates in Response to COVID-19. 8 July 2020. VOA News. https://www.voanews.com/africa/south-sudan-focus/south-sudan-central-bank-lowers-interest-rates-response-covid-19 (Accessed 2 September 2020).
[7] Wani, G.A. (2020). Press statement To Mitigate Negative Impacts of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on South Sudan Economy. 13 July 2020. Bank of South Sudan. https://www.bankofsouthsudan.org/2020/07/13/press-statement-to-mitigate-negative-impacts-of-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-on-south-sudan-economy/ (Accessed 4 September 2020).
[8] Wani, G.A. (2020). Press statement To Mitigate Negative Impacts of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on South Sudan Economy. 13 July 2020. Bank of South Sudan. https://www.bankofsouthsudan.org/2020/07/13/press-statement-to-mitigate-negative-impacts-of-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-on-south-sudan-economy/ (Accessed 4 September 2020).
[9] Wani, G.A. (2020). Press statement To Mitigate Negative Impacts of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on South Sudan Economy. 13 July 2020. Bank of South Sudan. https://www.bankofsouthsudan.org/2020/07/13/press-statement-to-mitigate-negative-impacts-of-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-on-south-sudan-economy/ (Accessed 4 September 2020).
[10] Wani, G.A. (2020). Press statement To Mitigate Negative Impacts of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on South Sudan Economy. 13 July 2020. Bank of South Sudan. https://www.bankofsouthsudan.org/2020/07/13/press-statement-to-mitigate-negative-impacts-of-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-on-south-sudan-economy/ (Accessed 4 September 2020).
[11] Housing, Land and Property Technical Group (2020). Evictions in South Sudan During the COVID Crisis
Housing Land and Property Technical Working Group Key Messages. May 2020. http://data.globalprotectioncluster.org/fr/documents/download/153 (Accessed 2 September 2020).
[12] Housing, Land and Property Technical Group (2020). Evictions in South Sudan During the COVID Crisis
Housing Land and Property Technical Working Group Key Messages. May 2020. http://data.globalprotectioncluster.org/fr/documents/download/153 (Accessed 2 September 2020).
[13] Doctors without Borders (2020). COVID -19 in East Africa. https://www.msf.org.za/covid-19-east-africa (Accessed 4 September 2020).
Availability of data on housing finance
The Bank of South Sudan publishes monthly statistical bulletins but the publications are limited to financial figures with no accompanying explanatory narrative. Information on the general financial landscape of the country, inflation and lending statistics are not updated regularly and a significant number of archived reports are not available on the website. Those that are available are not updated on a yearly/quarterly basis, making it particularly difficult to reconcile the statistical bulletin information provided with the actual state of housing finance in the country.
The National Bureau of Statistics is mandated by the Transitional Constitution to collect, analyse and disseminate all official economic, social, and demographic statistics. However, the information published on the website is outdated, with the last Sudan Population and Housing Census having been conducted in 2008 and the annual statistical yearbooks only available for 2009 and 2010.
Communication on social media appears to be the preferred method of communication instead of formal websites, as evidence by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development providing regular updates on its social media platform without having an accessible official website.
Additional Sources
Maseland, J. (2020) COVID-19 in African Cities. Impacts, Responses and Policies. June 2020. https://www.tralac.org/documents/resources/covid-19/regional/3738-covid-19-in-african-cities-impacts-responses-and-policies-uneca-june-2020/file.html (Accessed 4 September 2020).
Noko, K. (2020) In Africa, social distancing is a privilege few can afford. 22 March 2020. Aljazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/africa-social-distancing-privilege-afford-200318151958670.html (Accessed 4 September 2020).
Norwegian Refugee Council (2020) An Unnecessary Burden: Forced Evictions and Covid-19. July 2020. https://www.nrc.no/globalassets/pdf/briefing-notes/an-unnecessary-burden-forced-evictions-and-covid-19-in-east-africa/an-unnecessary-burden_nrc-briefng-note_july-2020.pdf (Accessed 3 September 2020).
Tiitmamer, N. and Awolich, A. (2020) The COVID-19 Pandemic Vulnerability Factors in South Sudan. 15 May 2020. The SUDD Institute. https://media.africaportal.org/documents/5ec35cdc23465_TheCOVIDPandemicVulnerabilityFactorsInSouthSudan_Full.pdf (Accessed 4 September 2020).
Websites
African Development Bank www.afdb.org
Aljazeera www.aljazeera.com
Bank of South Sudan www.bankofsouthsudan.org
CIA World Factbook www.cia.gov
Doing Business www.doingbusiness.org
International Monetary Fund www.imf.org
International Finance Corporation www.ifc.org
Knoema www.knoema.com
Ministry of Finance and Planning www.mofep-grss.org/
Numbeo www.numbeo.com
Trading Economics www.tradingeconomics.com
Urban Africa www.urbanafirca.net
UN-Habitat www.unhabitat.org
World Bank www.worldbank.org
