The Minister of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane, will tomorrow, 27 August 2026, deliver a keynote address at the second Housing Development Agency (HAD) Women Who Build the Nation Summit, under the theme: “Women at the Centre of Development, Growth and Nation Building’’.

The summit is a flagship platform that celebrates the leadership, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape South Africa’s development agenda. It will bring together leaders from government, state-owned entities, the private sector, academia and civil society to engage in meaningful dialogue on inclusive development, economic empowerment and nation building. 

Minister Simelane will be joined by the Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Ms Tandi Mahambehlala, and the Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Ms Tasneem Motara.
The summit seeks to highlight the critical role women play in advancing sustainable development, driving economic growth and building resilient communities across South Africa.

The Housing Development Agency (HDA) is a national public sector development agency mandated to identify, acquire, prepare and develop suitable land for human settlements. The agency also undertakes programme and project management for the development of housing and human settlements throughout the country.

Members of the media are invited to cover the summit:
Date: Thursday, 27 August 2026
Time: 09h00
Venue: Maslow Hotel, Sandton 
Enquiries: Tsekiso Machike, Spokesperson to the Minister on 077 410 5050 Tsekiso.Machike@dhs.gov.za   

Issued by the Ministry of Human Settlements, Govan Mbeki House 240, Justice Mahomed Street, Sunnyside, Pretoria