Gentrification in Durban’s Point Precinct and its impact on access to low-cost housing

Gentrification is a global urban phenomenon with significant socioeconomic and spatial consequences, particularly for low-income communities. In Durban’s Point Precinct, substantial urban transformation has raised critical questions about housing accessibility and social equity. This study explores how gentrification impacts access to low-cost housing in the Point Precinct, examining how urban renewal and economic reinvestment contribute to displacement, housing exclusion, and socio-spatial inequalities. Using qualitative methods in-depth interviews with 54 participants (50 residents and 4 municipal officials), document analysis, and field observations, the research reveals that while gentrification fosters economic revitalization, it simultaneously exacerbates housing insecurity for lower-income groups. Distinctively, the findings demonstrate how market-driven displacement in post-apartheid South Africa resonates with apartheid-era forced removals, reproducing racialized spatial exclusion through ostensibly neutral market mechanisms. This historical continuity matters because it reveals how contemporary urban development perpetuates rather than remedies colonial and apartheid spatial legacies, with profound implications for spatial justice and the right to the city. The research critiques the notion of “state-led gentrification,” revealing instead a pattern of state weakness that creates conditions for market-driven displacement while failing to protect vulnerable residents. This research provides essential guidance for policymakers, urban planners, housing activists, and community organizations striving for equitable urban development in South African cities and other post-colonial contexts.