The south Africa is facing of the provision of adequate low-cost housing for its people. International commitments such as the UN’s Millennium Goals put further pressure on government to permanently resolve the issue to adequate housing is recognized globally as a basic human right. This includes access to running water and sanitation and a safe environment.  The low cost housing is a wicked problem. It means that it can never be fully resolved.

However, the systems theory is recognized as one of the more successful ways to address wicked problems. Through investigating low-cost housing programmed in Brazil and Argentina and  they identifying the elements of systems theory used, it was possible to find pointers to help formulate a set of steps or actions to use to address South Africa’s low-cost housing challenges.

The provision of low-cost housing is a wicked problem. This means that it has certain characteristics, including being unique in character and can never be fully resolved. However, within futures studies, systems theory is recognised as one of the more successful ways to address wicked problems. By investigating low-cost housing programmes in Brazil, Argentina and Peru and identifying the elements of systems theory used, it was possible to find pointers to help formulate a set of steps (or actions) to use to address South Africa’s low-cost housing challenge. This research report proposes that, while the challenge of housing provision in a country like South Africa will most probably always be present, it can be alleviated by applying systems thinking to the problem.