Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) today announced that it has joined The South African Multifamily Residential Rental Association (SAMRRA). This new membership was revealed at the opening of the 17th I.H.S. Affordable Housing Conference hosted by Nedbank CIB under the theme ‘Foundations for the future: Housing the new world’.
With this announcement, Nedbank CIB has become the third major bank to formally commit to the country’s professionally operated, multifamily rental housing sector by joining SAMRRA.
“This is a moment of inflection,” says Palesa Mkhize, CEO of SAMRRA. “Three of South Africa’s leading banks are now actively working alongside institutional multifamily rental investors to build a stronger, more investable rental housing ecosystem. That speaks volumes about where this sector is headed.”
With Standard Bank, Absa, and now Nedbank CIB engaged, SAMRRA is reshaping how the market defines multifamily rental housing investment, shifting it from fragmented to strategic and elevating it from peripheral to fundamental.
Nedbank CIB’s decision to join reflects confidence in the fundamentals. SAMRRA’s current membership spans over 75,000 units and more than R40 billion in assets, with data from the first half of 2025 showing average occupancy above 95%, collection rates above 98%, and bad debts consistently below 1%. These are operating assets delivering consistent returns and long-term value.
“We recognise the transformative potential of the multifamily sector as a catalyst to bridging South Africa’s housing gap,” says Vanessa Murray, Property Finance Divisional Executive at Nedbank CIB. “Our membership of SAMRRA affirms our belief that this is a resilient investment category that warrants sustained financial innovation.”
For Nedbank CIB, the alignment is both strategic and values based. “SAMRRA has created a platform where investors and developers can collaborate,” she adds. “With our position as the market leader in commercial property finance, and our proven track record and expertise in the residential sector, we are able to meaningfully contribute to that collective effort, bringing financial tools and expertise that can unlock new forms of delivery.”
According to Mkhize, Nedbank CIB’s entry marks another step toward maturing the capital stack behind multifamily rentals. “SAMRRA is about deep partnerships, long-range thinking and transparent access to accurate data that further enables the growing institutional investment in our sector.”
With more of the country’s top financial institutions backing the model, SAMRRA believes the future of multifamily rental housing will be resilient performance, aligned capital, shared data and coordinated ambition.
“This is a sector that is becoming central to property investment, and Nedbank CIB’s involvement with SAMRRA accelerates that trajectory,” Mkhize concludes.