The divide between Sandton and Alexandra is marked by inequality. Two major developments are planned to bridge the gap, but residents in Sandton's Kelvin say local infrastructure is already stretched.

The divide between Sandton and Alexandra is marked by inequality. Two major developments are planned to bridge the gap, but residents in Sandton's Kelvin say local infrastructure is already stretched.

Joburg's northern skyline has long reflected the city's inequality - Sandton's high-rise offices on one side of the M1 freeway and Alexandra's dense township on the other. That divide is now potentially being reshaped by two major developments that promise to bridge the gap and test whether city policy, infrastructure and community consent can align.

The two housing projects are the Johannesburg Social Housing Company's (Joshco) R375-million, 384-unit social-rental complex in Kelvin, and the R18-billion Bankenveld City mixed-use development on Wits University's former Frankenwald land. Together they form an 8km corridor from Sandton through Marlboro, Kelvin and Buccleuch into Bankenveld.

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Kelvin infrastructure concerns

Joshco says its Kelvin development "forms part of its mandate to provide well-located, affordable rental housing close to major employment centres". The project, one of Joscho's most ambitious suburban builds, is designed to "contribute to spatial integration by creating mixed-income neighbourhoods that are closer to work opportunities".

It sits on Erf 54 Kelvin, bordered by Cone Way, South Way and the Eastern Service Road. It will comprise...