Abstract
South Africa has a checkered past, one of the most popular and most devastating periods being the
Apartheid era. A ramification of Apartheid planning procedures is the racial, economic, social, and
spatial divisions that are seen throughout the country. The new South African government has
taken note of the mistakes of the past and the current socio-spatial issues, and is attempting to
rectify the negative effects of the Apartheid era. One of the remedies is the construction of Mixed-
Income Housing (MIH) developments. The success of these developments means the creation of
jobs, enhancement of quality of life for all, and the end of segregation practices. While there is an
increase in mixed-income housing in South Africa, there is limited research into the social
cohesiveness of these developments which means that nobody truly knows whether the nation is
making progress with integrating community residents. Soweto, Fleurhof Township, and Florida
in Roodeport are areas in Johannesburg which exemplify the problems of urban poverty, racial,
social, and economic segregation. Fleurhof Integrated Residential Development, an integrated
housing development, was built for the sake of tackling the imbalances and issues that were
mentioned above. This study aimed to investigate the level of social cohesion among the residents
of Fleurhof Integrated Residential Development (FIRD). This case study helps to ascertain whether
or not this strategy has been effective in eradicating segregation practices. The work adopted a
qualitative approach. Primary and secondary sources were used during the collection of data. The
interviewees were chosen by maximum variation sampling and snowball sampling. The interview
transcripts were analyzed by thematic analysis and content analysis. Findings reveal that South
Africa has a lot of policies, laws, and programs that guide and inspire the development of MIH.
Calgro M3 did a good job at building FIRD, the residents all agreed that they were very grateful
for their homes and the benefits that they enjoy despite the challenges that they have faced. It is
recommended that in the future, developers and municipalities do a better job at holding up their
side of the bargain. An extra effort from academics and construction specialists to research the
topics and issues that were mentioned and to create awareness so as to improve the country’s
pressing socio-economic issues is required.
Key words: Segregation, Social cohesion, Mixed-income housing, Desegregation, Social
interaction.