Informalising Formality? How Dunoon Township Transformed From a Planned Into an Auto-Constructed ‘Informal’ Neighbourhood

This study explores why Dunoon transformed from a planned to a hybrid auto-constructed formal–informal housing township. It examines how residents bypass official planning to build their own homes as an alternative housing solution. Data were collected using ethnographic methods including interviews, informal conversations and observations. Findings show that Dunoon’s informatisation is driven by small house sizes failing to meet family needs, high crime rates necessitating additional home safety measures and high unemployment necessitating the creation of informal entrepreneurial spaces. The research concludes that the informalisation of townships will continue if the legacy of apartheid continues to persist in South African cities.