In a bid to address the housing shortage and high unemployment rate, the Henties Bay Town Council has launched a brick-making project aimed at providing affordable housing for local residents.

The Henties Bay Municipality has availed 56 plots for the brick-making project. 

Speaking to NBC News, Henties Bay Mayor Lewies Vermaak said the project is crucial for the town's development because many people lack funds to afford houses.

As a result, the council and municipality developed a plan to train residents in brick-making, allowing them to acquire skills to build their own houses and purchase land at an affordable rate.

He said the goal is to demolish all the shacks and replace them with decent houses.

"This is the beginning where we promised the people low-cost housing. We also worked with all the state people to bring this thing together. We took hands, and we got 56 plots that we will use these machines to make the bricks for the low-cost housing. Then we got the 56 plots, and we also started this morning with the first foundation of one plot. We got 23 local companies that we incorporated into this so we can build all the places on the plots so that the people can put their stones on top. This is very important for Henties Bay because we sat with a lot of people who really don't have money; there are no job opportunities at this stage in Henties Bay where we can accommodate people that don't have money."

One of the volunteers for the brick-making initiative in Henties Bay, Katrina Paulus, stated that the project is a great learning experience that can keep youngsters off the streets and motivated. 

She also said that with the skills gained, people can establish their own businesses and create employment.