A Durban non-profit company

What if every family had a safe place to come home to?

We started with a question. Our answer is to work toward safe, affordable housing for individuals and families in need, beginning here in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

Get involved Read our approach

Registered non-profit company in South Africa · Reg. No. 2024/671193/08

Durban's beachfront hotels and apartment towers seen across breaking waves in warm, low sunlight
A single-storey family house with a tiled roof behind a low garden wall, under a blue sky
Home comes first.
  • 2024/671193/08Company registration number
  • NPCNon-profit company under the Companies Act, 2008
  • DurbanKwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
  • HousingSafe, affordable homes for people in need
A man works at the doorway of a small concrete-block house that is still being built, set in a green garden

A home is not the end of the story. It is where the story gets to begin.

Why home comes first

What if a home is the thing everything else depends on?

It usually is. When a family has a safe, stable place to live, the rest of life has somewhere to stand.

  • Health has a place to recover

    Rest, clean water and a dry room do quiet work. Without them, staying well becomes a daily struggle.

  • Children have a place to learn

    Homework needs a table, a light and a good night's sleep. A settled address helps a child stay in the same school.

  • Work has a place to start from

    Finding and keeping a job is easier with a fixed address, somewhere safe for belongings and a door to come back to.

Our approach

Four questions we build around.

Good intentions are not a plan. These are the questions we ask of every piece of work we take on.

  1. What if affordable really meant affordable?

    A home only helps if a family can keep it. We look at what it costs to live there, not just what it costs to build.

  2. What if safe was the starting point?

    Sound walls, a door that locks, light, water and sanitation are the baseline of a decent home. They are not extras.

  3. What if homes were built to last?

    Durable materials and energy-saving features, such as solar water heating, keep running costs down for years.

  4. What if neighbours had a say?

    The people who will live somewhere know what it needs. We listen first, and plan with the community.

Our mission

To help individuals and families in need find safe, affordable and lasting housing, and to do that work openly, alongside the communities we serve.

Support the mission

What good can look like

What if decent housing was simply normal?

Decent housing takes many shapes. These are three kinds of home, from around South Africa, that show what is possible.

  • A row of small single-storey houses with solar water heaters on their roofs

    Homes that cost less to run

    Low-cost houses fitted with solar water heaters in the Eastern Cape.

  • Rows of small, brightly painted single-storey houses under a cloudy sky

    Homes within reach

    Compact, permanent family houses in Soweto, built under a national housing programme.

  • A three-storey apartment block with washing hanging along its balconies

    Homes close to opportunity

    A walk-up apartment block, with washing on the line and neighbours close by.

These photographs are illustrative. They show housing elsewhere in South Africa, not projects built by What If We Do Good.

Where we are

Rooted in Durban.

Durban is a city of warm sea, green hills and generous people. It is also a city where many families are still waiting for a decent place to live. This is where we begin.

What If We Do Good NPC 22 Chancellor Avenue
Durban, KwaZulu-Natal
South Africa
Aerial view of Durban's beachfront promenade, with blue paddling pools, palm trees and hotels along a long sandy beach
Durban's beachfront
Tall grass in front of green hills and flat-topped mountains in KwaZulu-Natal
The hills of KwaZulu-Natal

Get involved

What if you were part of it?

There is more than one way to help someone come home. Pick the one that fits you, and write to us.

Several people's hands stacked together in a circle

  • Donate

    Help fund the materials, skills and groundwork that safe housing depends on.

    Make a donation

  • Volunteer

    Offer your time or your trade. Builders, planners, fundraisers and organisers are all welcome.

    Volunteer with us

  • Partner with us

    Organisations, funders and local businesses: let's work on housing together.

    Start a partnership

FAQ

Fair questions.

We like questions. Here are the ones people ask us most often.

Have a different question?

Write to us about giving, volunteering, partnerships or housing.

info@whatif.org.za
What is What If We Do Good?

What If We Do Good NPC is a non-profit company registered in South Africa (Reg. No. 2024/671193/08) and based in Durban. We work toward safe, affordable housing for individuals and families in need.

What does “NPC” mean?

NPC stands for non-profit company. It is a company incorporated under South Africa's Companies Act, 2008, for a public benefit or similar purpose. Its income and assets must be used to advance that purpose, and cannot be paid out to members or directors as profit.

Where are you based?

Our address is 22 Chancellor Avenue, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

How can I donate?

Email us at info@whatif.org.za and we will send you our giving details. We are happy to answer any questions before you give.

Can I volunteer or partner with you?

Yes. Tell us what you would like to offer, whether that is time, a skill, materials or funding, and we will get back to you about how it could help.

I need help with housing. Can I contact you?

Yes. Write to us and tell us a little about your situation. We will be honest about what we can and cannot help with.

What if we do good, together?

Every safe home starts with someone deciding to help. Start the conversation today.

Make a donation Contact us