Standard Bank joins SAMRRA

Joint Media Release from SAMRRA and Standard Bank

The South African Multifamily Residential Rental Association (SAMRRA) has welcomed Standard Bank of South Africa Limited (Standard Bank) as its first member from the banking sector, marking a key milestone in the evolution of South Africa’s growing multifamily rental housing market.

“The active participation of a leading commercial bank in the sector’s leading representative body signals a significant shift in how capital markets view the multifamily opportunity,” says SAMRRA CEO Myles Kritzinger. “It’s a strong endorsement of the asset class and of the value we’re building by promoting transparency, supporting benchmarked data and fostering a community of aligned stakeholders.”

With more than 75,000 units and over R40 billion in assets represented across its membership base of institutional landlords who own and manage large-scale, multifamily rental properties, SAMRRA continues to position multifamily housing as a cornerstone of long-term, sustainable investment, enabling data-driven, capital-friendly growth in the multifamily sector.

Now, the involvement of Standard Bank further underscores the asset class’s growing institutionalisation. Their involvement reflects broader market confidence in rental housing as a scalable, resilient investment.

Defined by professionally operated, purpose-built rental developments, multifamily rental assets have consistently delivered high occupancy levels, stable income returns and resilience across economic cycles. Recent SAMRRA data shows that its members began the year with average occupancies above 95%, rental collections over 98% and bad debts below 1%.

“The banking sector is central to unlocking the next phase of residential growth,” Kritzinger adds. “Beyond capital, banks offer strategic reach, from financing new developments to backing sustainable innovation and affordability models.”

Standard Bank’s entry into SAMRRA reflects its strategic commitment to housing finance and sustainable urban development. As a leader in Real Estate Finance, the bank brings valuable insights and capital solutions that align with SAMRRA’s mission to professionalise and grow the multifamily sector.

“Standard Bank is proud to join SAMRRA and support the growth of South Africa’s multifamily rental sector. We believe this asset class plays a vital role in addressing housing needs while offering long-term investment stability,” says Marlene Pillay, Head of Real Estate Finance at Standard Bank

Kritzinger concludes, “We see the leadership of Standard Bank in multifamily rental property as a call to action for more investors, lenders and developers to collaborate on housing solutions that create quality places to live and build an investable, resilient future for South Africa.”