A product service systems-led approach towards advancing sustainable human settlements in South Africa

End-user dissatisfaction in South Africa’s sustainable human settlements persists because public housing delivery remains dominated by product-oriented approaches that prioritise speed and initial affordability over lifecycle performance, durability, and long-term sustainability. These outcomes reflect structural weaknesses in governance, accountability, and post-occupancy management rather than purely technical shortcomings. In response, this study positions Product–Service Systems (PSS) as a sustainability management and governance framework for public housing delivery, rather than as a technical or consumer-driven innovation. Housing is reconceptualised as a service-integrated system in which institutional stewardship, lifecycle accountability, and resident agency are central to value creation. A systematic scoping review of academic and grey literature was conducted using Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for the period 2000–2025. Sixty-seven sources met the inclusion criteria following screening for relevance, language, and methodological transparency. The review was complemented by thematic analysis to identify governance patterns and implementation constraints. Findings indicate that PSS is well established in manufacturing, energy, and infrastructure, where PSS-aligned mechanisms support lifecycle maintenance, strengthen estate infrastructure, and improve accountability. However, evidence of its application in public housing, particularly in Global South contexts, remains limited. This reflects institutional fragmentation, fiscal and capacity constraints, limited resident choice, and socio-cultural norms that complicate the direct transfer of Global North PSS models. Accordingly, the study reframes PSS for the South African human settlements’ context as an institutional and collective service model that operationalises shared responsibility across the housing lifecycle. The study proposes a PSS-led framework that foregrounds sustainability management, lifecycle cost governance, and community co-management to advance resilient and inclusive human settlements. By doing so, the paper contributes a transferable sustainability management perspective for governing long-life public housing assets through service continuity, accountable institutions, and structured resident participation.