A unique shack put together by Cape Town builder Fernando Mkhabela has gone viral and changed the way thousands of South Africans view shacks and informal settlements.

Mkhabela's home in Joe Slovo has been made famous by Cape Town photographer Joshua Rubin who went on a quest to help a needy local, Christopher, and discovered Mkhabela's haven.

According to Cape Town etc, Rubin met Mkhabela, a self-taught builder, plumber and electrician, after he had raised enough money to help build a better house for Christopher. Rubin ended up at Mkhabela's shack as he needed to see his previous work and ensure he could build a decent one for Christopher.

“We went back to his shack on the second floor of a container and when I saw it, I was blown away,” Rubin told the publication.

Mkhabela's shack has electricity and running water and is tiled. It's architecture is on a level never seen before in an informal dwelling.

Asked about how he managed to build himself a stunning shack, Mkhabela said he was self-taught.

“This place, I did my self. No one showed me anything, even small things. Plumbing, electricity, everything I did by myself.”

He said his community is not safe and people live in constant fear of crime, but he decided to build himself a decent home until he can afford to relocate. 

Watch the video below: