Millions of South Africans were never given the opportunity to own the land that they live on, even if they lived there for generations. Private Property, together with the real estate industry, wants to help change this.
Under the previous government, millions of South Africans were unfairly dispossessed of their land. Black South Africans were denied property rights by the 1913 Native Land Act, that took land and houses owned by them and banned them from owning property; leaving them permanent tenants on the land they occupied.
Today between 5 and 7 million black families still live in apartheid-era housing, and although 1991 legislation gave them ownership rights, government inaction on transferring title deeds has meant that they still live in constant fear of losing their homes.
Read more: What is a title deed?
The Free Market Foundation’s Khaya Lam Land Reform Project aims to correct this injustice by helping black South Africans secure the title deeds to their land.
Khaya Lam which means “My Home” piloted their Ngwathe project in 2010, which transferred hundreds of fully tradable title deeds to township residents and unlocked R162 million of previously dead capital for this impoverished community. In doing so, it has created a functional blueprint for the titling of all such properties in South Africa.
Owning a home is a dream that all South Africans aspire to. Private Property feels deeply connected to Khaya Lam’s purpose of building the South African story by empowering our people to own their homes. Property ownership will give people the dignity and security that they were deprived of, and unlock economic prosperity by placing an asset in the hands of those who need it most.
Private Property believes that, together with our partners in the industry, we can use this initiative to change the lives of so many people. Having radically simplified the process of converting ownership from council to legal resident, Khaya Lam has managed to reduce the cost per transfer to R2,250.
With this in mind, Private Property recently held a golf day in order to raise funds to pay for 30 title deeds. The event was fully supported by our partners in the real estate industry, and achieved the goal of securing 30 title deeds for 30 deserving families, allowing them to experience the security, dignity and peace of mind associated with owning their own home.
View the video below to see how the property industry got behind this great cause:
In partnership with the Khaya Lam project, Private Property is helping reverse one of the greatest crimes of apartheid, promoting respect for property rights and laying the foundation for a free and prosperous future for all South Africans.
