Johann Rupert’s Land Reform Project Has Changed the Lives of Thousands, One Title Deed at a Time

• South Africa's richest man has been privately funding a land reform initiative that converts apartheid-era leasehold homes into privately owned properties
• The Khaya Lam project, run by the Free Market Foundation since 2010, covers all legal costs for beneficiaries with no strings attached
• A fresh injection of capital from Rupert's Reinet Foundation and Remgro means the programme is set to keep growing well beyond its current numbers

SOUTH AFRICA - While Johann Rupert rarely speaks publicly about his philanthropic work, the numbers behind one of his most personal projects tell a powerful story.

The Free Market Foundation confirmed in July 2026 that the Khaya Lam land reform initiative, which Rupert has been funding for more than a decade, has now transferred title deeds to around 24,000 of South Africans who previously had no legal ownership of the homes they lived in.

The programme has been quietly and consistently growing, with the pace of transfers accelerating dramatically in recent years thanks to major funding injections from Rupert and his associated foundations.

Read also

"You don't move": Alleged house on fire sparks eviction speculation

What Khaya Lam does

Khaya Lam, which means 'My Home' in Zulu, was established by the Free Market Foundation in 2010 to solve a very specific problem.

Many South Africans living in township homes built during the apartheid era technically occupy them on municipal leasehold agreements rather than owning them outright.

South African law has long allowed these residents to convert their leasehold into full freehold ownership, but the legal costs involved have put the process out of reach for most low-income households.

Khaya Lam raises private funding to cover those costs entirely, working with municipalities and conveyancing attorneys to complete the transfers at no cost to the beneficiaries.

The first transfer took place in 2013 in Ngwathe in the Free State, a date that carried symbolic weight as it fell exactly 100 years after the 1913 Natives Land Act stripped black South Africans of property rights in their own country.

By January 2023, the project had completed 10,000 transfers. In just three and a half years since then, that figure more than doubled.

Read also

Government launches new building safety framework after deadly collapses in 3 areas

Rupert, whose net worth is estimated at close to $20 billion following a recent surge in Richemont shares, is the programme's largest donor.

Why a title deed matters

For the families who receive them, a title deed changes everything. It gives homeowners the legal right to sell their property, pass it on to the next generation, or use it as collateral to access finance.

More on property and housing in SA

Gauteng SAPS confirmed that South African citizens who rent property or businesses to undocumented immigrants face a R10 000 fine per person.

A 25-year-old man from Thohoyandou won the internet's admiration after sharing progress photos of the home he is building himself.

A Reservoir Hills community came together quickly to help a mother and her seven children after a fire left them with nothing, providing temporary housing, food, blankets and clothing in the middle of winter.

Source: Briefly News