The quest for secure property rights in Africa
Handing out title deeds is not enough
BUILDERS ARE busy outside Louisa Qangiso’s house in Khayelitsha, a township on the outskirts of Cape Town. The 49-year-old is putting up eight studio flats in her backyard that she will rent out for 3,000 rand ($177) per month. This could almost triple the value of her property, from roughly 570,000 to 1.6m rand. These are life-changing sums for Ms Qangiso, a grandmother whose warehouse job pays just 5,000 rand a month. “This is my dream come true,” she says, holding back tears.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Parcels, plots and power”
From the September 12th 2020 edition
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Donald Trump is likely to follow suit
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The Lebanese-American businessman in Donald Trump’s inner circle
Can Massad Boulos influence the incoming administration in the region?
Israel and Hizbullah strike a fragile deal to end their war
Joe Biden makes a last push to bring peace to the Middle East