AFRA is an independent land rights non-governmental organization that works with black rural people in KwaZulu-Natal who were dispossessed and whose land tenure rights remain insecure. As such AFRA engages with the different programs within Land Reform, one of which is the Restitution Program. AFRA works primarily with three claimant groups, the Boschoek claimants, the Dukuduku claimants and the Gongolo claimants, each described briefly below.

De Soto’s influential book The mystery of capital offers a simple yet beguiling message: capitalism can be made to work for the poor, through formalising their property rights in houses, land and small businesses. This approach resonates strongly in the South African context, where private property works well for those who inhabit the so-called ‘first economy’. Evidence from South Africa, however, suggests that many of de Soto’s policy prescriptions may be inappropriate for the poorest and most vulnerable in our society, and have negative impacts on their security and well-being.