Running for title deeds: Team BetterBond takes on Two Oceans

Four BetterBond staffers are heading for Cape Town this week to take part in the Old Mutual Two Oceans events. Three of them will be running on Saturday in the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon - known as the most beautiful race in the world - and one will be participating in the Friday fun-run ahead of the big event.

They are Anneke Hayward, Estie Steyn, Nicole Adams and Barbara du Preez and we are proud to say that they will all be running to help raise funds for Khaya Lam, the national title deed initiative that BetterBond supports.

This initiative aims to ensure that every home owner in the country receives a title deed and the peace of mind that comes from having security of tenure. It is estimated that as many as 5m households in SA currently have no title deeds to the land or houses that they own and are thus still exposed to the same risk of eviction and dispossession as they were before 1994.

This obviously contradicts the housing and property rights enshrined in our Constitution. In addition, it means that these owners have no way to legally sell and transfer their properties to new buyers, to bequeath them to their heirs or even to use them as collateral to start a business or give their children a better future through education.

BetterBond wants to change this situation, which is why we back Khaya Lam. Started by the Freedom Foundation, this initiative has already resulted in the delivery of more than 7500 title deeds to underprivileged households. (See www.betterbond.co.za/about-us)

It has also managed to reduce the cost of obtaining or providing a title deed from around R6500 to R2500 - and the BetterLife Foundation contributes to this cost for each bond that is registered through BetterBond. In this way every home buyer who obtains their bond though us is automatically helping another family in SA to gain title to their home. (Watch here )

And now, to expose our campaign to an even bigger audience, the Team BetterBond members who are participating in major sporting events this year are doing so in support of Khaya Lam and seeking donations to the initiative from their own sponsors, friends, family members and supporters. If you would like to make a contribution you can do so here.

The Two Oceans Ultra Marathon is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Renowned as the world's most beautiful marathon, it takes competitors on a truly spectacular 56km course that runs from Newlands through Cape Town, along part of the False Bay (Indian Ocean) coastline to Fishhoek, across the Cape Peninsula and via Chapman's Peak Drive to the Hout Bay (Atlantic Ocean) coastline and then back to the University of Cape Town via Constantia Nek and Rhodes Drive. There are also certified markers on the course for those who would prefer to run a standard marathon (42,2km) or a half-marathon (21km).

The Fun Runs on Friday take place at the UCT rugby fields at the Upper Campus in Rondebosch and allow families and less experienced runners to share the unique Two Oceans spirit.