Reall has worked in South Africa since 1993, primarily in partnership with The Kuyasa Finance Company.

Between 1994 and 2007, South Africa built nearly 3 million subsidised homes for low-income households, aiming to improve access to shelter and undo apartheid-era spatial inequality. Yet according to 2025 research, over 80% of households across the country are unable to afford local properties. Despite this, South Africa holds significant potential in the affordable housing market, especially with innovations in finance, rental models, and incremental building solutions.

Work with The Kuyasa Finance Company centred around providing home improvement loans; in 2017 alone 665 loans were provided to fund construction costs for house extensions, improved water and sanitation services, electricity connections, and added security measures. These loans were targeted at the elderly, women and those that were employed informally and would therefore struggle to receive traditional housing finance through banks.

This work demonstrates the viability of microfinance as a tool for upgrading housing and improving living conditions for South Africa’s underserved communities, especially those excluded from formal financial systems.