Land reform in South Africa: Beneficiary participation and impact on land use in the Waterberg District

Abstract

National challenges of food insecurity and unemployment in South Africa prompted an increase in expectations for agricultural land acquired through land reform programmes to make meaningful contributions. Embedded in these expectations is the need for understanding the situation in reformed farms. This study reviewed policies and literature on land reform, and analyzed beneficiary participation in reformed farms and the impact of land reform on land use in land restitution and land redistribution farms in the Waterberg District Municipality. Data were collected through individual surveys, key informants interviews and stakeholder workshop. Beneficiary participation levels were significantly lower in restitution farms (18% per farm) than in redistribution farms (65% per farm). The changes in land redistribution policy over time resulted in significant differences in beneficiary participation among land redistribution models, with participation levels increasing with time. Land redistribution model SLAG had the lowest beneficiary participation level (19% per farm) while the latest model PLAS had the highest (100% per farm). The changes in land redistribution policy over time resulted in significant differences in extent of land used among land redistribution models, though the trend was not systemic. On average, redistribution farms under SLAG and LRAD2 models used ≤70% of the farm land, while farms under LRAD1 and PLAS models used more than 90% of the farm land. The research approach used in this study found similar results in beneficiary participation to those in literature where case studies approach was used in restitution farms. On the contrary, in redistribution farms the research approach resulted in findings that differed from case study literature and revealed the needs for representative sample and time if conclusive recommendations were to be reached.

The socio-economic impact of land redistribution on the beneficiaries in the Greater Kokstad Municipality of South Africa

“…The study's central objective by Netshipale et al . (2017) is to attain an elevated comprehension of the interplay between the land beneficiaries of the Waterberg District Municipality (WDM) and the land utilization of the reformed farms within this area.…”

“…(2017) is to attain an elevated comprehension of the interplay between the land beneficiaries of the Waterberg District Municipality (WDM) and the land utilization of the reformed farms within this area. The authors selected the WDM due to the prevalence of land reform farms within this area (Netshipale et al , 2017). A list of 175 land reform farms was then compiled from the municipality, analysed the gathered quantitative data using a cross-section regression technique and analysed the qualitative data using descriptive analysis.…”

“…A list of 175 land reform farms was then compiled from the municipality, analysed the gathered quantitative data using a cross-section regression technique and analysed the qualitative data using descriptive analysis. They conclude that 80% of WDMs land reform farms showed signs of activity and contributed to the livelihoods of beneficiaries and that the participation of beneficiaries could be regarded as a proxy for contributions to the reduction of inequity concerning land access and ownership, while the use of land could be seen as a proxy for contributions to job creation and food security (Netshipale et al , 2017).…”

Evaluating Factors Affecting Performance of Land Reform Beneficiaries in South Africa

“…In South Africa, specific studies have evaluated the performance of the agricultural sector and farmers in general. In addition, other studies [11] analysed the participation of land reform beneficiaries in relation to land use without unpacking economic aspects such as profitability. These studies lack a detailed farm assessment of a large sample of land reform farms in South Africa, yet it is apparent that in that direction lies the possibility of discovering the missing link between land reform initiatives and success (profitability and ability to attain commercial viability) of the farms.…”

Demographic transformation of the physiotherapy profession in South Africa: A retrospective analysis of HPCSA registrations from 1938 to 2018

“…Different “race” categories were barred from living, operating businesses or owning land outside their designated areas. This act, later known as the Land Acts, led to a situation where more than 80% of South Africa's land was allocated for the white minority 7 . This explained why many blacks continued to live on the outskirts of urban areas and in informal settlements without basic services, which continues to hamper educational attainment 8,9…”