Land reform challenges hindering black farmers from thriving in South Africa

LAND reform beneficiaries in South Africa are experiencing major challenges in making land productive and benefiting from it due to the lack of post-settlement support.

- GCWALISILE KHANYILE

This is because the country's land reform focuses solely on redistribution and not on equipping beneficiaries with the necessary technical, infrastructural, and financial support to sustain that land, which is an important component in making land redistribution successful but is ignored, according to experts.

Dr Shenelle Lottering, from the University of KwaZulu-Natal's College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, said inputs such as seeds and fertilisers, even basic farming equipment and training, are either limited or absent.

She said this creates a situation where, despite having land, many beneficiaries struggle to farm productively.

Customary land tenure adds another layer of complexity, because it is governed communally as well as by traditional authority. So, although it is providing access to land, it is not giving secure land tenure, like what private land ownership would; there is no title deed.

"This becomes an issue when land needs to be used as collateral or to invest long-term in the land, such as through infrastructure, irrigation, or improved soil management practices.

"In terms of agricultural investment and productivity, the lack of formal land rights in communal areas discourages both public and private investment. Investors are often hesitant to support projects where land tenure is unclear or where there may be disputes over ownership and access," Lottering said.

She added that land reform has had an uneven impact on agricultural productivity.

While the moral and political imperatives of land reform are clear, the economic outcomes, particularly in terms of productivity, have been mixed and, in many cases, underwhelming.

"Nationally, what we've observed is that while land has been redistributed, in many instances it has not remained as productive.