Prime Highlights
- South African government holds roughly 2.5 million hectares of land under its Pro-Active Land Acquisition Strategy, acquired through a willing buyer-willing seller approach.
- Government and business groups plan to collaborate on releasing land with title deeds to new farming beneficiaries.
Key Facts
- Officials favor a “Better Few, but Better” approach, supporting a smaller group of black commercial farmers rather than many smallholdings.
- Agriculture and agro-processing are named as priority sectors for economic growth and job creation.
Background
South Africa’s government and business community are working more closely together to grow the economy, naming agriculture and agro-processing as key areas for job creation and development.
Officials say interventions to release state land with title deeds, resolve logistics challenges at ports, rail and roads, and open new markets remain central to this push.
Under the Pro-Active Land Acquisition Strategy, the government holds around 2.5 million hectares of land, acquired over the years through a market-based, willing buyer-willing seller approach. Authorities say this approach protects property rights and supports a land reform programme that delivers long-term economic benefits for beneficiaries.
The process of releasing this land to new beneficiaries with title deeds is now underway and expected to accelerate. Officials say new landholders will need training, finance and other support, meaning land reform cannot rest solely with government. Collaboration with organised agricultural groups and commodity associations is seen as essential to backing these new farmers.
Rather than dividing commercial farmland into many smallholdings, officials favor a “Better Few, but Better” strategy, supporting a smaller cohort of black commercial farmers capable of driving job creation and encouraging future growth. Authorities say this is just one piece of the wider land redistribution effort, with other processes moving forward alongside it.
