More than three decades after apartheid ended, South Africa’s land ownership remains heavily skewed, with only an estimated 12%–20% of white-owned land redistributed despite an initial government target of 30%. New research argues that the country’s market-based land reform program has often reinforced historical inequalities instead of reducing them. Based on interviews with white commercial farmers and Black land reform beneficiaries, the study found that some white farmers used land sales to create buffers against crime or separate commercial operations from neighboring Black communities. While the program has enabled land transfers without widespread expropriation, many Black beneficiaries have received insufficient support to build profitable farming businesses. The findings also challenge claims that white farmers are being unfairly targeted, arguing instead that many have benefited from the existing system. The research calls for greater government involvement, stronger post-transfer support, and reforms that address longstanding structural inequalities.
The Conversation