Is South Africa’s land reform strategy too focused on restitution?

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The programme is built around three pillars — restitution, redistribution and land tenure reform — each intended to address different aspects of historical inequality.

Restitution focuses on restoring land or compensating communities dispossessed after 1913, while redistribution seeks to transfer land to black South Africans to address racial imbalances in ownership.

Land tenure reform aims to secure land rights for people living in communal areas, farm dwellers and labour tenants.

Land reform remains important in South Africa because land dispossession was central to the subjugation of the indigenous population.

Balancing restitution and redistribution

The land reform project, therefore, marks a reset of the foundations that defined the suppression of African people. It signals a step towards correcting the wrongs of the past.

The land reform programme has been used for political expediency by both sides of the political divide. Detractors point to reported failures, including productive land that lies fallow after being awarded to land claimants.

On the other hand, supporters of the programme highlight the slow pace of delivery and continue to point to perceptions of widespread “landlessness” among poor black communities, which fuel public frustration.

Despite these challenges, government has made some progress in restituting land to claimant communities. According to figures released by the Minister of Rural Development and Rural Reform, Mzwanele Nyhontso, a total of 83,614 land claims have been settled, representing approximately 80% of the total number of valid claims finalised.

The minister added that the budget allocated for the settlement of claims is normally split on a 50:50 basis between land restoration and financial compensation and that additional funding has been allocated to beneficiaries of land restitution for the purpose of providing them with development support.

This is different from what used to happen in the past, where the majority of claims would be settled through financial compensation.

Cherryl Walker, Emeritus Professor of Sociology at Stellenbosch University, notes that the restitution process has made the largest contribution to land reform, accounting for a significant share of land transferred, either through financial compensation or land restoration.

However, official figures from government remain modest. Senior officials report that 5.3 million hectares have been transferred through redistribution, 3.9 million hectares through restitution and 30,530 hectares through labour tenant claims. Combined, this represents about 11% of commercial farmland as it stood in 1994.

Land ownership and private acquisition

In a paper titled Progress of Land Reform in South Africa, Wandile Sihlobo and Professor Johann Kirsten of Stellenbosch University note that private acquisition of farmland by black individuals outside formal government-assisted processes is often overlooked in the broader land reform debate.

In these cases, individuals have used their own resources or financial arrangements with commercial banks or the Land Bank to fund the purchase of farmland.

The Bureau for Economic Research at Stellenbosch University estimates that since 1994, about 1.9 million hectares of farmland were acquired by black South Africans without state assistance.

While progress has been uneven, there appears to be a stronger focus on restitution at the expense of broader land redistribution and land tenure reform.

Implementation remains critical

Recognising this gap, Cyril Ramaphosa has committed to advancing reforms including the Expropriation Act, the establishment of the Land Reform Development Agency and the release of state land for development.

While these commitments are encouraging, their impact will depend on implementation. The effectiveness of the Land Reform Development Agency will depend on its ability to operate with the necessary skills, capacity and independence.

Notwithstanding the advancements that have been made in the land reform space, progress in land redistribution remains slow and more needs to be done to address racially skewed land ownership patterns. This must, however, go hand in hand with support to ensure productive use of redistributed land.

Vumelana Advisory Fund has argued that underutilised state-owned land should be allocated for land redistribution, whether for agriculture, commercial use or housing.

Securing land rights and livelihoods

Land tenure reform is another area that requires urgent attention and expanding access to land remains important in reducing hunger and creating livelihoods.

However, expanding access to land without the necessary support will not deliver the desired outcomes. Access to water rights, infrastructure, finance and title deeds remains critical, while beneficiaries also require access to markets, skills development, mentorship and governance structures to ensure sustainability.

Communal land ownership can play an important role in reducing rural poverty. However, beneficiaries must have secure rights, including title or use rights, to enable them to unlock value and access finance.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has highlighted that secure land tenure is essential for sustainable livelihoods because it enables individuals to invest, produce and build long-term resilience.

Minister Nyhontso has the policy tools to accelerate land reform. The focus now must be on implementation. This includes strengthening institutions such as the Land Bank, addressing bottlenecks identified in reports, including the Motlanthe Report and ensuring accountability in the system.

Ultimately, the success of land reform will not be measured by the amount of land transferred, but by how that land improves livelihoods, creates jobs and supports inclusive economic growth.