Exactly a year ago, the Agricultural Business Chamber of SA (Agbiz) published a note calling for an end to inertia in the implementation of the land reform process in SA. At the time, we urged the government to release the 2.5-million hectares of land acquired over the years through its proactive land acquisition strategy. Much of this land was previously used for various farming activities.
Some of the land is underused, and some is under short-term lease to farmers who struggle to access the capital needed to unlock its potential. A year on, in 2026, there has been little progress in this process. The lack of progress runs counter to the country’s ambition to boost agricultural growth and job creation in rural SA.
When Agbiz assesses the long-term growth prospects for agriculture, it assumes this land will be fully used to boost agricultural output and create jobs. President Cyril Ramaphosa and former agriculture, land reform and rural development minister Thoko Didiza pushed for the establishment of the Land Reform and Agricultural Development Agency. The agency would drive the release of the land, with title deeds, to appropriately selected beneficiaries, address finance challenges and lean on organised agriculture and private sector skills.
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The process to set up the agency has taken a long time, and now momentum has waned with no clear direction for the path ahead. This agency idea must be revived, as it aligns with the presidency’s priorities on land reform and promises to be inclusive, with the involvement of the private sector and organised agriculture. In his address at the opening of parliament in July 2024, Ramaphosa stressed the importance of this process when he said: “We will increase funding to land reform, prioritise the transfer of state land and improve post-settlement support by strengthening the institutional capacity of responsible structures.”
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