International Journalism

The land in question: Who owns the land in South Africa?
Sustainable farmer Gugulethu Mahlangu at Urban Aquaponics in Johannesburg.
Lovis Somer

The land in question: Who owns the land in South Africa?

Apartheid officially ended in 1996, when the constitution of South Africa laid the groundwork for equal rights for all races and genders in terms of land ownership. However, today 70% of all land belongs to 7% of the (white) population. Despite government initiatives, there is still a lot of work to be done around the land in question. 

  Published on September 10, 2025

Farming and the knowledge surrounding it have been in the hands of the Afrikaners (descendants of the Dutch colonisers) for decades.  Except for the racial divide, there is also a gender divide. For a long time, it wasn’t easy to own land as a woman and start an enterprise, like a farm. However, a peaceful and silent movement is happening among black female farmers. 

This is the story of three South African women, who are all in their own way, creating change in a story that desperately needs one. 

Can the rise of Black female farmers help resolve South Africa’s historic land inequality?

See my bachelor’s thesis on this link.

Author: Lovis Somer

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