In South Africa, where youth unemployment remains stubbornly high, reaching over 45% of people between the ages of 15 and 34 years, the land reform programme is quietly emerging as a source of employment opportunities and playing an important role in economic development. The story of land reform is taking a turn, with some pockets of successes unfolding where young people are leveraging restituted land as a strategy for employment creation and economic transformation.
From restituted land transferred to Barokologadi community in Northwest to Giba CPA i and Coromandel Trust in Mpumalanga, young people are finding their place on restituted land and seizing opportunities created within the country’s land reform programme.
“Land means employment and business opportunities,” says 32-year-old Bheki Mlaudzi, a youth administrator and beneficiary of the Giba CPA in Mpumalanga. Mlaudzi has worked on the Giba CPA’s restituted land for over a decade, tending to irrigation systems and participating in large-scale banana, ginger, and macadamia farming projects.
Mlaudzi shares that in 2020, the ginger venture thrived due to Covid-19 pandemic – as there was a strong demand for it. “It was a great experience to be exposed to such an opportunity for learning,” he said.
Mlaudzi and other young people have also been receiving training through Vumelana’s capacity building programmes being run by Sisata Advisory. They have also been through training focusing on both crop and livestock farming, and other government-supported mixed farming projects.
The journey has not been without some setbacks, says Mlaudzi. “While the experience was painful at the time, it also taught resilience and highlighted the importance of ensuring that the community is empowered,” says Mlaudzi.
Through a Community Private Partnership (CPP) agreement facilitated by the non-profit organisation Vumelana Advisory Fund, the Giba CPA partnered with investor W van R Schmidt (Pty) Ltd, who financed the development of infrastructure, irrigation, and energy systems on the Giba CPA owned land. This enabled the CPA to transform the land into a productive asset, generating opportunities for its beneficiaries and for the wider community.
Peter Setou, Chief Executive of the Vumelana Advisory Fund, explains, “over time, we’ve seen the CPP model consistently deliver tangible results and meaningful impact for beneficiaries of the land reform programme. These pockets of success highlight the model’s potential. The challenge now is to scale these successes to unlock similar outcomes with other beneficiaries of the land reform programme across the country.”
Another example of this success is 33-year-old poultry farmer Perfect Khoza from the Coromandel Trust in Mpumalanga, who after struggling to find employment and opportunities in construction, turned to the CPA’s restituted land.
Khoza used a portion of the community’s restituted land to build a small but promising broiler business, where she employs part-time workers who she hopes to convert into permanent employees.
Khoza cited infrastructure challenges, including inadequate shelter and ventilation, alongside financial difficulties and rising feed costs and climate change impacts. Despite these challenges it is all worth it, “Owning land is one of the greatest investments we’ve ever had,” Khoza says. “Importantly, it can be passed down to future generations to create a lasting impact.”
Another case is the Barokologadi CPA in the Northwest, which settled a land claim in 2007 covering over 16 000 hectares within the Madikwe Game Reserve and 10 000 hectares adjacent to it.
30-year-old Letsatsi Ditlhale, from De Brak village has benefited from the Barokologadi restituted land. After having to leave university due to financial constraints, Ditlhale embarked on a new path by joining the Barokologadi CPA, where he started working as an office administrator. He discovered an opening for an office administrator at the Barokologadi CPA that was specifically reserved for Barokologadi community beneficiaries of the land claim. He manages bookkeeping, filing, executive diaries, meeting schedules, and stakeholder liaison.
He has since completed a management course and now supervises an intern, 28-year-old Ogopoleng Ngoatoe, who has been working at the Barokologadi CPA for nearly a year under a youth employment programme supported by Vumelana. Ngoatoe describes the internship as invaluable, offering hands-on office applications experience and organisational skills, along with first aid certification.
A common thread with all these young people has been the power of skills development and the exposure that the opportunities opened for them.
“Whether through formal learnerships, technical training, or on-the-job exposure, young people involved in CPAs are gaining more than just experience—they are becoming an invaluable generation that will help take the country’s land reform programme forward,” comments Setou.
Despite these successes, challenges in the country’s land reform persist. In some areas, there are delays in accessing the government grants critical for recapitalisation, in others there is a lack of post-settlement support.
“This lack of government support is a common issue among CPAs nationwide,” Setou notes. “However, strategic partnerships have helped mitigate some of the challenges. Our efforts to provide crucial assistance with governance training, capacity development training tools, mentorships and the facilitation of partnerships between CPAs and private investors have yielded results.”
Setou highlights that, to unlock the full potential of land reform for the country’s young people and begin to address high rates of unemployment among the youth, there is a need for greater support for land reform beneficiaries.
Capacity-building and the provision of targeted training for young people through courses varying from game ranger qualifications to farm management can enable young people to plug into the opportunities available on restituted land – especially given the ageing CPA leadership population.
“Young people need exposure through mentorship, to guide them through the complexities of supply chains, contracts, compliance, access to markets, capital and the essential skills that can enable them to turn small ideas into scalable businesses,” Setou concludes.
