The role of “black capital” in revitalising land reform in Limpopo, South Africa

Abstract

In this article Aliber and Maluleke grapple with similar questions of social differentiation in their exploratory study of emergent black farmers who lease land on floundering land reform projects. Examining the partnerships between these commercially-oriented lessees and project beneficiaries through a number of case studies, the article discerns how small-sale black investors are well suited to involvement in these particularly sites.

The authors not only draw attention to the complex social, institutional and commercial dynamics surrounding attempts to sustain commercial agriculture in the context of land reform projects, but warn of the limitations of attempting to revive failed projects by simply injecting additional infrastructure.