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What Can South Africa Learn from Other African Countries in Respect of Upgrading Customary Systems of Land Tenure?

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Land Tenure Challenges in Africa

Part of the book series: Economic Geography ((ECOGEO))

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Abstract

At present the land rights of millions of South Africans who hold their land in the former homelands (Bantustans), in informal settlements and on transferred land are uncertain. This comparative chapter outlines the position in South Africa and explores briefly experiences in Mozambique, Kenya and Ghana in order to suggest ways forward. Tenure is important because rural and peri-urban communities are amongst the poorest and their rights should not be neglected. Mozambique has attempted a community-based policy, under the control of the state, which nevertheless permits outsiders to lease land. Kenya has largely pursued privatization, with some protection for customary land. In Ghana, roughly 80% of land is still under the control of chiefs. This chapter suggests that the rights of existing family landholdings should be prioritized. The experience of Machakos and Narok in Kenya offer interesting alternatives to current policy in South Africa—privatization from below that facilitated production.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    William Beinart

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  1. William Beinart
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Correspondence to William Beinart .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for African Studies, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

    Horman Chitonge

  2. Director of research and programmes, Good Governance Africa, johannesburg, South Africa

    Ross Harvey

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Beinart, W. (2021). What Can South Africa Learn from Other African Countries in Respect of Upgrading Customary Systems of Land Tenure?. In: Chitonge, H., Harvey, R. (eds) Land Tenure Challenges in Africa. Economic Geography. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82852-3_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82852-3_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-82851-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-82852-3

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