Realizing agricultural potential in land reform: The case of Vaalharts irrigation scheme in the Northern Cape Province

Abstract

The effectiveness of the South African Land reform Programme has been at the centre of debates amonng land reform activists and within government. Empirical evidence shows that land reform has not only been moving at a slow pace, but has also had limited impact on the livelihoods of beneficiaries, due to the fact that many land reform farms have operated at a very low level since being transferred to their new owners. This study looks at performance of land reform in South Africa, using the Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme in the Nothern Cape as an example.