Unlocking the potential of the emerging smallholder farming sector in South African agriculture : an agent-based approach
| dc.contributor.advisor | Vink, N. | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Greyling, Jan C. | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Zantsi, Siphe | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Agricultural Economics. | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-02-17T13:50:47Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-04-21T14:37:06Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-02-17T13:50:47Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-04-21T14:37:06Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2021-03 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH SUMMARY : This dissertation investigates how land redistribution can be achieved and how its main prospective beneficiaries, emerging farmers, can be integrated effectively in commercial farming in South Africa. A survey of 833 potential emerging farmers in three provinces with dense populations of smallholders is used together with a survey of 605 commercial farmers across the country. The dissertation first provides an overview of the prominent reasons why land redistribution has achieved little success. It then identifies five main reasons (insufficient post-transfer support, poor beneficiary selection, large farm size coupled with lacking or incompetent farming skills, and the reluctance of the state to give freehold titles to beneficiaries along with limited programme budget) often ascribed to the failure of land redistribution projects. The presented research study addresses two of these reasons directly and others partially as sub-questions through an array of methodologies. The study begins (first phase) by explaining the emerging farmer concept, showing how it is inappropriately used in the South African context and pointing out the dangers associated with this use. It then takes a multifaceted approach and finds that no single measure should be used alone in defining emerging farmers in the South African context. In the second phase, the study deepens this discussion by analysing attributes of the potential emerging farmers through a multivariate analysis and finds five distinct cluster groups of farmers who share similar attributes. It then gives relevant policy recommendations for each cluster. In the third phase, the study delves into land redistribution beneficiary-selection criteria based on the relevant literature, legislative and policy documents, and the profile of potential land redistribution beneficiaries. A suggestion for using a vacancy farm-advertising format for the selection of land reform beneficiaries is then proposed. Inspired by the outcome of the third phase, the study applies a stepwise binary logistic regression in the fourth phase to explore the determinants of the willingness to relocate among potential land redistribution beneficiaries and finds that proxy variables for aspirations and cultural innovation influence this decision among the study participants. Responding to the recommendations of the Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture appointed by the presidency and a wide array of researchers, the fifth and sixth phases explore the hypothesis of subdividing commercial farms intended for redistribution to emerging farmers. In the fifth phase, a viable farm size is determined based on viable farm household income. Viable farm sizes for the land reform farms were explored in a novel agent-based model. These farm sizes were validated in the sixth phase. The study finds that it is possible to subdivide commercial farms in a manner that satisfies the aspirations of the emerging farmers. It also finds a clear difference between number of farms created when redistribution farms are subdivided and when they are not. This difference are also visible per farm type (enterprise) and have profound implications for land redistribution. Several other policy implications and how the results of the study can be used are discussed. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : proefskrif ondersoek hoe grondhervorming bereik kan word en hoe die vernaamste voornemende begunstigdes daarvan, nl. opkomende boere, doeltreffend in kommersiële landbou in Suid-Afrika geïntegreer kan word. ’n Opname van 833 potensiële opkomende boere in drie provinsies met digte bevolkings van kleinboere is gebruik, tesame met ’n opname van 605 kommersiële boere van regoor die land. Die proefskrif verskaf eers ’n oorsig van die vernaamste redes hoekom grondherverdeling so min sukses behaal het. Dit identifiseer dan die vyf vernaamste redes (onvoldoende ondersteuning ná oordrag, swak keuse van begunstigdes, groot plaasgrootte tesame met geen of onbevoegde boerderyvaardighede, die onwilligheid om begunstigdes eiendomsreg te gee, en ’n beperkte begroting vir die program) wat gereeld gegee word vir die mislukking van grondherverdelingsprojekte. Die navorsing wat hier aangebied word, spreek twee van hierdie redes direk aan en die ander gedeeltelik by wyse van subvrae deur middel van ’n verskeidenheid metodologieë. Die studie begin (eerste fase) deur die konsep van die opkomende boer te verduidelik deur te wys dat dit onvanpas in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks gebruik word en wys op die gevare wat verband hou met hierdie gebruik. Dit neem dan ’n veelsydige benadering in en vind dat geen enkele maatstaf alleen gebruik kan word in die definisie van opkomende boere in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks nie. In die tweede fase verdiep die studie hierdie gesprek deur die eienskappe van die potensiële opkomende boere deur middel van ’n meerveranderlike-ontleding te analiseer en vind vyf duidelike groepe boere wat soortgelyke eienskappe deel. Dit verskaf dan relevante beleidsaanbevelings vir elke groep. In die derde fase stel die studie ondersoek in na die kriteria wat gebruik is vir die keuse van begunstigdes van grondherverdeling op grond van die relevante literatuur, wetgewende en beleidsdokumente en die profiel van potensiële begunstigdes van grondherverdeling. ’n Voorstel word dan gemaak vir die gebruik van ’n advertensie vir ’n vakante plaas vir die keuse van grondhervormingsbevoordeeldes. Geïnspireer deur die uitkoms van die derde fase pas die studie dan ’n stapsgewyse binêre logistiese regressie in die vierde fase toe om die determinante van die gewilligheid van potensiële begunstigdes van grondherverdeling om te verhuis te verken en vind dat volmag veranderlikes vir aspirasies en kulturele innovasie hierdie besluit onder die deelnemers aan die studie beïnvloed. In reaksie op die aanbevelings van die Adviespaneel oor Grondhervorming en Landbou wat deur die presidensie aangestel is en van ’n verskeidenheid navorsers, verken die vyfde en sesde fases die hipotese van die onderverdeling van kommersiële plase wat bedoel is vir herverspreiding aan opkomende boere. In die vyfde fase word ’n lewensvatbare plaasgrootte bepaal op grond van lewensvatbare inkomste vir die plaashuishouding. Lewensvatbare plaasgroottes vir die grondhervormingsplase is met behulp van die agentskapmodel ondersoek. Hierdie plaasgroottes is in die sesde fase bekragtig. Die studie bevind dat dit moontlik is om kommersiële plase so te onderverdeel dat dit die aspirasies van ontluikende produsente bevredig. Dit vind ook ’n duidelike verskil tussen die getal plase wat geskep word wanneer plase vir herverdeling onderverdeel word en wanneer hulle nie word nie. Hierdie verskille is ook sigbaar per tipe plaas (onderneming) en het verregaande implikasies vir grond herverdeling. Verskeie ander beleidsimplikasies en hoe die resultate van hierdie studie gebruik kan word, word bespreek. | af_ZA |
| dc.description.version | Doctoral | |
| dc.format.extent | xvii, 183 pages ; illustrations, includes annexures | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/110028 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | |
| dc.subject | Subsistence farming -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Land reform -- Law and legislation -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | UCTD | |
| dc.title | Unlocking the potential of the emerging smallholder farming sector in South African agriculture : an agent-based approach | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |