Rural land reform and local economic development through agri-parks: A case study of Harry Gwala Municipality in Kwazulu-Natal

Abstract

Land ownership, especially in rural areas where most agricultural activities are located, not only places food on the table for citizens but also contributes to a large section of the country's economy. Often this economic benefit does not filter in appreciable levels to the rural economy but benefits the urban and global markets, where raw products are processed in urban-based industries, transformed into value and sold on the open market. This trend often leaves the rural economy deplete, underdeveloped and caught in a vicious cycle of poverty. South Africa, given its historical past, is also confronted with similar challenges, where the majority of the agricultural land is owned by large, commercial, white farmers, where produce is processed and marketed to urban and global markets. This imbalance in rural land ownership is being addressed by the state through different land reform programmes, to benefit those who have been denied access to the ownership of land. While land reform is a protracted process, emphasis is placed by the state to access land, undertake land reform programmes and promote economic development. It is envisaged that these processes will complement each other in an integrated way so that local economic development (LED) takes place while land claims are being settled. LED embraces the Agri-park concept as a platform to stimulate development in the rural areas. It is in this context that the Harry Gwala District Municipality serves as a case study to highlight how LED can serve as a catalyst to stimulate rural development, through the application of the Agri-park concept and some of the challenges and prospects it is likely to experience.