The agriculture sector continues to be viewed as a vehicle through which economic growth
and development can be achieved; particularly for developing economies. This view is
incorporated in South Africa’s rural development framework in the National Development
Plan, which indicated that this sector will be the main driver in developing the country’s rural
economies. However, the South African agricultural sector is known to be dualistic;
consisting of a large-scale commercial and a small-scale subsistence sector. This study is
particularly focused on smallholder farming in South Africa, which have developed as a
result of the decades of government intervention that have guided reform driven by the
general political and economic philosophy of white domination. The most notable
interventions, which drew the line between white and black landholding, were the Natives’ Land
Acts of 1913 and 1936, followed by various policy interventions to support White, large-scale
agriculture.
The question remains whether or not an expanded smallholder sector can significantly
contribute to rural development, employment creation and poverty reduction in the former
homeland areas of South Africa. In order to answer this question, the need arises for reliable
data on smallholder farming, conceptual clarification on definitions of “smallholder” or
“small-scale” farmers and diversity among farming systems needs to be taken into account.
These considerations are crucial in order to design and implement effective rural development
policies.