By Nico van Burick
The Eastern Cape is undoubtedly one of the provinces where the pendulum is shifting from white to black land ownership. The number of black commercial farmers becoming members of Agri Eastern Cape continues to rise each year, says Brent McNamara, CEO of the organisation.
Current statistics are not available, but McNamara believes the sector is gradually aligning with the country’s racial demographics. In 2016, the Eastern Cape had about 4 000 commercial farmers, 32 000 small-scale farmers and 550 000 subsistence farmers.
At the time, most commercial farmers were likely white, whereas small-scale and subsistence farmers were largely people of colour. But these dynamics are shifting as more subsistence farmers move into small-scale production, and small-scale farmers make the transition to commercial farming.
Jacques Roodt, a farmer from Khowa (formerly Elliot) and former chairperson of the local farmers’ association, says there are already significantly fewer white farmers in his area than in the past. He estimates land occupation in the region is roughly 30% white farmers and 70% black farmers.
Roodt notes, however, that most black farmers in the area rely heavily on government support and subsidies to farm on communal land. Unlike many white commercial farmers, they are not dependent on bank loans. One of the area’s best-known landowners is Gwede Mantashe, minister of mineral and petroleum resources.
“On our membership list of the Rhino Farmers’ Association, we have 28 white farmers still actively farming – and probably five who will soon stop,” Roodt says. “When I was chairperson until 2021, the association had 46 members. If I recall correctly, the black farmers now have about 68 members in their own association.”
Another farmer from Khowa, Bennie Vorster, has also observed this trend. “Along one of our farm borders, more than half of our neighbours are black farmers,” he says. “And just recently a black farmer bought a property in the area for R22 million.”
The wool industry is growing
The wool industry is one of the fastest-growing agricultural sectors in the Eastern Cape. According to Dan Kriek, general manager of the National Wool Growers’ Association (NWGA), black farmers in communal areas – mainly in the Eastern Cape and parts of southern KwaZulu-Natal – now keep about 5 million sheep and produce roughly 5 million kilograms of wool annually.
“These small-scale farmers contribute roughly 12% of South Africa’s total wool production, which stands at about 47 million kilograms per year,” Kriek says. “Although they are small-scale producers, their role in the industry is significant.”
For the past 30 years, the NWGA has supported these farmers through training programmes, the development of shearing skills, the construction of shearing sheds and other infrastructure, and assistance with marketing.
Kriek believes this is one of the most successful agricultural development stories in South Africa. “In the 1990s, these farmers sold wool worth just R2 million through the formal market. By the time Covid hit, their income from wool had risen to R383 million. That growth has had a profound impact on their social and economic wellbeing – and there’s still huge potential for further development.”
He emphasises that some black farmers are top-tier wool producers whose products can confidently compete on the global market. In terms of lambing percentages, genetic improvements and wool quality, they are on par with, and in some cases equal to, the best commercial farmers. Many also source rams from some of the country’s top breeders.
According to Kriek, the NWGA is South Africa’s most inclusive commodity organisation, representing farmers across the spectrum, from the largest commercial operations to the smallest communal producers.
There are currently 960 shearing sheds in communal areas, some built by the state and others by the NWGA. One of the NWGA’s most successful initiatives has been its ram exchange programme, which has distributed about 50 000 rams to black farmers over the years.
Kriek notes there is still significant potential for growth in this sector, but it will require continued investment and government support. The NWGA is committed to remaining a key partner in this development, working alongside the state and other stakeholders.
Noël Wagenaar, a property agent based in Maclear, confirms the number of black farmers is growing, although quantifying the increase is difficult. “Many of them have land that’s either underutilised or leased out. So yes, the number of black farmers is rising, but mostly with the support and involvement of the government.
“At the same time, the number of white farmers is declining. Those who remain are often buying neighbouring farms when they come on the market.”
Dwayne Kashula, a farmer from Maclear, says the number of large white commercial farmers in his area has remained fairly stable over the past decade. “It’s the number of smaller-scale white farmers that’s been decreasing. And what’s noticeable is that fewer young people are returning to take over family farms. As the older generation retires, this could lead to consolidation, with neighbouring farms being bought out.”
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