When land is restituted to communities, the real question is what happens next.
For the Vumelana Advisory Fund, the answer lies in Community Private Partnerships (CPPs) – structured agreements that pair land-owning communities with experienced commercial partners. Since 2012, Vumelana has supported 77 transactions, mobilised R1 billion in private investment and helped put more than 76 000 hectares of restituted land to productive use across South Africa.
But behind those numbers are real people – young South Africans who found opportunities on restituted land that changed the direction of their lives.
Also read: Why land reform fails after handover – and the private sector CSI model that actually works
Giba CPA – Mpumalanga
Across 2 700 hectares of prime subtropical land in Mpumalanga, the Giba CPA has become home to large-scale banana, macadamia and export-driven ginger farming. At 33, Bheki Mlaudzi works as an administrator for the CPA, gaining hands-on exposure to commercial-scale agriculture he would not have accessed otherwise.
His story is matched by that of 33-year-old Bhekumuzi Sibiya, a Grade 12 graduate who spotted a gap and filled it. Using his agricultural background, Sibiya established a private security company that protects the CPA’s harvests – a business that has grown alongside his skills in planning and investor negotiations.
Barokologadi CPA – North West
The Barokologadi CPA covers 26 000 hectares, including land within the Madikwe Game Reserve. When financial constraints halted Letsatsi Ditlhale’s civil engineering studies, he secured an administrative role within the CPA, completed a management course and now leads a team of young people within the organisation.
The CPA’s dedicated Youth Wing has gone further – driving technical literacy, establishing local IT support and enrolling more than 15 young members in commercial livestock training at the Kgora Agricultural Training Institution.
Coromandel Trust – Mpumalanga
On restituted community land in Mpumalanga, 34-year-old Perfect Khoza has built a broiler business from the ground up. Despite infrastructure, financial and climate-related challenges, her poultry enterprise already employs part-time workers and is actively expanding.
Also read: Has South Africa focused too heavily on restitution at the expense of broader land redistribution?
Scaling what works
Peter Setou, Chief Executive of the Vumelana Advisory Fund, says the CPP model succeeds because it does not leave communities to navigate the commercial agricultural market alone.
“Preserving restituted land for the future requires an aggressive, intentional commitment to youth involvement now to ensure long-term sustainability,” he says.
The next challenge is scale. “These pockets of success highlight the model’s potential. Now the challenge is to scale these successes to unlock similar outcomes across the country.”
This article is based on a press release issued by the Vumelana Advisory Fund.
Also read: Reflecting on land reform during Human Rights Day commemorations
