President Cyril Ramaphosa says the government is making approximately 2.5 million hectares of state land available to black farmers across different parts of the country to expand agricultural production, create jobs and make the sector more inclusive. The land has been acquired by the government over the years and will be made available to qualifying beneficiaries with title deeds.
The president made the announcement on 8 October during a visit to Redlands Dairy Farm in Stutterheim, Eastern Cape, and reiterated it on Monday in his weekly message to South Africans. He explained that the land was previously made available on short-term lease agreements, which made it harder for farmers to obtain financing and invest in their enterprises. The government's proactive land acquisition strategy aims to improve access to land, but Ramaphosa emphasised that farmers also need financing, training, skills and support to build successful commercial enterprises.
The government says the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development has already begun releasing the land and issuing title deeds. The programme is part of efforts to establish more black commercial farmers and expand the country's agricultural production.
Sources: From the desk of the President 12 October 2026, Speech during visit to Redlands Dairy Farm 8 October 2026
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
