Youth Locked Out of Land Reform Benefits Despite Restitution Progress, Expert Warns

• Peter Setou of the Vumelana Advisory Fund warns that young people remain structurally excluded from land reform benefits despite restitution progress
• Barriers including lack of secure land tenure, access to finance, and established supply chains continue to block youth participation in redistributed land
• Vumelana's Community Private Partnerships model has mobilised R1 billion and supported 77 transactions, with isolated youth success stories emerging in Mpumalanga and North West

SOUTH AFRICA — Young people in land reform beneficiary communities are being left behind despite progress in land restitution, with structural barriers blocking meaningful economic participation, according to the chief executive of a leading land reform advisory organisation.

Peter Setou, Chief Executive of the Vumelana Advisory Fund, a not-for-profit organisation that works with land reform beneficiaries to put land to productive use, issued the warning on 25 June 2026, calling for an intentional redesign of the post-settlement support ecosystem to integrate youth into rural economies.

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Structural barriers blocking youth entry

Setou argued that the main challenge is not a lack of interest from young people, but inadequate support after land has been transferred. He explained that land is frequently handed back to Communal Property Associations (CPAs) or trusts without the funding, technical skills, or systems needed to manage commercial farming or other business operations successfully.

Setou said South Africa risks failing both today's youth and future generations if young people are not meaningfully included in decision-making, management and leadership within land restitution partnerships. He stressed that the long-term success of restituted land depends on involving younger generations, adding:

"Preserving restituted land for the future requires an aggressive, intentional commitment to youth involvement now to ensure the long-term sustainability of restituted land."

Financiers demand proven operational track records and profitable balance sheets before extending credit, conditions that emerging young operators cannot meet, leaving prime land underutilised.

CPP model producing isolated success stories

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Setou highlighted Community Private Partnerships (CPPs) as a viable mechanism. Briefly News previously reported that since 2012, Vumelana has supported 77 transactions and concluded 26 partnership agreements, mobilising R1 billion from private investors and creating the potential for 2,500 jobs benefitting 16,000 households across more than 76,000 hectares of land.

Setou pointed to several communities as examples of how the right support can unlock opportunities for young people. In Mpumalanga, the 2,700-hectare Giba CPA entered into a partnership with private investor W van R Schmidt (Pty) Ltd through Vumelana. The collaboration gave young beneficiaries practical experience in producing bananas, macadamias and export-grade ginger. One beneficiary, 33-year-old Bheki Mlaudzi, gained valuable farming skills, while Bhekumuzi Sibiya used his agricultural background to establish a security business that protects the CPA's farming operations.

He also highlighted the Barokologadi CPA in North West, which manages 26,000 hectares, including land inside the Madikwe Game Reserve. Through its dedicated Youth Wing, the CPA has introduced more than 15 young members to commercial livestock training. Among them is 31-year-old Letsatsi Ditlhale, who was forced to abandon his civil engineering studies due to financial difficulties but later secured an administrative position within the CPA and now leads a team of young employees after completing a management course.

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In Mpumalanga's Coromandel Trust, 34-year-old poultry farmer Perfect Khoza used a portion of restituted community land to establish a broiler business, employing part-time workers with plans for permanent expansion.

Setou called for interventions to be scaled across three areas: targeted post-settlement support, financial support and market access, and institutional governance and capacity-building.

"These pockets of success highlight the model's potential. Now the challenge is to scale these successes to unlock similar outcomes across the country," he said.

Post-settlement support is key to successful land reform

Briefly News previously reported on Setou's call for greater investment in post-settlement support. He argued that transferring land to beneficiaries is only the first step and that meaningful support is needed to make it economically sustainable. Setou called for improved funding mechanisms, skills training and stronger partnerships to help communities develop productive enterprises, create employment opportunities and contribute to economic growth.

Source: Briefly News