Blacks own only 16 percent of farmland - NSA

WINDHOEK – Previously disadvantaged Namibians own only 16 percent of freehold agricultural land, even after 28 years of government efforts to redistribute land to the black majority.

This is according to statistics provided by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) yesterday, citing the Namibian Agricultural Union (NAU) (2016) database.

Of the 39,728,364 hectares of freehold agricultural (commercial) land, a total of 27,863,813 hectares (70.1%) is owned by previously advantaged (white) Namibians while 6,373,441 hectares (16%) is owned by previously disadvantaged Namibians.
The remaining 5,491,110 hectares (14%) freehold agricultural land is owned by government.

The 16% of farms owned by previously disadvantaged Namibians includes farms acquired through Agribank Affirmative Action Loan Scheme.

In terms of government-owned freehold agricultural land of 5,491,110 hectares, 3,021,959 hectares were acquired for resettlement purposes.

The remaining 2,469,151 hectares are utilised for other government services such as research, servitudes.
Companies (close corporation and PTY) owning agricultural (commercial) land in Namibia are registered to be more than 96%. The remaining 4% is registered under estates, churches, farmers associations, foundations and trusts. Trusts own 672,153 hectares.

A total of 2,859 farms is registered under companies, of which close corporations own 1,568 farms (55%) while PTYs own the remaining 1,291 farms (45%). 

A total of 250 farms and farm portions, covering 1,206,017 hectares is owned by foreign nationals. It is worth mentioning that a total of 639,667 hectares (53.0%) is owned by German nationals, followed by South Africans with 353,875 hectares (29.3%) and Americans with 82,024 hectares (6.8%).
A list of 4,922 national individuals owning freehold agricultural (commercial) land was verified to determine land ownership by sex.

A total of 3,675 owners could be classified according to their sex using the population register. However, 1,247 persons could not be verified possibly due to incorrect identity information supplied.
The verified information of ownership of freehold agricultural (commercial) land shows that males own 77% while females own 23%.

In summary, freehold agricultural land in Namibia, excluding of government, stands at 42% of the country’s landmass of 82,400,000 hectares compared to 44% in 2010. All state land, including agricultural land in freehold areas, measure 19,397,547 hectares (23%) of the land surface, a rise of 3% from 20% in 2010. Communal land decreased by 1% from 36% in 2010 to 
35%.