Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso launched a R2 billion support programme for land reform beneficiaries on 26 October, with R1.2 billion allocated for the current financial year.
Nywarha Village, in the Mbhashe Local Municipality of the Eastern Cape, hosted the launch. The Integrated Land Reform and Rural Development Support Programme puts funding, technical support, infrastructure, skills training and market access into a single process for people who receive land, the department said.
The R1.2 billion this year is split among all nine provinces, at R100 million to R170 million each, in line with each province’s share of landholdings. The department said the spending rests on four laws passed between 1993 and 1997, covering land assistance, restitution, tenure security and labour tenants.
Nyhontso said land reform had too often been handled as a property transaction. “We are declaring that the era of dumping our people on land without support is officially over,” he said.
What the programme will fund
Smallholder farmers can expect tractors, seed, irrigation and technology, according to the statement. Community-owned tourism businesses, agro-processing plants and small factories near raw materials are also on the list, along with access roads, storage and digital connectivity. The department named agriculture, tourism and manufacturing as anchor sectors because they create jobs, supply chains and local demand.
Source: Department of Land Reform and Rural Development, 27 October 2026. Chart: Rand Desk
Households, communal property associations, commonage farmers, co-operatives and producer groups can receive support. Restitution communities get capital and expertise. Women, youth, military veterans and farmworkers come first, and the department said investment is directed to communal areas.
Partners and money already committed
The department said the Development Bank of Southern Africa will provide transactional advisory services. It is also in talks with the Industrial Development Corporation, other development finance institutions and commercial banks about blended funding.
Nyhontso said R500 million has already been committed through the Land Bank for a blended finance scheme. He said a sod-turning event held with the Development Bank two weeks ago showed the programme was moving from policy to implementation.
Applications under review
The first call for expressions of interest and applications was issued in September 2026. The department said submissions for the current production season, and assessments of infrastructure needs, are being evaluated. Nyhontso said the department is committed to accelerating decisions and communicating outcomes promptly.
The statement did not say how many applications were received, how many beneficiaries the programme is expected to reach, or what share of the R2 billion falls in later financial years. It does not give the years the R2 billion covers.
The department’s programme runs alongside the local government funding reforms that also reach rural municipalities. Its next step is to announce which applicants will receive support this production season.
