The effect of land restitution on poverty reduction among the Khomani San bushmenn in South Africa
Johane Dikgang, Edwin Muchapondwa
This paper looks at the impact of land restitution involving the Khomani San bushmenn in the Kgalagadi area of South Africa. It seeks to investigate the effect of land restitution on poverty reduction among the beneficiaries. We run two-stage least squares models of access to nature, per capita income and poverty status on use of restituted land, among other variables. Our results suggest that the Khomani San beneficiaries have gotten more access to natural resources but that use of restituted land has neither increased per capita income nor reduced poverty. In fact, use of restituted land has contributed to increased poverty. Therefore, land restitution should become part of a broader, carefully crafted rural developmental strategy for it to be effective in reducing poverty. Otherwise, land restitution risks enabling indigenous communities to continue with their traditionall way of life and, in fact, thereby keep them poor.
Event: Annual World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty 2015
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