The HSRC has released a comprehensive report on households earning a living from agriculture in South Africa, highlighting critical issues such as land access, food insecurity, and gender disparities. Jessie-Lee Smith presents key findings from the launch and recommendations that researchers regard as essential for improving the lives of rural South Africans.
On 6 August 2024, the HSRC launched the 2023 Agrarian Rural Household Economy (ARHE) report profiling the lives of agrarian households in South Africa. This report was based on a 2023 household survey of 1,297 households from 12 districts across all nine provinces of South Africa. The HSRC partnered with Tshintsha Amakhaya, an alliance of NGOs, social movements, and community formations, which work to advance land access, food sovereignty, gender equality, and water and climate justice, to conduct the ARHE study.
South Africa’s Census 2022 survey shows that in 2022, 13.8% of the country’s households were agrarian, earning a living from agriculture. Presenting key findings from the study at the launch, HSRC senior researcher Nolukholo Mabharwana described an agrarian household as one in which at least one person earns a living from an agricultural source. This person could be a smallholder farmer, subsistence farmer, farm worker, or farm dweller.
The ARHE study found that farmers earned an average monthly income of R14,538.34, farm workers only R4,401.42, and farm dwellers R4,118.84.
At the launch, David Neves, research lead at the Surplus People Project, said that in 2023, most (60%) households earning a living from agriculture lived below the food poverty line, and that poverty and hunger had increased since 2011/2012 when average incomes were only approaching the poverty line.
The ARHE report described hunger as the insufficient regular consumption of food. In 2010, 23.6% of South African households experienced hunger. This rate decreased to 17.8% in 2019, but the 2023 ARHE study showed that it had increased to 23.1%.
Another important insight from the study was the heightened vulnerability of women-headed agrarian households (Figure 1). On average, male-headed agrarian households fell below the lower-bound poverty line (earning less than R1,058 per month), while most female-headed agrarian households fell below the lower poverty line and the food poverty line (earning less than R760 per month). The study also found that female-headed households were larger on average, meaning per capita consumption and income were often less in these households.
Figure 1. Monthly food spending per person by household relative to poverty lines, 2023
Source: HSRC
Many households earning a living from agriculture relied on wage earnings and social welfare grants rather than farming to sustain themselves. According to the study, of the farmers, most of the female-headed households (60%) farmed for food, while most of the male-headed households (60%) farmed for an income.
The ARHE study found that despite living and working in rural areas where food is produced, most households earning a living from agriculture were impoverished and unable to meet their basic nutritional needs. When buying food, women spent most of their money on animal protein, cereal, starch, processed food, and takeaways, in that order (Figure 2). The lowest expenditure by women was on fruit and vegetables. This highlighted the issue of hidden hunger, experienced by someone whose diet does not meet nutritional requirements.
Figure 2. Expenditure by food group in women-led households
Source: HSRC
Many rural households, particularly female-headed households, still lacked access to essential services. The study found that 15.4% of female-headed households and 10.2% of male-headed households accessed water from streams. “This has a direct impact on quality of life, health, and the ability to engage in other income-earning activities,” said Neves.
The researchers proposed several recommendations at the launch. Persistent gender inequality and disadvantage were evident in many aspects of the households, highlighting the need to expand gender equality programmes and interventions. “We need to empower the agency of, and amplify, marginalised women’s voices, needs and interests in the agrarian sector,” said HSRC researcher Mokgethwa Madubye.
Access to land is essential for rural livelihoods, yet South Africa’s land redistribution efforts have largely failed, leaving many without secure tenure. The report highlights the need for comprehensive policies prioritising land redistribution, especially for marginalised groups.
Food assistance and social welfare programmes should be implemented alongside developing local food systems for nutritious, culturally appropriate foods. Improving agricultural productivity requires accessible support services, training, and resources. Increased investment in agricultural extension and market access support for smallholder farmers is essential.
The report also maintains that enhancing rural infrastructure and access to basic services is crucial for quality of life. Upgrading rural roads and transportation networks and providing electricity and potable water are necessary.
Climate change poses significant risks to rural livelihoods, requiring tailored adaptation strategies. Financial and technical support for sustainable agricultural practices is essential for resilience. Rural communities need better organisation and involvement in policy making. Strengthening community-based organisations and farmer associations and empowering women and youth to advocate for their rights are critical.
South Africa conducts a commercial agricultural census every 10 years and an annual agricultural survey. These surveys are mostly suited for capturing large-scale commercial agriculture. Neves said that small-scale agriculture and related activities remain difficult to capture, because these surveys define a microenterprise as any enterprise with a turnover of less than R3 million a year. “We felt this research was necessary to fill a gap and tell us about the millions of ordinary small-scale households in South Africa,” he said.
The ARHE report addresses numerous facets of agrarian life in South Africa, but the launch primarily focused on the issues of women and hunger. Mabharwana emphasised that with August being Women’s Month, the HSRC had strategically decided to reflect on the roles and challenges women in South Africa face at the launch.
She emphasised that the ARHE research is crucial to shedding light on the hunger experiences of South Africa’s households that earn a living from agriculture, particularly those of female-headed households, for which little to no data is available. She further explained that this data would be instrumental in shaping national policies to target vulnerable groups such as women and children, thereby contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to eliminate poverty and hunger by 2030.
Research contacts
Dr Peter Jacobs (strategic lead), Nolukholo Mabharwana (senior researcher), and Mokgethwa Madubye (senior researcher) in the Equitable Education and Economies Division of the HSRC.
If you enjoyed reading this article, please click here to subscribe to the HSRC Review quarterly magazine.
