Property and Prosperity: Reforming Landholding in Africa

Image: Pixabay, dghchocolatier
Image: Pixabay, dghchocolatier

How Africans access – or ‘own’ – their landholdings is a matter of profound importance for the continent’s future.

It touches on social welfare as well as prospects for economic development. This policy briefing provides an overview of the land question, drawing heavily on the Country Review Reports (CRRs) of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). It argues that weak property rights are a major problem for Africa, but cautions against an assumption that full titling is an immediate solution. Rather, drawing on existing informal rights regimes in Africa – and gradually building formalised systems on this basis – offers a more promising avenue for creating effective and durable systems of property rights aligned with the continent’s realities.

The views expressed in this publication/article are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA).

18 Jan 2016