PUB1602
Assignment 2
Semester 1
Due April 2026
, Question 1: Explain how the Native Land Act contributed to unequal land
ownership and settlement patterns in South Africa. Discuss how this historical
land inequality continues to influence housing shortages, informal settlements
and land reform challenges after apartheid.
The Native Land Act of 1913 was one of the earliest and most influential laws that
created unequal land ownership patterns in South Africa. The Act restricted Black South
Africans from owning or leasing land outside designated areas known as native
reserves, which made up only about 7% of the country’s land, later increased to 13%
(Walker, 2017). Meanwhile, White South Africans controlled the majority of productive
agricultural and urban land.
This law forced many Black communities to move from fertile farming areas into
overcrowded reserves. As a result, these areas experienced severe population
pressure, poor agricultural productivity, and poverty. Many displaced individuals
migrated to cities in search of work but were not allowed permanent residence. This
created early settlement patterns where Black South Africans lived in segregated and
overcrowded areas outside economic centres (Turok, 2015).
The inequality created by the Native Land Act continues to influence housing shortages
today. Because most land near cities remained under White ownership during apartheid
and even after 1994, affordable and well-located land for housing development remains
limited. As urbanisation increased, many low-income households settled informally on
vacant or marginal land, leading to the growth of informal settlements such as
Khayelitsha in Cape Town and Diepsloot in Johannesburg.
Land reform efforts since democracy have attempted to address these historical
imbalances through land redistribution and restitution programmes. However, progress
has been slow due to complex land ownership systems, high land prices, and
administrative challenges. This means that many previously disadvantaged
communities still struggle to access well-located housing, reinforcing patterns of
inequality created by the Native Land Act.
Assignment 2
Semester 1
Due April 2026
, Question 1: Explain how the Native Land Act contributed to unequal land
ownership and settlement patterns in South Africa. Discuss how this historical
land inequality continues to influence housing shortages, informal settlements
and land reform challenges after apartheid.
The Native Land Act of 1913 was one of the earliest and most influential laws that
created unequal land ownership patterns in South Africa. The Act restricted Black South
Africans from owning or leasing land outside designated areas known as native
reserves, which made up only about 7% of the country’s land, later increased to 13%
(Walker, 2017). Meanwhile, White South Africans controlled the majority of productive
agricultural and urban land.
This law forced many Black communities to move from fertile farming areas into
overcrowded reserves. As a result, these areas experienced severe population
pressure, poor agricultural productivity, and poverty. Many displaced individuals
migrated to cities in search of work but were not allowed permanent residence. This
created early settlement patterns where Black South Africans lived in segregated and
overcrowded areas outside economic centres (Turok, 2015).
The inequality created by the Native Land Act continues to influence housing shortages
today. Because most land near cities remained under White ownership during apartheid
and even after 1994, affordable and well-located land for housing development remains
limited. As urbanisation increased, many low-income households settled informally on
vacant or marginal land, leading to the growth of informal settlements such as
Khayelitsha in Cape Town and Diepsloot in Johannesburg.
Land reform efforts since democracy have attempted to address these historical
imbalances through land redistribution and restitution programmes. However, progress
has been slow due to complex land ownership systems, high land prices, and
administrative challenges. This means that many previously disadvantaged
communities still struggle to access well-located housing, reinforcing patterns of
inequality created by the Native Land Act.
