THE DISTRIBUTION OF LAND IN SOUTH AFRICA LAND DISTRIBUTION Figures from 1956-57 Yearbook and the Tominson Report 1956 (a) Of all farming land, white and "Bantu"
Areas, when all the land for Africans has been acquired under the land and Native
Trust Acts of 1936,
European farms will occupy 86.2% "Bantu Areas" will occupy 13.8% (b) At present farm holdings are as follows: (i) WHITES
571,014 whites own, lease etc, 101,480,108 morgen of land, ie 21.6% of the white population or 10% of the whole population of South Africa. (ii) AFRICANS
"Native Areas" where people live as peas-
Wants under tribal conditions. 17%½ million morgen occupied by 3,306,234 people i e 42.6% of total African population. 5 2,336,714 people i e 24.3% of total population on white farms. 6% of total African population in Rural townships, government areas, construction gangs and farms owned by Coloured or Asiatics. So that of all rural areas
101½ million morgen owned by 571,614 whites. 17½ million morgen set aside for 6% million Africans.
This accounts for rural population of 6¼ million. But according to the Tomlinson Report, of the 2/3 million people (Africans) in urban areas only 1½ million are . permanently settled. The rest i e 828,534 are migrant laborers and therefore this number must be added to the rural population in so far as distribution of the land. It is interesting to note that according to 1951 Census of urban African people 645,350 are in compounds i e.
### Municipal Compounds 29,019
Industrial 142,277 Mine Compounds 474,060 645,350
(c) Nature of the land, of all "Bantu Areas."
11% pure mountain country.
23% very mountainous or very broken.
20% hilly or broken.
16% gently rolling or flat.
eg In Transkei 10% flat (Population 1,269,277)]
[
In Natal 23% flat (Population 1,810,102)
This means that of the 172 million morgen of land in "Bantu Areas" on which 42.6% of total
African population settled, less than half i e 46% of 17½ million morgen can be used for cultivation.
Besides the nature of the land is the question of soil erosion.
In Transkei 30% in "Bantu Areas" badly eroded;
44% in "Bantu Areas" moderately so; "Bantu Areas" free
26% in from erosion.
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
(d) 1951 Census
27.1% of Africans in Rural Areas.
42.6% in "Bantu Areas."
30.3% on European farms and other rural пок.
24.3% on European farms and
60% other rural areas.
De facto population in "Bantu" areas 3,633,000
De jure population if absentees added 4,202,000 i e 569,00 migrant laborers.
Permanent urban dwellers = 1,500,000.
(e) Annual Income of the Peasants families
Annual family income of farming in "Bantu" Areas £43. i e £22 from farming
Family doing and £21 from outside work.
Pastoral farming on trust farms £49.4 per annum.
"Real" income produced in Reserves has mained unchanged from 1936 and per capita income has fallen.
According to the Tomlinson report a farming
African family requires 52.5 morgen of land to realise gross income of £70 per annum. Thus all
"Bantu Areas" can carry 307,000 farming families therefore
51% of population present half of the present population will have to leave and seek employment outside agriculture.
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