South Africa has no updated data on foreign land ownership, minister says

South Africa's government does not have updated statistics on land owned by foreign nationals, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso has told Parliament, with the most recent available information coming from a 2017 Land Audit.

Nyhontso was responding to a parliamentary question from African Transformation Movement MP and leader Vuyo Zungula, who asked what percentage of land in the country is owned by foreign nationals and foreign-owned corporations.

According to the 2017 Land Audit, foreign nationals owned 789,932 hectares, or 0.56 percent of South Africa's total land area. The Northern Cape recorded the largest amount of land owned by non-South Africans at 298,226 hectares, followed by the Western Cape with 117,063 hectares and the Free State with 73,168 hectares.

The minister said the audit could determine nationality only for land registered in the names of individuals and could not establish foreign ownership of land registered to companies, trusts and other juristic persons. The department was also unable to establish whether the land was used for agricultural, commercial or residential purposes, while the provincial distribution of land owned by foreign-owned corporations could not be determined.

Zungula criticised the lack of updated information, pointing out that the latest audit was conducted almost a decade ago and saying the gap was concerning given that land reform remained one of the country's most contested issues.

The MP also asked whether the government intended to introduce or amend legislation to restrict or regulate land ownership by foreign nationals and foreign-owned corporations. Nyhontso said the department was developing legislation to regulate landholding by foreign persons, which still has to be approved by Cabinet.