Closing remarks by Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile at the National Rural Development Indaba 2026, Lemo Green Park, Bloemfontein, Free State Province

Programme Directors;
Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Honourable Mzwanele Nyhontso;
Deputy Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Honourable Stanley Mathabatha;
Deputy Minister of COGTA, Honourable Zolile Burns-Ncamashe; 
Executive Mayor of Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality; Cllr Nthatisi;
Members of the Executive at National, Provincial and Local Government level;
The Chairperson of the National House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders, Kgosi Thabo Milton Seatlholo;
Reigning Monarch of the Barolong Boo Seleka, Kgosi Gaboilelwe Moroka;
The President of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), Councillor Bheki Stofile;
The Chief Executive Officer of the African Union Development Agency, AUDA-NEPAD, Ms. Nardos Bekele-Thomas;
Representatives of Organised Labour, Business, Civil Society, Academia, and Development Finance Institutions;
Acting Director-General of the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development, Mr. Clinton Heimann, and all senior Government Officials;
Distinguished Panellists, Commissioners, Rapporteurs and Moderators;
Members of the community, in whose honour we gather today;
Members of the media;

Dumelang! Lotshani! Sanibonani! Molweni!  Avuxeni! Ndaa! Goeie Middag!

Ladies and gentlemen,

Firstly, let me congratulate the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development for successfully hosting this important and timely engagement that brings together all stakeholders that are key to rural development and reform in South Africa.

Let me also take this opportunity to thank the MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development for the North West Province, Mr. Madoda Sambatha, for officially opening this National Rural Development Indaba yesterday on behalf of Minister Nyhontso.

I have been informed that in his opening remarks, a number of specific proposals were made about how the Government can make rural development a tangible reality. I hope these proposals, along with others from the two-day discussions, will be consolidated into concrete recommendations for implementation.

Notably, there was robust and forward-looking engagement focused on advancing rural development, strengthening infrastructure, and fostering inclusive economic growth in our country over the past two days.

This Indaba has pointed out the importance of collaborative efforts among government, business, civil society, and communities in forging constructive routes towards renewal, dignity, and shared prosperity.

It emphasised that rural development encompasses economic, social, environmental, and cultural dimensions, playing a crucial role in South Africa's democratic agenda to protect the well-being and rights of both present and future generations.

This focus aligns with the Constitution, specifically Chapter 2, which emphasises equality and human dignity. Section 152 mandates local governments to promote social and economic growth while empowering communities.

Moreover, Chapter 6 of the National Development Plan 2030 emphasises rural development as critical to promoting an inclusive economy, with a goal of revitalising rural areas by 2030. As of 2024, it is reported that of the sixty-two million citizens of South Africa, approximately 19.7 million reside in rural areas, representing 30.7% of the entire population, marking a slight decline from 31.18% in 2023.

The slow growth of rural economies leads to migration towards cities, as rural communities struggle with limited access to infrastructure, economic opportunities, and essential services, driving people to urban centers for better prospects. This calls for targeted, coordinated action by civil society, government, and private partners to rebalance urban and rural development.

While urbanisation is a global trend, in our context it often reflects uneven development and limited economic prospects in rural regions. Addressing these spatial and economic imbalances requires a shift toward an integrated, multi-sectoral approach to development.

The Government's 30-Year Review emphasises that our strategy should integrate agriculture, tourism, mining, natural resources, and forestry while being backed by strong economic infrastructure, including roads, water and sanitation, public facilities, and telecommunications. By prioritising the vibrancy of rural economies, the government aims not only to improve local livelihoods but also to curb the increasing migration pressures on urban centres.

It is important to acknowledge yesterday’s deliberations, which looked at important issues contributing to an integrated and inclusive rural economy such as:

• Rural development policy: strengthening institutional coordination and financing to ensure impactful results.

• Economic transformation: driving industrialisation, massifying job creation, and supporting enterprise development.

• Rural infrastructure investment: laying the foundations for connectivity, productivity, and renewal.

• Sustainable development: embedding environmental stewardship, climate resilience, human capital and skills development at the heart of our progress.

Thirty years of our development-based democracy has taught us that we cannot develop rural and urban economies separately. Our rural areas supply food, labour, energy, and natural resources. Our urban centres provide markets, technology, finance, and services. These are bound together in a single economic system.

We must therefore abandon the false choice between rural and urban development and embrace integrated spatial planning, aligned infrastructure investment, and regional value-chain development. Sustainable rural development depends on strong, connected urban centres just as urban prosperity depends on strong rural producers.

At the heart of many rural economies lies agriculture. But we must be frank: subsistence farming alone cannot lift rural communities out of poverty. Our task is to build a productive, competitive, and transformed agricultural sector that creates jobs; supports agro-processing and rural industrialisation; integrates emerging farmers into value chains; and strengthens food security while growing the economy.

This requires secure land tenure, post-settlement support, access to inputs and finance, and real market participation. It is within this context that the work of strategic coordinating departments such as the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development, the Department of Small Business Development, and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition assumes strategic national importance.

These departments, along with the various institutions and partners they collaborate with, remain essential in ensuring that the country capitalises on its competitive advantages and the growth opportunities it presents.

For emerging farmers and rural entrepreneurs, there is a need to remain ahead of the curve in terms of adapting to new technologies, climate-smart practices, mechanisation, and improving access to markets.

It is for this reason that it is important for the coordination and inter-linkages between government and all sectors of society to be prioritised because transformation cannot succeed in a vacuum. Many of the institutions and representative sectors here today are playing a key role in facilitating dialogue between government and producers, thus supporting partnerships between established and emerging farmers, and ensuring that transformation strengthens rather than weakens productivity and food security.

This Indaba has again made it clear that our people in rural areas are repositioned not as beneficiaries of development, but as critical economic actors, producers, and entrepreneurs. This is the transformation we seek: market-based, inclusive, and sustainable.

It is our shared responsibility to end the dualistic rural economy, where a few commercial farmers dominate output while millions of smallholders remain excluded. We must link subsistence farmers to markets, foster partnerships, and build value chains that unite rather than divide so agriculture becomes a driver of shared prosperity.

Yet even as we strive for unity in our fields, we are reminded of another pressing challenge. Volatile weather such as heavy rains, damaging winds, and prolonged droughts has exposed our climate vulnerability. These shocks threaten harvests and undermine our National Food and Nutrition Security Programme, placing millions of households at risk. We cannot ignore this reality. We must build resilience, embrace climate-smart agriculture, and ensure rural communities are protected.

It is against this backdrop of economic transformation and climate resilience that we can reduce vulnerability to extreme weather, increase productivity, and safeguard the livelihoods of rural populations reliant on agriculture.

Several indicators show a shift toward the vibrant and inclusive rural areas envisioned in the NDP 2030 that this Indaba has highlighted as part of the resolutions and action plan. These include:

• Digital Financial Inclusion: The growth of mobile banking and fintech in enabling rural entrepreneurs to bypass traditional barriers and participate in local trade.

• Renewable Energy Hubs: Rural areas, particularly in the Northern and Eastern Cape, are being leveraged for solar and wind projects, with community ownership creating sustainable income streams.

• Agri-Parks and Industrial Parks: Investment in shared processing and packaging facilities is helping shift rural economies from primary production to value-added agro-processing.

• Leveraging the Green Economy and Tourism: Expanding ecotourism and community-owned renewable energy projects allows rural land to generate economic value while preserving communal tenure.

• Human Capital Development and Rural Women and Youth Integration: Targeted, localised training is central to empowering women, youth and other vulnerable groups, reducing migration to urban areas.

Compatriots,

The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Land Reform and Rural Development is ceased with ensuring that recommendations of the 2019 Presidential High-Level Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture, and the resolutions of the 2022 Land Summit are implemented by all the departments whose mandate relates to those resolutions.

A progress update on some of the tasks is recorded as follows:

• Since 1998, over 88,300 land claims have been settled. Efforts are underway to fast-track the resolution of the remaining claims.

• Approximately 659,602 hectares of state land have been allocated, nearly fulfilling the Presidential commitment to release 700,000 hectares. This allocation prioritises 50% of land and economic support for women and 40% for youth. 

• The Land Court Act 6 of 2023, a specialised court with jurisdiction to address land rights injustices and streamline resolution, was established and is operational.

• Regulation of foreign land ownership is at an advanced stage, which includes a report on land audits of long-term occupiers by large institutional owners and immediate land donation offers.

• The Land Donation Policy will soon be considered by the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) meeting.

• Ongoing consultations with traditional authorities are underway to inform the revised Equitable Access to Land Bill, which prioritises a state-led, pro-poor approach, prioritising allocation to women and 40% to youth, allowing the state to acquire land for equitable distribution as envisioned in section 25(5)(8) of the Constitution.

These are just some of the success stories that the sector can claim thus far.

Ladies and gentlemen,

As I conclude, I would like to highlight a matter that is very important to me: security, specifically rural safety and social cohesion. Development cannot take root where people live in fear. Rural crime, stock theft, gender-based violence, and insecurity discourage investment and weaken the bonds of our communities.

Addressing rural safety requires a comprehensive strategy beyond policing. Key actions include strengthening rural policing through specialised units, empowering community safety structures (like neighbourhood watches and youth forums), and fostering collaboration among SAPS, traditional leaders, and local government.

The strategy should also leverage technology for rural communication and surveillance while prioritising social cohesion programmes to combat gender-based violence and restore confidence in rural communities.

Safety must never be treated as an afterthought. It is an integral pillar of rural development. Without safety, there is no stability; without stability, there is no investment; and without investment, there is no renewal.

Minister Nyhontso, Deputy Minister Mathabatha, and the leadership of the Department,

As we close this session, we look forward to an implementation programme of action to operationalise the resolutions of this National Rural Development Indaba. This should be done through a coordinated and integrated approach at technical and political platforms, across levels of government, in collaboration with communities, the private sector, research institutions, development finance institutions, and international partners.

Let us leave here today with the renewed commitment to building rural communities that are safe, productive, connected, and fully active in the economy. In doing so, we will honour the promise of our Constitution and ensure that democracy reaches every village, every farm, and every rural household in South Africa.

May you travel safely, with a weekend of rest and reflection. As you return home, carry the spirit of dialogue and shared resolve. Let the lessons of this Indaba guide you and inspire renewed action.

I thank you, Ke a leboga, Inkomu.