Livelihoods after land reform: The impacts of land reform on livelihoods in Namibia: Section B

Abstract

The first AALS farmers in Hardap obtained their land in 1992, and the most recent in 2003. In Omaheke, the first AALS farmer obtained his farm in 1992 and the most recent, a woman, in 2000. Thus in both regions the oldest AALS beneficiaries have been farming as such for 17 years. All 10 AALS farming households interviewed in Hardap Region were male-headed. Eight of the household heads were married with a civil marriage certificate, one was widowed and one was single. One farm was registered in a wife’s name while her husband waited for his AALS loan to be approved. All the others farms were registered in the names of the household heads. The AALS farm sizes ranged from 3 500 ha to 20 000 ha. In Omaheke, three male and two female household heads made up the AALS interview sample. The average age of the Hardap household heads was 52 years, with a median of 50. Twenty per cent were over 60 years of age. The average age of the Omaheke household heads was also 52, the youngest being 48 and the oldest 57. In Hardap, five farmers stated that they had received tertiary education, while the lowest standard of formal education attained was Standard 5 (Grade 7 under the new system). The other four attained standards ranging from Standard 6 to 8 (Grades 8-10). In Omaheke, two interviewees stated that they had completed their tertiary education while the other three had completed Standard 10 (Grade 12).