Browsing by Author "Nene, Lindokuhle Siyabonga"

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    Assessing the effects of large-scale commercial farming on the livelihoods of farmworkers in King Cetshwayo District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa
    (University of Zululand, 2021) Nene, Lindokuhle Siyabonga
    In most African countries including South Africa, the role of commercial farming is known especially in its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and food security. As much as these contributions are known, what is not clear is its contribution to the livelihoods of farmworkers who ensure that commercial farms remain viable and thus produce enough food while also contributing to GDP through exports, among others. Because of these reasons, this study explores the effects of commercial farming on the livelihoods of farmworkers in the three commercial farms, namely, Fowler farm, Hullets farm, and Farm Secure located in the King Cetshwayo District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal province. To achieve this, the study set out four objectives which include (a) assessing livelihood assets of farmworkers in the study area, (b) analysing how employment on commercial farms in the study area affects the livelihood contexts in terms of, among others, the nature of social relations, provision of services, and the governance of farmworkers, (c) examining the employment and living conditions of farmworkers on commercial farms, and how they cope with them, and (d) evaluating the extent of the farmworkers` awareness of South African labour laws and rights. The Sustainable Livelihood Framework was used to provide a theoretical framework for the study. In terms of research methodology, this study adopted pragmatism as a research paradigm. This informed the research design, which is mixed methods research design. Data was collected through the use of surveys, Focus Group Discussions, and one-on-one in-depth interviews. Data analysis followed the mixed nature of this study in which quantitative data was analysed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS while qualitative data was analysed using ATLAS.ti v.8.4 to formulate themes as per the objectives of the study. The study found that the contribution of commercial farming on the livelihoods of farmworkers is directly linked to the livelihood contexts that the farmworkers are exposed to on commercial farms. Farmworkers with farming skills especially men hold high paying jobs on commercial farms and thus attain more livelihood assets. Issues of patriarchy and masculinity are prevalent on commercial farms and mostly affect women farmworkers who are found holding low paying jobs. Living and working conditions of farmworkers in all the three farms are mostly fair, with limited challenges of housing and working environment reported by farmworkers. The study provide evidence that the lives of poor people especially in rural areas are moderately improved by commercial farming. This indicates that commercial farming assists farmworkers to alleviate poverty and provides them with food security which in turn improves their livelihoods.