Assessing the effects of large-scale commercial farming on the livelihoods of farmworkers in King Cetshwayo District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa
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Date
2021
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University of Zululand
Abstract
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.
Description
A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the academic requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies in the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering, University of Zululand, 2021.
Keywords
commercial farming, farming, farmworkers