Abstract
In reaction to the unequal land ownership brought about by decades of apartheid, the first democratically elected government embarked on an extensive land reform programme - a programme consisting of the three constitutionally protected pillars: restitution, redistribution and tenure reform. The aim of this programme is not only to provide for restitution to persons who lost their land as a result of racially based measures, but also provide previously disadvantaged South Africans with access to land in order to address the unequal land ownership. This research focuses on the restitution and redistribution pillars of the land reform programme.
 
 The progress made in terms of both these sub-programmes has been disappointing. With reference to redistribution the government has set the target to redistribute 30% of white owned commercial agricultural land to black persons by 2014. To date, less than 10% of this target has been achieved and all indications are that the overwhelming majority of land which has been redistributed is not being used productively or have fallen into a state of total neglect. The state of the redistributed land can be attributed to a variety of causes, with the main cause being the government's inability to provide proper post-settlement support to land reform beneficiaries.
 
 Against this background it is clear that alternative options have to be identified in order to improve the result of land reform. This article identifies corporate social responsibility (CSR) as one of the missing ingredients in the recipe for a successful land reform programme. The article introduces CSR and discusses the business case for CSR; identifies its benefits; considers its possible limitations; and examines the major drivers behind the notion. From the discussion of these topics it will become evident that an assumption of social responsibility by businesses in especially the agricultural sector might contribute to an improved land reform programme.
Highlights
Introduction to corporate social responsibility (CSR)CSR is aimed at improving the quality of life of stakeholders by going beyond normal business activities and is primarily concerned with the contribution that the business sector makes towards the general upliftment of the local community, for example, and society at large
It is argued that businesses are not equipped to engage in social betterment and that if they do become involved in social initiatives, such involvement would distract business managers from their primary function - to maximise profits. Regardless of this criticism against CSR, businesses are still engaging in CSR practices, and businesses might be opposed to the idea, various drivers exist that push businesses toward socially responsible activities
At the turn of the century the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) became involved in the fight against the exorbitant prices which pharmaceutical companies were charging for their patented HIV/Aids treatment drugs
Summary
The South African agricultural landscape was (and to a large extent still is) characterized by uneven land ownership, extreme rural poverty and the unproductive use and management of resources. South Africa is the largest producer of maize in the Southern African Development Community, with an average of 9.7 million tons being produced annually by an estimated 8 000 commercial maize producers, mainly in the North West Province, Mpumalanga, and the Free State.[29] South Africa is the world's 12th largest producer of sunflower seeds and the leading exporter of protea cut flowers.[30] Whereas only 22% of the total arable land can be classified as high-potential arable land, nearly 80% of the agricultural land is suitable for livestock farming.[31] Livestock Zuma noted that these grants were not sustainable and that plans had to be developed to reduce the general dependency on government assistance. Each of these issues will be addressed in the paragraphs that follow
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