Abstract
The small-scale agricultural sector is considered as an indispensable role player in improving the South African rural economies by means of enhancing sustainable rural livelihoods. This paper critically assesses the contribution of small-scale agriculture in enhancing the South African rural economies. The South African Government have numerous agricultural interventions as an approach to improving rural livelihoods. Despite various policies and interventions that have been in place to ensure that small-scale agriculture improves rural economies; there is still a dearth of research in understanding small-scale agriculture dynamics that affect rural economies. Some of the essential aspects of the findings reveal that rural communities in South Africa regard small-scale agriculture as a source of income generation and enhancing food security. These findings highlight the negative effects on the South African small-scale agriculture suffering from insufficient productivity, infertility of soil, insufficient water and climate change. The poor access to markets and inadequate financial support services were identified as the major constraints that hinder small-scale agriculture to contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and rural economic development. The small-scale agricultural sector should come up with self-sufficient interventions to avoid dependence on the Government and other stakeholders.
Highlights
The agricultural sector is regarded as the main driver for rural economic development (Gomala & Baluchamy, 2018) an essential asset and primary source of income at a household level and in developing countries with more than 69% of poor people in the world making a living in rural areas
Due to the insufficient production in the South African agricultural sector and the lack of productivity in rural farming systems identified by Lahiff & Cousins (2005); the South African rural economy is threatened by inadequate economic activities that have resulted in restrictions in creating rural economic growth
The findings have shown that the South African small-scale agriculture is dominated by crop and livestock activities in rural areas
Summary
The agricultural sector is regarded as the main driver for rural economic development (Gomala & Baluchamy, 2018) an essential asset and primary source of income at a household level and in developing countries with more than 69% of poor people in the world making a living in rural areas. USAID (2018) acknowledges that almost 70% of Southern African rural communities depend on the agricultural sector to secure their livelihoods. The South African Government regards the participation of rural communities in the agricultural sector as a pivotal strategy to improve rural economies. In South African rural areas, small-scale agriculture is characterised by the production in both crop and livestock farming systems where rural farmers work in groups on a small portion of land (Lininger, 2011) intended to meet their household necessities (Mthembu, 2013). Smallscale agriculture intends to make a significant contribution to improving rural economies by way of creating employment opportunities, provision of food and contributing to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Smallscale agriculture intends to make a significant contribution to improving rural economies by way of creating employment opportunities, provision of food and contributing to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Lehohla (2016) state that there is a decline in rural agriculture since the estimated percentage shows only 13.8% of South African rural households are still engaged in the agricultural sector as compared to 19.9% in 2011
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