Land governance in South Africa

The World Bank in 2010/11 undertook an in-depth review of land governance and land policy in South Africa, with Urban LandMark managing the process and implementing a Land Governance Assessment Framework (LGAF) for South Africa.

The LGAF is a tool designed by the World Bank in collaboration with partners to help countries assess their policies and practices regarding land governance, setting a benchmark for comparison and monitoring of progress. The LGAF addresses the need to diagnose and benchmark land governance, helping countries prioritise reforms, and monitor progress over time.

The LGAF process includes the assessment of 21 land governance indicators which are grouped into five thematic areas: the legal and institutional framework, land use planning, management and taxation, management of public land and public provision of land information, and dispute resolution and conflict management. The South African LGAF was complemented by an additional module on large-scale land acquisition.