1
NAMIBIA LAND STATISTICS
BOOKLET
SEPTEMBER 2018
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Mission Statement
Leveraging on partnerships and
innovative technologies, to produce and
disseminate relevant, quality, timely
statistics and spatial data that are fit-for-
purpose in accordance with international
standards and best practice
Vision Statement
To be a high performance institution in
quality statistics delivery
Core Values
Integrity
Excellent Performance
Accuracy
Team Work
Accountability
Transparency
NAMIBIA LAND STATISTICS BOOKLET SEPTEMBER 2018
PRE-INDEPENDENCE LAND ALLOCATION IN NAMIBIA | LAND TENURE STATISTICS IN NAMIBIA
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FOREWORD
I am delighted that the NSA has embarked upon the
compilation of available land statistics in the country. This
is the first time that the NSA is closely examining land
statistics databases held by different stakeholders. It is,
therefore, my expectation that this exercise will reinforce
the need for constant dissemination of land statistics in
Namibia.
There is, indeed, a need for suitable, reliable and timely
statistics in Namibia, not only for social progression, but
also for the purpose of policy design and monitoring
of progress of various sectors of the economy. The
requirements for decision-making have continuously
expanded over time. As a result, the role of statistics is
critical in providing empirical evidence in planning and
policy formulation.
More importantly, Namibia is currently seized with the
land question as the country moves towards the second
National Land Conference in October 2018. Therefore, the
role of statistics in informing our land debate is even more
critical.
I commend our lawmakers for having incorporated the
National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) along with
the National Statistics System (NSS) in the Statistics Act,
No. 9 of 2011. Reliable land statistics will thus be easily
channeled to the NSA and disseminated for planning
purposes and reporting.
On behalf of the NSA Board, management and staff, I
would like to thank the stakeholders who have contributed
valuable statistics towards the production of this booklet.
It is our desire that this booklet will become the gold
standard for annual or bi-annual land statistics national
audit.
In the preface of Statistics and Truth (2nd edition), Professor
Radhakrishna Rao (1997) writes:
If there is a problem to be solved, seek for statistical
advice instead of appointing a committee of experts.
Statistics and statistical analysis can throw more light
than the collective wisdom of the articulate few.
It is my hope that the land statistics will inform our debate
during and after the second National Land Conference.
Furthermore, as a country we need to account for every
part of the country, including land mass and sea, amidst
the changing conditions. Statistics such as land tenure
use, productivity, and ownership must be timely and
readily accessible for decision-making at all times in
order to be relevant for the socio-economic planning and
development.
I wish you an insightful analytical reading of these
informative land statistics.
Dr John Steytler
NSA Board Chairperson
3FOREWORD
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It must be noted that the NSA does not produce primary land statistics apart from few variables from censuses and
surveys. Therefore, this booklet is a result of contributions from the following stakeholders:
" Agricultural Bank of Namibia (Agribank)
" Ministry of Land Reform (MLR)
" Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU)
Furthermore, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration (MHAI) assisted the NSA with data validation in order to
calculate a number of required statistics.
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AALS Affirmative Action Loan Scheme
Agribank Agricultural Bank of Namibia
GIS Geographic Information System
MHAI Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration
MLR Ministry of Land Reform
NAU Namibia Agricultural Union
NSA Namibia Statistics Agency
NSDI National Spatial Data Infrastructure
NSS National Statistics System
LIST OF ACRONYMS
5LIST OF ACRONYMS
DEFINITIONS OF KEY TERMS
Agricultural Land: Any land or an undivided share in land, other than
(a) land situated in a local authority area as defined in section 1 of the Local Authorities
Act, 1992 (Act 23 of 1992);
(b) land situated in a settlement area as defined in section 1 of the Regional Councils
Act, 1992 (Act 22 of 1992);
(c) land of which the State is the owner or which is held in trust by the State or any
Minister for any person;
(d) land which the Minister by notice in the Gazette excludes from the provisions of the
Commercial Agricultural Act, No. 6 of 1995;
Commercial Farm: A farming unit where commercial agricultural practices are conducted generally producing
agricultural products for profit/commercial markets.
Communal Land: Land generally rural which is in possession of a community, rather than an individual or
company.
Company A company registered in terms of the Companies Act, 1973 (Act 61 of 1973);
Freehold Tenure: A common ownership of property usually land with permanent and absolute tenure of that
land or property which include freedom to dispose of it at will.
Foreign National Definition as per the Commercial Agricultural Act, No. 6 of 1995:
(a) a person who is not a Namibian citizen;
(b) in relation to a company - (i) a company incorporated under the laws of any country
other than Namibia; or (ii) a company incorporated in Namibia in which the controlling
interest is not held by Namibian citizens or by a company or close corporation in which
the controlling interest is held by Namibian citizens; and
(c) in relation to a close corporation, a close corporation in which the controlling interest
is not held by Namibian citizens;
Land Tenure: A legal regime in which land is owned by an individual or entity, who is said to hold the land.
Owner: In relation to land or any registered right in or over land, means the person in whose name
such land or right is registered.
Previously advantaged: A person or place that is advantaged in terms of past better social or economic position
than other people or places. In Namibia, this relates to Namibian citizens who have been
socially, economically or educationally advantaged by past discriminatory laws or practices.
Previously disadvantaged: A person or place that is disadvantaged in terms of past better social or economic position
than other people or places. In Namibia, this relates to Namibian citizens who have been
socially, economically or educationally disadvantaged by past discriminatory laws or
practices.
State Land: Any public and unappropriated land controlled by government on behalf of its citizens.
Government holds monopoly over the land.
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1 Kilometre 1 000 Metres
1 Hectare 10 000 Square Metres
1 Square Kilometre 100 Hectares
824 000 Square Kilometres 82 400 000 Hectares
KEY UNITS OF MEASUREMENTS
7KEY UNITS OF MEASUREMENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD 3
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 4
LIST OF ACRONYMS 5
DEFINITIONS OF KEY TERMS 6
KEY UNITS OF MEASUREMENTS 7
TABLE OF CONTENTS 8
LIST OF FIGURES 9
LIST OF TABLES 11
ABOUT THE BOOKLET 12
1. PURPOSE OF THE BOOKLET 13
2. DRIVERS TO THIS LAND STATISTICS BOOKLET 13
3. DATA SOURCES AND METHODOLOGY 14
4. LIMITATION 14
5. NAMIBIA BASIC FACTS AND PRE-INDEPENDENCE LAND STATISTICS 15
6. LAND TENURE STATISTICS IN NAMIBIA 26
7. AGRICULTURAL (COMMERCIAL) LAND ACQUIRED THROUGH THE NATIONAL RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME 39
8. FARMS ACQUIRED THROUGH THE AGRICULTURAL BANK OF NAMIBIA 45
9. CONCLUSION 48
10. RECOMMENDATIONS 49
11. REFERENCES 50
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Methodology 14
Figure 2: Complete map of Namibia, inclusive of the Sea 15
Figure 3: Indicative Size of Namibia Regions in Hectares 16
Figure 4: Showing the 121 Constituencies in Namibia 16
Figure 5: Namibia population density trend from 1991 to 2016 17
Figure 6: Spatial distribution of the Population in Namibia (2011) 18
Figure 7: Map showing Land Allocation in Namibia in 1902 20
Figure 8: Map showing Land Allocation in Namibia in 1921 21
Figure 9: Map showing Land Allocation in Namibia in 1937 21
Figure 10: Map showing Land Allocation in Namibia in 1955 22
Figure 11: Map showing Land Allocation in Namibia in 2001 22
Figure 12: Trend in Land Allocation in Namibia 1902 2001 23
Figure 13: Total Area Gain or Lost Over Time 1902-2001 24
Figure 14: Comparison of Land Tenure in Southern African Region in 2010 25
Figure 15: General Land Classification in Namibia 26
Figure 16: General size of State Land in Namibia (excluding government commercial farms) 27
Figure 17: Size of National Parks and the Namib Desert 28
Figure 18: Distribution of Local Authorities in Namibia 28
Figure 19: Proportionality of the Local Authorities in Namibia 29
Figure 20: Number of Farms and Portions of Farms (2017) 29
Figure 21: Map showing the distribution of farms, farm portions and state land. 30
Figure 22: Map showing the carrying capacity (Biomass per kilogram per Hectare) in 2003 31
Figure 23: Government versus Private Ownership of Freehold Agricultural Land by Hectares 32
Figure 24: Individual Ownership Status of Freehold Agricultural Land by Hectares 33
Figure 25: Agricultural (Commercial) Land Ownership by Pre-Independence Social Status of Individuals 33
Figure 26: Utilisation of Government Owned Freehold Agricultural Land 34
9LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 27: Number of Farms and Portions of Farms owned by Companies 34
Figure 28: Number of Farms owned by Close Corporations based on dominant Region 35
Figure 29: Location and number of Commercial Farms owned by Foreign Nationals by Region 36
Figure 30: Freehold Agricultural (Commercial) Land Ownership in Namibia by Sex 36
Figure 31: Summary Land Tenure in Namibia 37
Figure 32: Comparison of Land Tenure in Namibia - 2010 and 2018 38
Figure 33: The distribution of the 53 Farms transferred from the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry by Region 40
Figure 34: Number of Farms and Hectares waived by the Ministry of Land Reform from 1992 - 2018 41
Figure 35: Percentage of agricultural land acquired and land waived from 1992 - 2018 41
Figure 36: Number of Households resettled from 2002 - 2018 by Region of Origin 42
Figure 37: Number of people resettled in the Eight (8) regions on resettlement farms from 1990 2018 42
Figure 38: Number of Group Resettlement Farms from 2002 - 2018 43
Figure 39: Number of Farms with Lease Agreements issued from 2002 2018 by Gender 43
Figure 40: Number of farms with Lease Agreements Issued 44
Figure 41: Map showing the distribution pattern of farms funded through the Agricultural Bank of Namibia 47
Figure 42: Comparison of programmes funded through the Agribank 47
LIST OF FIGURES
NAMIBIA LAND STATISTICS BOOKLET SEPTEMBER 2018
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Percentages of land allocation in Namibia from 1902 to 2001 19
Table 2: Comparison of Land Tenure in Southern African Region in 2010 24
Table 3: Agricultural (Commercial) Land by Ownership 32
Table 4: Farm ownership by nationality and Extent (HA) 32
Table 5: Agricultural (Commercial) Land ownership by Foreign Nationality 35
Table 6: Distribution of National Resettlement Farms by Region 39
Table 7: Comparison between the hectares of agricultural land waived and those acquired by region from 1992 - 2018 40
Table 8: Affirmative Action Loan Scheme Farm acquisition 1992 - 2018 45
Table 9: Summary of AALS Farm Land Loans as at July 2018 by Sex 45
Table 10: Summary of Commercial Farm Land Loans as at July 2018 by Region 46
Table 11: Summary of Commercial Farm Land Loans as at July 2018 by Sex 46
11LIST OF TABLES
ABOUT THE BOOKLET
The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) as the central
statistical authority of the state collects, compiles and
disseminates statistics as per the Statistics Act, No. 9 of
2011.
As part of its contribution towards the debate of the
second National Land Conference, the NSA Board directed
the Agency to embark upon a compilation exercise for
different land statistics in the country. The aim of the
exercise was to compile statistics and develop a National
Land Statistics Booklet, to highlight in a neutral and
objective manner, available statistics in our national land
databases.
The booklet is aimed at informing discussions at the
National Land Conference by objectively presenting land
statistics a basic form. The NSA established an internal
Land Statistics Committee (LSC) specifically to compile and
analyse statistics from different sources for the purpose
of the land conference. The statistic series collected by
the NSA alone does not provide a complete picture of the
country, since land statistics are generated and managed
by different government Agencies with defined mandates
as part of their administrative records. Therefore, the
exercise collected various land statistics mainly from the
Agricultural Bank of Namibia, the Ministry of Land Reform
as well as the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU).
This booklet provides basic insights from source data
without detailed analysis or inferences. Following data
cleaning and validation, basic insights such as percentages,
averages, summaries and comparisons were produced.
Where a complete picture of the country is shown,
Namibia land mass extent of 824 000 km2 or 82 400 000
hectares is used throughout the Booklet. In summary,
freehold agricultural (commercial) land constitutes 42% of
the land surface followed by communal/customary land
at 35%. State land which includes parks, restricted areas,
townland boundaries and government farms in freehold
agricultural land accounts for only 23% of the countrys
land mass.
In terms of freehold agricultural land which constitutes
39.7 million hectares of the country, previously
advantaged farmers own 27.9 million hectares (70%)
while the previously disadvantaged community own 6.4
million hectares (16%). Government owns only 5.4 million
hectares (14%). Females only own 23% of the freehold
agricultural land while the remaining 77% is owned by
males.
Government acquired more than 3 million hectares
under the national resettlement programme while 3.4
million were acquired through the Affirmative Action Loan
Scheme under the Agricultural Bank of Namibia from
1992 - 2018. The Agricultural Bank further funded 2.8
million hectares through it commercial loan facility during
the same period.
It is my gratitude that the NSA is able to provide this basic
insight in a neutral manner and hope that you will find
the content of this Booklet useful for both planning and
informed public debate.
Alex Shimuafeni
Statistician-General and CEO
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NAMIBIA LAND STATISTICS BOOKLET SEPTEMBER 2018
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1. PURPOSE OF THE BOOKLET
The purpose of the booklet is to show the current status of land statistics as held by the authorities responsible for the
collection, management and dissemination of such statistics in the country. The booklet serves as a reference to existing
land statistics in the country. It can also be used to inform discussions at the second National Land Conference taking
place in October 2018.
2. DRIVERS TO THIS LAND STATISTICS BOOKLET
" The need to consolidate various statistics in the country in the NSA as the central authority of the state to collect,
compile and disseminate statistics as per the Statistics Act, No. 9 of 2011
"
" Unavailability of easily structured and accessible national land statistics in the country
" The need to formulate policies and programme interventions based on available information on land in the country
" The need for an informed land debate in the country.
131. PURPOSE OF THE BOOKLET
4. LIMITATION
There were limitations in data collection and the format of data received from the data providers. It took long for
data providers to provide data in the required formats. It was observed that most data custodians do not store data in
readily available formats for data analysis. This is understandably so since many of the institutions with data (if not all
of them) keep their data for administrative purposes and not necessarily for statistical purposes. Also some of the key
data variables on some of the data were missing or data is not adequately exhibited for reporting purposes. Because of
time limitation, some of the data were not processed.
Following a national land statistics symposium that took place on 13 September 2018 which aimed at validating the
compiled statistics, stakeholders identified more statistics that could be added to the booklet. More specifically statistics
on urban land demand, communal land uses, and productivity of land, tourism development, and mining activities on
farmland were identified to be important to supplement ownership statistics.
Furthermore, there was a noticeable inconsistency use of the statistic on the land mass of Namibia even in official
documentations. Some documentations use 824 000 square kilometres (km2) for the land extent while others use 825
000 km2. This affects computations, although insignificant at national level.
3. DATA SOURCES AND METHODOLOGY
This Booklet is compiled from administrative records and available literature. Three external data sources were used to
compile statistics in the booklet. Agricultural Bank of Namibia (Agribank) provided data on farms funded by the bank
for the period 1992-2018. NSA obtained both the status of commercially acquired farms and through the governments
Affirmative Action Loan Scheme (AALS) as of July 2018. The Ministry of Land Reform provided data on the national
valuation roll of 2012 2017 containing 12 382 agricultural commercial land, farms acquired through the national
resettlement programme and land transactions from the deed registry since 1991.
The following methodology was used to complete the Booklet.
Figure 1: Methodology
DATA COLLECTION
(Administrative Records)
DATA EDITING
(Coding, duplicates, linking to geography)
DATA VISUALISATIONS
(Tables, Graphs, Maps)
DATA ANALYSIS
(Tabulation, geometric calculations, comparisons,
summary statistics, etc.)
COMPILATION OF BOOKLET
No data manipulation that could change the figures such as the size of farms was performed apart from validation
purposes. NSA used a combination of both the insights provided by the data providers and available literature to
validate the data. Minimum data editing and cleaning such as converting data into the right format was done to ensure
consistency and easier analysis. Geometric calculations and validation were performed in a Geographic Information
System (GIS). Data processing involved generating summaries, averages, tabulations, time series plotting as well as
depicting of trends. Where visual presentations of the results were necessary, graphs and maps were used.
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5. NAMIBIA BASIC FACTS AND PRE-INDEPENDENCE
LAND STATISTICS
5.1 Namibia: Facts and Figures
Namibia covers 824,292 square kilometres (km2) of land, more than twice the size of Germany. The sea surface area is
estimated to be 513 015 km2. The sea consists of both the territorial waters (23 541 km2) and Exclusive Economic Zone
(489 474 km2). The complete map of Namibia is shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Complete map of Namibia, inclusive of the Sea
Data Source: NSA (2017). National Spatial Data Infrastructure Geoportal: https://digitalnamibia.nsa.org.na/
Administratively, the country is divided into 14 regions: Zambezi, Kavango East; Kavango West, Kunene, Ohangwena,
Omusati, Oshana, and Oshikoto in the north; Omaheke, Otjozondjupa, Erongo, and Khomas in central Namibia; and
Hardap and //Kharas in the south. The country has 121 constituencies.
Along the coast line is the Namib Desert which accounts for about 8.1 million hectares. With the exception of a few
urban centres and settlements along the coast line, the desert is not habitable due to the climatic conditions and
landscape. This situation leaves only 74.3 million hectares of habitable land.
Figure 3 shows the sizes of the 14 political and administrative regions of Namibia. The regions are further subdivided into
121 constituencies. The constituencies are the lowest political hierarchy of the country in terms of official boundaries.
155. NAMIBIA BASIC FACTS AND PRE-INDEPENDENCE LAND STATISTICS
Figure 3: Indicative Size of Namibia Regions in Hectares
Figure 4: Showing the 121 Constituencies in Namibia
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NAMIBIA LAND STATISTICS BOOKLET SEPTEMBER 2018
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Namibia has a projected population of 2.4 million
inhabitants in 2018. The population has increased from
1.4 million in 1991, to 1.8 million in 2001, 2.1 million in
2011 to 2.3 million people in 2016.
The population density per square kilometre has increased
from 1.7 in 1991 to 2.2 in 2001, to 2.6 in 2011 and 2.8
persons per square kilometre in 2016.
The average household size has decreased from an
average of 5.2 in 1991, to 5.1 in 2001, to 4.4 in 2011 and
3.9 persons in 2016.
Figure 5 shows the trend in population density from 1991
to 2016. Ohangwena region has been the most densely
populated region since 1991 while //Kharas region has
been the most sparsely populated region (NSA, 1991,
2001, 2011 and 2016).
Figure 5: Namibia population density trend from 1991 to 2016
Note: Namibia land surface is 824,292 Km2 and remain the same over time.
175. NAMIBIA BASIC FACTS AND PRE-INDEPENDENCE LAND STATISTICS
Figure 6 shows the spatial distribution pattern of the population in 2011. The northern and north eastern regions of the
country host to more than 60% of the population.
Figure 6: Spatial distribution of the Population in Namibia (2011)
1 Dot = 100 people
The distribution of dots represents
population distribution in Namibia.
Enumeration Areas (EAs) were used as
the base mapping unit. The Namibia
Statistics Agency maintains a list of
structures recorded using satellite
imagery. A grid comprised of 1 kilometer
squares was overlaid on a map of
Namibia and each square was coded as
containing a building or not containg a building.
Within EAs, dots were randomly placed
within a grid square that contained a
building.
Source: Namibia 2011 Population and Housing Census
Windhoek
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5.2. Land Tenure
Land tenure is the relationship, whether legally or customarily defined, among people, as individuals or groups, with
respect to land (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2002).
FAO:
Land tenure is often categorised as:
" Private: the assignment of rights to a private party who may be an individual, a married couple, a group of
people, or a corporate body such as a commercial entity or non-profit organization. For example, within a
community, individual families may have exclusive rights to residential parcels, agricultural parcels and certain
trees. Other members of the community can be excluded from using these resources without the consent of
those who hold the rights.
" Communal: a right of commons may exist within a community where each member has a right to use
independently the holdings of the community. For example, members of a community may have the right to
graze cattle on a common pasture.
" Open access: specific rights are not assigned to anyone and no-one can be excluded. This typically includes
marine tenure where access to the high seas is generally open to anyone; it may include rangelands, forests,
etc, where there may be free access to the resources for all. (An important difference between open access
and communal systems is that under a communal system non-members of the community are excluded from
using the common areas.)
" State: property rights are assigned to some authority in the public sector. For example, in some countries,
forest lands may fall under the mandate of the state, whether at a central or decentralised level of government.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y4307e/y4307e05.htm
5.3 Land Allocation in Namibia from 1902 2001
Table 1: Percentages of land allocation in Namibia from 1902 to 2001
Freehold km2 Freehold % Communal km2 Communal % State km2 State % Total Area (km2)
1902 48 100 6 249 100 30 526 800 64 824 000
1911 171 400 21 77 400 9 575 200 70 824 000
1921 241 600 29 67 100 8 515 300 63 824 000
1937 294 900 36 143 500 17 385 600 47 824 000
1955 383 500 47 221 400 27 219 100 26 824 000
Post- 1964 362 600 44 332 400 40 128 700 16 823 100
2001 356 600 43 317 400 39 150 000 18 824 000
Source: Mendelsohn J, Jarvis A, Roberts C and Robertson T. 2002. Atlas of Namibia: A portrait of the land and its people. David Philip Publishers,
Cape Town, South Africa.
195. NAMIBIA BASIC FACTS AND PRE-INDEPENDENCE LAND STATISTICS
More elaborate work relating to pre-colonial land classification in Namibia is that of Mendelsohn et al (2002) in the
publication of the Atlas of Namibia. Three broad land classes based on land use included communal land, farmland
and government/state land. The separation of the northern communal land from the dominant southern farmland was
based on the 1937 police lines which were revised in 1955. This police line is known today as the veterinary cordon
fence (VCF).
In the absence of elaborate data on pre-colonial land classification, the Atlas of Namibia by Mendelsohn et al (2002)
provides a summary total of the three land classes based on land use since 1902. In 1902, state land which included
townland, protected areas and government farmland constituted 64% of land in Namibia. Communal land stood at
30% while private farmland under freeholding was only 6%. State land increased steadily to 70% in 1911 and decreased
rapidly since then until 1962-1963 during the initiation of the Odendaal Plan. Communal land also decreased from 30%
in 1902 to only 9% and 8 % in 1911 and in 1921, respectively.
From 1921, communal land expanded steadily to 40% in 1964 but started plummeting since then. A round 1908,
agricultural freehold land surpassed communal land to grow to more than 15% from 6% in 1902. Freehold agricultural
land further surpassed state land by 1940 to more than 40%. By 2001 it was estimated that agricultural freehold land in
Namibia was still the largest land class at 43%, compared to 39% communal land and 18% state land.
Figure 7: Map showing Land Allocation in Namibia in 1902
Herero
Ovambo
Basters
Bondelswarts
Witboois
Bethanie Nama
Veldskoen Dragers
Fransman Nama
Red Nation
Veldskoen Dragers
Bondelswarts
Topnaar Nama
Bondelswarts
Swartbooi Nama
Berseba Nama
Land allocations in 1902
European Farms
Tribal
Unallocated
Source: Mendelsohn J, Jarvis A, Roberts C and Robertson T. 2002. Atlas of Namibia: A portrait of the land and its people. David Philip Publishers,
Cape Town, South Africa.
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Figure 8: Map showing Land Allocation in Namibia in 1921
Owamboland
Bastard Territory
Berseba Hottentot Territory
Bondels Reserve
Okombahe Reserve
Truppert Reservat
OwambolandOwamboland
Land allocations in 1921
Communal
Farmland
Government
Source: Mendelsohn J, Jarvis A, Roberts C and Robertson T. 2002. Atlas of Namibia: A portrait of the land and its people. David Philip Publishers,
Cape Town, South Africa.
Figure 9: Map showing Land Allocation in Namibia in 1937
Ovamboland Reserve
Epukiro Reserve
Okavango Native Territory
Rehoboth Gebiet
Berseba Reserve
Aminuis Reserve
Otjituo Reserve
Waterberg Reserve
Tses Reserve
Otjohorongo Reserve
Bondels Reserve
Okombahe Reserve
Otjimbingwe Reserve
Sesfontein
Ovitoto Reserve
Gibeon Reserve
Franzfontein Reserve
Hoachanas
Soromas Reserve
Neuhof Native Reserve
Auke Loas Reserve
Land allocations in 1937
Communal
Farmland
Government
Source: Mendelsohn J, Jarvis A, Roberts C and Robertson T. 2002. Atlas of Namibia: A portrait of the land and its people. David Philip Publishers,
Cape Town, South Africa
215. NAMIBIA BASIC FACTS AND PRE-INDEPENDENCE LAND STATISTICS
Figure 10: Map showing Land Allocation in Namibia in 1955
Kaokoveld
Ovamboland
Okavango
Eastern
Epukiro
Rehoboth
Caprivi Zipfel
Berseba
Aminuis
Otjituuo
Tses
Omaruru
Waterberg Oos
Otjohorongo
Bondels
Otjimbingwe
Ovitoto
Fransfontein
Sesfontein
Krantzplatz
Soromas
Neuhof
Warmbad
Augeigas
Hoachanas
Epukiro
Land allocations in 1955
Communal
Farmland
Government
Source: Mendelsohn J, Jarvis A, Roberts C and Robertson T. 2002. Atlas of Namibia: A portrait of the land and its people. David Philip Publishers,
Cape Town, South Africa.
Figure 11: Map showing Land Allocation in Namibia in 2001
Kaokoland
Kavango
Owamboland
Damaraland
Hereroland East
Namaland
Caprivi
Bushmanland
Hereroland West
Hereroland East
Namaland
Namaland
Namaland
Namaland
Land allocations in 2002
Communal
Freehold
State
Source: Mendelsohn J, Jarvis A, Roberts C and Robertson T. 2002. Atlas of Namibia: A portrait of the land and its people. David Philip Publishers,
Cape Town, South Africa.
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It is therefore clear that since 1921, state land declined rapidly at the expense of both communal and freehold agricultural
land. Figure 12 compares the percentage change in each land class over time. Land allocation trend has been positive
for freehold land clearly at the expense of state land. Furthermore, the creation of reserves as recommended by the
Odendaal Commission showed a slight positive increase in state land since 1964.
Figure 12: Trend in Land Allocation in Namibia 1902 2001
Note: Percentages are calculated using the areas size of 82 400 000 hectares or 824 000 km2 land mass.
The biggest of loss of land was on communal land during the period 1902 1911 at 171 700 km2 followed by state land
at 166 500 km2 during the period 1938 1955. Private freehold agricultural land gain the highest during the period
1902 1911 at 123 300 km2. Freehold land has been gaining land since 1902 up until 1955 when a slight loss of 20 900
km2 was recorded during the period 1955 1964 and again 6000 km2 from 1964 2001.
In summary, the biggest loss was on state land totalling 446 500 km2, which is more than half the size of the country.
Compared to what it was in 1902, freehold agricultural land gained the most at 335 400 km2 over the 100 year period.
235. NAMIBIA BASIC FACTS AND PRE-INDEPENDENCE LAND STATISTICS
Figure 13: Total Area Gain or Lost Over Time 1902-2001
5.4 Comparison of Land Tenure in Southern Africa in 2010
Table 2: Comparison of Land Tenure in Southern African Region in 2010
Country Area(Ha) Population Private Communal/Tribal State Remarks
Angola 124 670 000 15 400 000 - - - No information
Botswana 58 200 000 1 765 000 4% 71% 25%
Lesotho 3 035 500 2 000 000 5% 90% 5%
Madagascar 58 704 100 18 606 000 - - -
Land is divided between holdings,
commons & state
Malawi 9 400 000 12 880 000 12% 66% 22% Private land is referred to as estate
Mauritius 204 000 1 248 600 80% - -
Mozambique 80 159 000 19 792 000 - 93% All land is state land
Namibia 82 400 000 2 031 000 44% 36% 20%
South Africa 122 103 700 47 400 000 72% 14% 14%
Swaziland 1 736 400 1 000 000 25% 56% 19%
Tanzania 94 508 700 38 000 000 1.5% 84% 14.5%
Zambia 75 264 400 11 668 000 - 64% 36%
State land includes parks (36%) game
management areas, 6% leasehold
Zimbabwe 39 100 000 13 010 000 41% 42% 16% State includes conservation areas
Source: AUC-ECA-AfDB Consortium. (2010). Land Policy in Africa: Southern Africa Regional Assessment. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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Figure 14: Comparison of Land Tenure in Southern African Region in 2010
Table 2 and Figure 14 show that Namibia was third in terms of the highest percentage of private land ownership (44%)
in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in 2010. The highest percentage private land ownership was
in Mauritius (80%) followed by South Africa at 72%.
Mozambique recorded 93% of communal land in 2010 followed by Lesotho (90%) and Tanzania at 84%. South Africa
had the lowest percentage of communal land at 14% compared to Namibia at 36%. All land in Zambia is state land and
is divided into communal, state and leasehold. Botswana stood at 71% communal land, making it second to Lesotho in
the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).
Zambia had the highest percentage of purely state land at 36% which is mostly covering parks and conservation areas. It
is followed by Botswana and Malawi at 25% and 22% respectively. Namibia had recorded 20% state land while Lesotho
was the lowest at 5%.
255. NAMIBIA BASIC FACTS AND PRE-INDEPENDENCE LAND STATISTICS
6. LAND TENURE STATISTICS IN NAMIBIA
6.1 General Land Classification in Namibia
There are three general land tenure classifications in Namibia, namely; communal, freehold and state land. Throughout
this chapter, a common denominator of 82 400 000 hectares is used as denominator for all calculations where total land
mass of Namibia is to be represented. The following is the general assumption made in classifying land. More detailed
assumptions will further be made in this chapter which relates to this assumption.
General Assumptions:
A = State Land (excluding government owned commercial farms)
B = Freehold (Agricultural) Land = Titled Agricultural (Commercial) Land
C = Communal Land including non-titled deeds (reserves, small communal farms)
d = Local Authorities (only those governed by the Local Authorities Act of 1992)
e = Parks and Restricted Areas
Calculations: A = d + e
B = B
C = 82 400 000 Ha (A + B)
Namibia (82 400 000 Ha) = A + B + C
Note that the above assumption is used to arrive at the figures in the sections hereunder. This is done so in order to account for every inch of the
land mass and to ensure past and future comparability of land statistics.
In Figure 15, the largest portion of land is freehold agriculture (commercial) land at 39 728 364 hectares (48%) followed
by communal land at 28 720 443 hectares (35%). State land only constitutes 13 906 437 hectares (17%).
Figure 15: General Land Classification in Namibia
Data Source: 1. Ministry of Land Reform (2017)
2. Namibia Agricultural Union (2016) database used to validate data source 1.
Note: State Land does not include government owned commercial farms in this first assumption.
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6.2 State Land
General state land in the country constitutes 17% of the total land mass. Of this 17%, parks and restricted areas accounts
for 13 111 193 hectares (16%) of which 8 095 000 hectares (67%) is land covered by the Namib Desert while the Etosha
National Park covers most of the remaining 5 016 193 hectares.
Urban areas in Namibia, spanning 795 244 hectares, only account for 1% of the total land mass and only 6% of state
land. It must be noted that the biggest part of the 1% urban land is situated in designated communal areas. Further
illustration of the above classification is given in Figure 16.
Figure 16: General size of State Land in Namibia (excluding government commercial farms)
Data Sources: Ministry of Land Reform Communal Land Boundaries (2001)
Ministry of Environment and Tourism National Park Boundaries (2001)
6.2.1 Parks and restricted areas
As stated above, parks and restricted areas covers 13.1 million hectares of the total land mass. Conservancies and state
forests are generally part of communal land. There is a need for the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to validate
the status of national parks in terms of extensions made to boundaries.
276. LAND TENURE STATISTICS IN NAMIBIA
Figure 17: Size of National Parks and the Namib Desert
6.2.2 Local Authorities
Local Authorities consist of municipalities, towns and village councils. They constitute 1% of the total land mass of
Namibia. The City of Windhoek is the largest urban areas in the country with the size of more 64 000 hectares covering
the old boundary of the city and farm Groot Aub. The extended boundary of the city now measures 514 216 hectares
which is more than the combined extent of the rest of the municipalities in the country.
Figure 18: Distribution of Local Authorities in Namibia
Data Source: Ministry of Land Reform (2010)
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Municipalities take the biggest portion of land designated as local authorities at 467 488 hectares followed by village
councils at 175 727 hectares. Although inconsequential, extensions made to townland boundaries in the northern and
north-eastern parts of the country might not be reflected under the local authorities. Such land is however compensated
under communal land as most of the affected towns are situated in communal areas.
Figure 19: Proportionality of the Local Authorities in Namibia
6.3. Freehold Agricultural (Commercial) Land in Namibia
6.3.1. Distribution of Agricultural (Commercial) Land in Namibia
The Ministry of Land Reforms agricultural (commercial) land valuation roll of 2012 2017 has a record number of 12
382 farmland consisting of farms and portions of farms. The farmland totals 39 728 364 million hectares and is inclusive
of agricultural government land such as farms for research, resettlement, and servitudes.
The 12 382 agricultural (commercial) land consists of 7 506 (61%) farms and 4 876 (39%) portions of farms (Figure 20).
Figure 20: Number of Farms and Portions of Farms (2017)
296. LAND TENURE STATISTICS IN NAMIBIA
Figure 21 shows the distribution of agricultural (commercial) farms in the country. The emphasis in this section is on
land south of the Veterinary Cordon Fence which is held under private / freehold tenure.
Figure 21: Map showing the distribution of farms, farm portions and state land.
Note: The blank areas are undefined (townlands and communal).
Data source: Ministry of Land Reform Database (2018)
For the purpose of extensive agriculture, as practised under Namibian climatic conditions, only those exceeding 3 000
hectares are considered as economically viable farms (Legal Assistance Centre, 2005). This is especially so south of the
Tropical of Capricorn which has very low carrying capacity in terms of biomass per hectare for livestock farming (Figure
22).
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Figure 22: Map showing the carrying capacity (Biomass per kilogram per Hectare) in 2003
Data Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (2003)
Carrying capacity describes the number of grazing animals a management unit is able to support without depleting
rangeland vegetation or soil resources. One factor considered in calculating carrying capacity is forage which is
biomass that is potential food for livestock and wildlife, including herbaceous and woody sources. Only plants
that are available and palatable to grazing animals are classified as forage (Global Rangelands, 2018 https://
globalrangelands.org/inventorymonitoring/carryingcapacity).
6.3.2 Agricultural (Commercial) Land by Ownership
Individuals own 52.2% of 12 382 farms and farm portions followed by companies (close corporations and pty) at 31.5%
and government at 13.8%. Farmers association, foundations, estates and churches each owns less than 2% land. See
details in Table 3.
316. LAND TENURE STATISTICS IN NAMIBIA
Table 3: Agricultural (Commercial) Land by Ownership
Ownership Number of Farms % Farms Hectares % Hectares
Total 12 382 100.00 39 728 364 100.00
Individual 7 839 63.31 20 729 734 52.18
Companies (PTY & CC) 2 859 23.09 12 518 657 31.51
Government 1 265 10.22 5 491 110 13.82
Estate 172 1.39 95 795 0.24
Trust 159 1.28 697 742 1.76
Church 61 0.49 136 088 0.34
Farmers Association 18 0.15 18 137 0.05
Foundation 9 0.07 41 102 0.10
Most of the commercial farms and portions of farms are owned by Namibians at 38 345 295 hectares (97.7%). The
second largest farmland ownership is non-Namibians at 1 206 017 hectares (2.0%). Joint ownership of Namibians and
non-Namibians accounts for only 177 052 hectares (0.3%) of the commercial farms.
Table 4: Farm ownership by nationality and Extent (HA)
Nationality Number of farms Percent Extent (HA) Percent
Total 12 382 100.0 39 728 364 100.0
Namibians 12 098 97.7 38 345 295 96.5
Non-Namibians 250 2.0 1 206 017 3.0
Namibians & Non-Namibians 34 0.3 177 052 0.4
In terms of private ownership of agricultural (commercial) land in Namibia, 34 237 254 hectares (86.2%) is privately
owned by individuals, companies, estates and trusts, churches, farmers associations and foundations. The remaining
5 491 110 (13.8%) is owned by government mainly for resettlement farms, servitudes and research farms. Figure 23
highlights government versus private ownership of freehold agricultural (commercial) land.
Figure 23: Government versus Private Ownership of Freehold Agricultural Land by Hectares
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Of the 39 728 364 million hectares of freehold agricultural (commercial) land, 27 863 813 hectares (70.1%) is owned
by previously advantaged Namibians. Figure 24 further elaborates on ownership status for each category. Previously
disadvantaged farm ownership (16%) includes farms acquired through the Agricultural Bank of Namibias government
Affirmative Action Loan Scheme (AALS) and farms privately funded through commercial banks.
Figure 24: Individual Ownership Status of Freehold Agricultural Land by Hectares
Data source: Previously advantaged statistics calculated from the Namibia Agricultural Union (2016) database. The rest of the statistics are
calculated from the 2012 2017 Valuation Roll for Agricultural (Commercial) Land in Namibia from the Ministry of Land Reform.
Figure 25 shows the coverage of commercial farms by status i.e. previously advantaged and previously disadvantaged.
Figure 25: Agricultural (Commercial) Land Ownership by Pre-Independence Social Status of Individuals
Data source: Namibia Agricultural Union (2016)
336. LAND TENURE STATISTICS IN NAMIBIA
In terms of government owned freehold agricultural land of 5 491 110 hectares, 3 021 959 hectares is land acquired for
resettlement purposes. The remaining 2 469 151 hectares are utilised for other government services such as research,
servitudes, etc. This is indicated in Figure 26.
Figure 26: Utilisation of Government Owned Freehold Agricultural Land
Data Source: Ministry of Land Reform, National Resettlement Farms (2018)
Note: Other government services are calculated by subtracting land for resettlement from the total freehold agricultural land owned by
government.
6.3.3 Agricultural (Commercial) Land by Companies
A total of 3 278 farms and farm portions are registered in some form of private entities ranging from companies to
trusts and estates. A total of 2 859 farms are registered under companies, of which close corporations own 1 568 farms
(48%) while ptys own 1291 farms (39%). Other entities such as churches, trusts, estates, foundations and associations
own 419 farmers and farm portions (13%).
Figure 27: Number of Farms and Portions of Farms owned by Companies
Data Source: Ministry of Land Reform Valuation Roll (2017)
Note: Others includes, trusts, estates, churches, foundations and farmers associations.
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It must be noted that no attempt was made to verify composition of the companies in terms of nationality of shareholders.
Farm Registration Divisions B, D, and J dominantly covering the Otjozondjupa Region have most registered farms
under Close Corporation (401 farms) followed by Registration Division L (Omaheke) at 263.
Figure 28: Number of Farms owned by Close Corporations based on dominant Region
Data Source: Ministry of Land Reform Valuation Roll (2017)
6.3.4 Freehold Agricultural (Commercial) Land by Foreign Nationality
A total of 250 farms and farm portions, covering 1 206 017 hectares, are owned by foreign nationals. It is worth
mentioning that 639 667 hectares (53.0%) of the land is owned by German nationals, followed by South Africans with
353 875 hectares (29.3%) and Americans with 82 024 hectares (6.8%).
Table 5: Agricultural (Commercial) Land ownership by Foreign Nationality
Nationality Of Owner Total Hectares Percent
German 639 667 53.0
South African 353 875 29.3
American 82 024 6.8
Austrian 54 038 4.5
Swiss 42 742 3.5
British 13 131 1.1
Italian 13 089 1.1
Dutch 4 166 0.3
Canadian 3 233 0.3
Chinese 40 0.0
Portuguese 12 0.0
Total 1 206 017 100.0
356. LAND TENURE STATISTICS IN NAMIBIA
The following figure shows the indicative location of commercial farms owned by foreign nationals counted per region.
Figure 29: Location and number of Commercial Farms owned by Foreign Nationals by Region
6.4 Freehold Agricultural (Commercial) Land Ownership by Sex
A list of 4 922 national individuals owning freehold agricultural (commercial) land was verified to determine land
ownership by Sex. A total of 3 675 owners could be classified according to their sex using the population register.
However, 1 247 persons could not be verified possibly due to incorrect identity information supplied. The verified sex
information of owners of freehold agricultural (commercial) land shows that males own 77% while females own 23%
(Figure 30).
Figure 30: Freehold Agricultural (Commercial) Land Ownership in Namibia by Sex
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6.5 Summary of Land Ownership in Namibia
OVERALL ASSUMPTION:
1. Size of Freehold Agricultural Land including government =39 728 364 million hectares
2. % Private Freehold Agricultural Land (excluding government = 39 728 364 5 491 110 = 34 237 254 hectares
3. % Private Freehold Agricultural Land = 34 237 254 / 82 400 000 x 100 = 41.6%
4. % State Land (government commercial farms + parks + townland) = 5 491 110 + 13 111 193 + 795 244 hectares
= 19 397 547 / 82 400 000 x 100 = 23.5%
5. % Communal Land = (82 400 000 - (34 237 254 + 19 397 547) = 28 765 199.00 / 82 400 000 x 100 = 34.9%
In summary, private freehold agricultural land in Namibia excluding government farms stands at 42% of the countrys
land mass of 82 400 000 hectares compared to 44% in 2010. All state land including agricultural land in freehold areas
measures 19 397 547 hectares (23%) of the land surface a rise by 3% from 20% in 2010. Communal land decreased by
1% from 36% in 2010 to 35%.
Figure 31: Summary Land Tenure in Namibia
376. LAND TENURE STATISTICS IN NAMIBIA
Figure 32: Comparison of Land Tenure in Namibia - 2010 and 2018
Data Source 1. 2010 land tenure statistics: AUC-ECA-AfDB Consortium. (2010). Land Policy in Africa: Southern Africa
Regional Assessment. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Data Sources 2. 2018 land tenure statistics: as calculated Ministry of Land Reform (2017) and NAU (2016) databases
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7.1 Agricultural Farmland acquired through the National Resettlement
Programme
This programme is conducted within the framework of the Agricultural (Commercial) Land Reform Act of 1995 and the
National Resettlement Policy (NRP) of 2001. The aim of the NRP is to redress past imbalances in land distribution and
to facilitate the accessibility to available land to the majority of the Namibian people. The work reported under the
Rural Poverty Reduction Programme of the Ministry of Land Reform in 2008 included a review of diverse information
available on farms specially acquired for resettlement since independence in 1990.
Since 2008, the Ministry of Land Reform has maintained a more reliable list of resettlement farms under the Department
of Land Reform. Until June 2018, a total of 443 farms covering 3 021 959.91 hectares have been acquired through
the resettlement programme until June 2018. Table 6 is a summary of the current status of resettlement farms, the
characteristics of beneficiaries and distribution pattern of the farms as of June 2018.
Table 6: Distribution of National Resettlement Farms by Region
Region/Place Number of Farms
Total Farm Land
(Ha)
Total
Beneficiaries
Resettled
Average Area
size (Ha) per
Beneficiaries
Average Area
size (Ha) per
Beneficiaries
Total 443 3 021 959.91 5 352 11 745 565
//Kharas 95 927 366.63 218 4 254 4 254
Hardap 91 689 445.07 371 1 858 1 858
Omaheke 88 462 220.27 1 443 320 320
Otjozondjupa 60 282 549.39 467 605 605
Erongo 25 211 067.24 90 2 345 2 345
Farms under the Division of the
Marginalised Community
22 116 606.59 864 135 135
Oshikoto 17 64 558.02 1 494 43 43
Kunene 16 93 193.83 194 480 480
Queen Sofia Resettlement Project 15 88 669.39 89 996 996
Khomas 14 86 283.47 122 707 707
In addition to the 443 farms, 53 farms were transferred from the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry for
resettlement purposes putting the total number of farms as of 2018 at 496.
As of February 2018, a total of 5 352 beneficiaries have benefited from the resettlement programme. Group resettlement
projects, and San development projects and cooperatives forms part of the total figure of 5352 beneficiaries. The gender
of 1 753 beneficiaries cannot be accounted for by the Ministry of Land Reform, due to the fact that most beneficiaries
are on the group resettlement projects/farms. The other beneficiaries are on the old farms, farms which are under the
administration of the Office of the President under the Division of the Marginalized Communities, of which the Division
of Marginalized Communities only count households and not individuals. Because of this misalignment of procedures,
there are farms without figures.
7. AGRICULTURAL (COMMERCIAL) LAND ACQUIRED
THROUGH THE NATIONAL RESETTLEMENT
PROGRAMME
397. AGRICULTURAL (COMMERCIAL) LAND ACQUIRED THROUGH THE NATIONAL RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME
Figure 33: The distribution of the 53 Farms transferred from the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry by
Region
7.2 Government Waivers for Agricultural Land (1992 2018)
One of the key objectives of the Agricultural (Commercial) Land Reform Act, No. 6 of 1995 is to vest in the State a
preferential right to purchase agricultural land for the purposes of the Act. It is therefore a statutory requirement as per
this Act for a seller of agricultural land to first offer it to government. Government after conducting its own assessment
and with due consideration of the availability of finance, resolves to purchase or waive the offer of such land. It is only
when a waiver certificate has been issued to the owner that such land can be sold on the open market.
A total of 5.1 million hectares of agricultural land was waived from 1992 to 2018. Table 7 below provides a comparison
between the sizes of agricultural land offered to government but was waived and the amount of land acquired. The
largest farmland waived is in Otjozondjupa region at 1 594 948 hectares.
Table 7: Comparison between the hectares of agricultural land waived and those acquired by region from 1992 -
2018
Region Sum of Hectares Waived (Ha) Size of Hectares Acquired (Ha)
Erongo 227 698.08 211 067.24
Hardap 694 630.58 689 445.07
//Kharas 560 965.44 927 366.63
Khomas 157 320.98 86 283.47
Kunene 779 627.62 298 469.81
Omaheke 816 833.01 462 220.27
Oshikoto 333 950.31 64 558.02
Otjozondjupa 1 594 948.00 282 549.39
Grand Total 5 165 974.01 3 021 959.90
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The map shows a pictorial form of Table 7 by emphasising the total number of farms and hectares that have been
offered to the government but was however waived due to various reasons. Otjozondjupa region has a total of 432
waived farms with Khomas having only 37 farms which is the lowest.
Figure 34: Number of Farms and Hectares waived by the Ministry of Land Reform from 1992 - 2018
Figure 35: Percentage of agricultural land acquired and land waived from 1992 - 2018
417. AGRICULTURAL (COMMERCIAL) LAND ACQUIRED THROUGH THE NATIONAL RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME
7.3 Beneficiaries of the National Resettlement Programme
A total of 1030 households have been resettled since 2002. Hardap, Khomas, Omaheke and Otjozondjupa Regions top
the list of beneficiaries to have been resettled.
Figure 36: Number of Households resettled from 2002 - 2018 by Region of Origin
Oshikoto Region has the highest count of resettled people at 1499. This is mainly due to the group resettlement at Farm
Tsintsabis No. 881 which accommodates a total of 1279 beneficiaries or 85.6% of the total beneficiaries in the region.
This is followed by Omaheke Region at 1455. Erongo Region has the least number of resettled people at 76.
Figure 37: Number of people resettled in the Eight (8) regions on resettlement farms from 1990 2018
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There are seven (7) group resettlement farms spread in four (4) regions namely Hardap (2), Omaheke (2), Oshikoto (2)
and Otjozondjupa (1).
Figure 38: Number of Group Resettlement Farms from 2002 - 2018
A total of 442 lease agreements have been issued to beneficiaries of the resettlement programme during the period
2002 to 2018. Out of the issued leases, 236 (53%) were issued to male beneficiaries while females were issued 192
(43%) leases. The remaining 14 leases (4%) were issued to other entities. Omaheke has the highest number of issued
lease agreements followed by Hardap Region (Figure 39).
Figure 39: Number of Farms with Lease Agreements issued from 2002 2018 by Gender
437. AGRICULTURAL (COMMERCIAL) LAND ACQUIRED THROUGH THE NATIONAL RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME
Below is the allocation of farm lease agreements issued to beneficiaries per region. Out of the 496 farms, only 172 farms
have been issued with lease agreements, representing an issuance rate of 35% since the inception of the resettlement
programme.
Figure 40: Number of farms with Lease Agreements Issued
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8. FARMS ACQUIRED THROUGH THE AGRICULTURAL
BANK OF NAMIBIA
8.1 Agricultural Land Acquisition Programmes funded by the Agricultural Bank
of Namibia
There are two main agricultural land acquisition programmes funded by the Agricultural Bank of Namibia (Agribank). The
first programme is the Affirmative Action Loan Scheme (AALS) which was initiated in 1992 to supplement governments
land reform programme. The second is the funding of private acquisition of agricultural land on commercial interest
rates.
A total of 882 farms were acquired through Agribank in eight (8) regions of the country since 1992. The regions are
Erongo, Hardap, //Kharas, Omaheke, Otjozondjupa, Oshikoto, Kunene and Khomas. The extent in hectares covered by
these farms is 6 261 090.
8.1.1 Affirmative Action Loan Scheme Farms
Out of the 6.2 million hectares acquired through Agribank, 3 407 368 hectares were through the AALS. Table 8 shows
the distribution of the number of issued loans and hectares of farmland acquired through the AALS from 1992 to 2018.
Table 8: Affirmative Action Loan Scheme Farm acquisition 1992 - 2018
Number of Loans Total Hectares Amount Granted (N$) %Amount Granted
1992-2000 248 1 425 282.07 165 777 728.60 21%
2001-2010 374 1 872 776.81 526 632 153.41 68%
2011-2018 26 109 309.77 85 044 057.00 11%
648 3 407 368.65 777 453 939.01 100%
Females only accounted for 10% of the loans granted and their male counterparts obtained 60% while loans granted
to couples married in community of property stood at 30%. The following table shows the distribution of AALS farm
loans by Sex.
Table 9: Summary of AALS Farm Land Loans as at July 2018 by Sex
Sex Number of Loans % Farms Amount Granted (N$) % Amount Granted
Male & Female 198 30.0% 212 799 680.80 27%
(COP) 198 30.0% 212 799 680.80 27%
Male 386 60.0% 476 361 058.21 61%
Female 64 10.0% 87 293 200.00 12%
Total 648 100% 777 453 939.01 100%
8.1.2 Agribank Commercial Loan Facility
Compared to AALS loans amounting to N$777 453.01 as of July 2018, Agribanks commercial loan book stood at N$ 856
217 146.00 funding a total of 2.8 million hectares of land. The biggest share of the loans funded farms in Otjozondjupa
at N$319 483 751.56 followed by Omaheke at N$126 298 126.39.
458. FARMS ACQUIRED THROUGH THE AGRICULTURAL BANK OF NAMIBIA
Table 10: Summary of Commercial Farm Land Loans as at July 2018 by Region
Number of Loans Total Hectares Amount Granted (N$) % Amount Granted
No region indicated 3 16 993.87 2 910 000.00 0.34%
Erongo 10 50 932.64 18 856 486.00 2.20%
Khomas 21 122 464.55 27 206 814.20 3.18%
Karas 69 1 034 482.23 92 215 841.95 10.77%
Hardap 92 539 469.78 106 402 611.13 12.43%
Kunene 46 193 552.07 123 542 719.00 14.43%
Oshikoto 20 79 384.67 39 300 795.77 4.59%
Omaheke 58 259 489.49 126 298 126.39 14.75%
Otjozondjupa 111 556 952.54 319 483 751.56 37.31%
Total 430 2 853 721.84 856 217 146.00 100%
Unlike AALS which were only granted to previously disadvantaged individuals, commercial loans were issued to both
companies and individuals. Companies acquired 107 854 hectares (3%) of the funded farm land. The biggest portion
of the acquired farmland through this facility funded males at 59% while females only accounted for 6%. Couples who
were married in community of property acquired 32% of the farms.
Table 11: Summary of Commercial Farm Land Loans as at July 2018 by Sex
Gender Number of Loans Total Hectares % Hectares Acquired Amount Granted
% Amount
Granted
Companies/cc 15 107 854.94 3% 74 484 331.00 8.70%
Female 26 127 709.74 6% 52 143 606.00 6.09%
Male & Female
(COP)
136 1 025 406.82 32% 299 310 901.17 34.96%
Male 253 1 592 750.34 59% 430 278 307.83 50.25%
Total 430 2 853 721.84 100% 856 217 146.00 100%
8.2 Geographic Distribution of AALS Farms from 1992 to July 2018
Agribank farmland loans have been predominantly awarded for the purchase of agricultural land situated south of
the veterinary cordon fence. The Otjozondjupa region tops the list of regions with 188 farms (34%) followed by the
Omaheke region with 125 farms (22%). The Erongo region has the least number of farm purchases of 18 farms (3%).
The largest farms are mostly south of the Khomas region in Hardap and //Kharas regions. The Bank also funded a few
farms north of the veterinary cordon fence located in Oshikoto and Otjozondjupa regions.
The following figure shows the distribution of AALS farms by region from 1992 to July 2018.
46
NAMIBIA LAND STATISTICS BOOKLET SEPTEMBER 2018
PRE-INDEPENDENCE LAND ALLOCATION IN NAMIBIA | LAND TENURE STATISTICS IN NAMIBIA
Figure 41: Map showing the distribution pattern of farms funded through the Agricultural Bank of Namibia
Data Source: AALS data from Agribank (2018)
8.3 Agribank Agricultural Land Acquisition Summary
Using both the Agribank statistics and NAU (2016) data, it is clear that by June 2018 previously disadvantaged individuals
acquired 2 853 722 hectares (46%) through the Agribanks commercial loan facility while AALS acquired 3 407 368
hectares (54%) of land.
Figure 42: Comparison of programmes funded through the Agribank
478. FARMS ACQUIRED THROUGH THE AGRICULTURAL BANK OF NAMIBIA
9. CONCLUSION
9.1 Land Tenure
Namibia land tenure consists of 23% state land,
35% communal land, and 42% freehold agricultural
(commercial) land, compared to 20% state land, 36%
communal land, and 44% freehold land in 2010. Both
communal and freehold land have slightly lost to state
land at 1% and 2% respectively.
9.2 Freehold Agricultural
(Commercial) Land
A total of 12 382 commercial farms owned in Namibia
accounts for 39.7 million hectares, of which 97.7% is
owned by Namibians. Much of the 39.7 million hectares of
land (34 million hectares) is privately owned (86%) while
government owns the remaining 5.4 million hectares of
land (14%). Previously advantaged Namibians own 27.8
million hectares (70%) of the freehold agricultural land,
while previously disadvantaged Namibians own only 6.4
million hectares (16%).
Non-Namibians own 1.2 million hectares (3%) of land.
German nationals, owning 639 667 hectares of land in
Namibia, top the list of foreign nationals owning land in
Namibia, followed by South Africans who own 353 875
hectares, and Americans owning 82 024 hectares.
9.3 National Resettlement Programme
A total of 3 million hectares have been acquired through
the National Resettlement Programme since 1990 with
5 352 beneficiaries. The programme acquired 496 farms
of which more households originating from the Hardap,
Khomas, Omaheke, Otjozondjupa and //Kharas regions
have benefited compared to other regions. Government
waived a total 5.1 million hectares from 1992 to 2018 with
Otjozondjupa region having the biggest portion of waived
land.
9.4 Affirmative Action Loan Scheme
A total 6.4 million hectares of land were acquired through
the Agricultural Bank of Namibia during 1992 2018.
Of this, 3.4 million hectares (54%) of commercial farm
land were acquired through the Affirmative Action Loan
Scheme Programme, while 2.8 million hectares (46%)
were acquired privately on commercial interest rates. Only
10% of females benefited through the AALS programme,
compared to 60% males.
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10. RECOMMENDATIONS
10.1 Urgent need for Harmonised
National Land Statistics Database
There is a need for a harmonised and centralised national
land statistics database for easier access and dissemination
of land statistics in the country. Institutions which are
responsible to generate land statistics as administrative
records must harmonise their databases through the NSA
for regular reporting and central archiving.
10.2 Gazetted National Figure for the
Size of Namibia
There are observed differences in reporting of the land
extent of Namibia in many reports including official
reports. The Ministry of Land Reform needs to pronounce
the correct and gazetted land extent of Namibia in
order to have uniform figures and comparisons. This
is also important for safeguarding Namibias territorial
sovereignty.
10.3 Uniform classification of Land
as per the recognised Land Tenure
Systems
Namibia needs to adopt clear guidelines on its land tenure
classification systems which must be regularly updated
and reported. It must be clearly understood as to what
constitutes each of the three tenure systems (communal,
freehold and state) in order to classify land correctly for
both planning and development.
10.4 Recording of important land
statistics indicators
Furthermore, there is an urgent need for recording
important indicators or variables on source data depending
on the required thematic information for reporting
purposes. Categories such as previously advantaged or
disadvantaged in the farm acquisition programmes are not
formally recorded, despite such categories being required
for planning and decision making.
4910. RECOMMENDATIONS
11. REFERENCES
1. AUC-ECA-AfDB Consortium. (2010). Land Policy in
Africa: Southern Africa Regional Assessment. Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia.
2. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations. (2002). Land Tenure and Rural Development.
Available on: http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y4307e/
y4307e00.htm#Contents. Accessed: 30 August 2018
3. Global Rangelands (2018).Carrying Capacity.
Available on: https://globalrangelands.org/
inventorymonitoring/carryingcapacity. Accessed: 30
August 2018
4. Legal Assistance Centre. (2005). Our Land We Farm: An
analysis of the Namibian Commercial Agricultural Land
Reform Process.
5. Mendelsohn J, Jarvis A, Roberts C and Robertson T.
2002. Atlas of Namibia: A portrait of the land and its
people. David Philip Publishers, Cape Town, South
Africa.
6. Namibia Statistics Agency. (1991). 1991 Namibia
Population and Housing Census
7. Namibia Statistics Agency. (2001). 2001 Namibia
Population and Housing Census
8. Namibia Statistics Agency. (2011). 2011 Namibia
Population and Housing Census
9. Namibia Statistics Agency. (2016. 2016 Namibia Inter-
censal Demographic Survey
10. Republic of Namibia. (1995). Agricultural (Commercial)
Land Reform Act 6 of 1995
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5111. REFERENCES
NAMIBIA LAND STATISTICS BOOKLET SEPTEMBER 2018
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52
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