Ref: 173 AUS 26, Phillipine Lebogang Ledwaba , 24th ICSD 26, Australia

Ref: 173/AUS/26 Investigation of the socio-economic characteristics of the land redistribution beneficiaries on farm investment: a case of Waterberg and Mopani District Municipalities of Limpopo Province in South Africa Phillipine Lebogang Ledwaba 1*, Victor Mbulaheni Mmbengwa 2, Phokele Maponya 3 1 Department of Agriculture and Animal Health, University of South Africa, Florida, Republic of South Africa. 2 Department of Agricultural Economics and Animal Production, University of Limpopo, Sovenga Campus, Republic of South Africa. 3 Vegetables, Industrial and Medicinal Plants (VIMP), Agricultural Research Council (ARC), Roodeplaat, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa. Corresponding author: 42090369@mylife.unisa.ac.za | astralebo@yahoo.com Abstract: Land redistribution in South Africa is an important instrument for advancing agricultural transformation, particularly by expanding access to productive agricultural land and promoting the participation of historically disadvantaged individuals in the agricultural economy. However, access to land alone, without complementary support, does not translate into productive and long-term agricultural investment. Beneficiaries’ socio-economic circumstances and access to productive resources may influence their capacity to invest in farm production and develop economically viable agricultural enterprises. Despite the importance of these factors, empirical evidence on the relationship between socio-economic factors and investment in redistributed farms remains limited. This study analyzed beneficiaries' socio-economic characteristics in relation to farmer investment in the Waterberg and Mopani District Municipalities of Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study used a quantitative cross-sectional design and collected primary data from 162 beneficiaries through a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the socio-economic characteristics in relation to farm investment. Multiple linear regression was used to assess the effects of selected socio-economic factors on farm investment. The regression results showed that input subsidies (β = 0.636, p = 0.001) and interest rates (β = 0.179, p = 0.009) had a positive and statistically significant effect on farm investment. In contrast, government-supplied market access (β = -0.139, p = 0.034) and government support level (β = -0.272, p = 0.061) had a negative and statistically significant effect on farm investment. The findings indicate the importance of government support systems that consider both beneficiaries' human capital and resource requirements to increase farmer investment. The study recommends a government support system that is integrated with the private financial sector to enable beneficiaries to access credit at affordable interest rates. The findings also highlight the critical role of retail shops in providing subsidized inputs at government-subsidized prices to improve efficiency in the support services and increase access to production inputs for resource-constrained beneficiaries. Furthermore, the government should improve market access by providing beneficiaries with the support and resources they require to participate effectively in profitable markets. The study recommends strengthening accountability, monitoring, and evaluation mechanisms within the government support system. Keywords: beneficiaries; characteristics; farm, investment; Socio-economic