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The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) argues that South Africa's land reform programs have failed poor black women, leaving them marginalized and vulnerable. The letter highlights a stark gap between women's roles in the agricultural workforce and their actual land ownership, noting that this landlessness increases women's susceptibility to food insecurity and domestic violence, a situation worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The report analyzes land governance in Engcobo, Eastern Cape, highlighting a conflict between the Engcobo Local Municipality and traditional leaders. While the municipality is mandated by the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) to oversee land use, it owns less than 1% of the land, most of which is under traditional custodianship. This imbalance leads to disputes over development projects, such as a proposed shopping mall, and boundary demarcations. The study also notes the failure of state-led land restitution and the rise of illegal land occupations due to land shortages and bureaucratic delays.