Women head most agricultural households but remain underrepresented in commercial farm ownership

Monitoring trends in women’s participation in agriculture is essential for assessing progress towards inclusive and sustainable rural development.

More than half of South Africa's agricultural households are now headed by women, yet women remain significantly underrepresented when it comes to owning and managing commercial farms.

New analysis published by Statistics South Africa for Women's Month shows that women headed 52.9% of agricultural households in 2022, up from 47.9% in 2011.

Their participation is particularly important in rural South Africa.

Statistics South Africa found higher levels of agricultural activity among women-headed households in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and Limpopo than in more urbanised provinces such as Gauteng and the Western Cape.