Farmers, labourers and the company: Exploring relationships on a Transkei contract farming scheme

Abstract

This article explores relationships and tensions on a sugar contract farming scheme in the former homeland of Transkei, just after the elections which returned Transkei constitutionally to South Africa. Company, outgrower and labour perceptions of current issues are presented. The relevance of the findings for the debates about contract farming in Africa and about land in South Africa is considered. The study firstly emphasises the complexity of the land issue even in the former homelands of South Africa and, secondly, shows the importance of examining contract schemes in their totality; to base evaluation on the outgrower component alone is insufficient.