In the period after 2017, the land market across Zimbabwe’s land reform areas has exploded. Continuing on from the periods discussed in the last blog, this post explores what has happened across our study sites and the consequences for the economies of land reform areas in the last seven years.
A number of factors have contributed to the massive expansion of land markets in this period. The post-coup regime under President Mnangagwa (starting in late 2017) has promoted a narrative of the country being ‘open for business’. This has included the relaxing of restrictions on joint ventures and even a formal, if complex, route for regularising these. Although land rentals and purchases within land reform areas are notionally illegal as this is state land, there seems to be a general acceptance that this is happening and may offer opportunities for bringing underutilised land into production, especially in A2 areas.
This article is from Zimbabweland, a blog written by IDS Research Fellow Ian Scoones. Zimbabweland focuses on issues related to rural livelihoods and land reform in Zimbabwe.
