President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged on 9 August 2026 that South African women remain excluded from an equal share of the nation’s land and financial wealth. Delivering the keynote address at the National Women’s Day commemoration in Prieska, Northern Cape, the President emphasised that structural economic barriers continue to limit progress three decades into democracy.
Addressing Economic Disparities
Government statistics show a persistent gender wage gap alongside significantly lower rates of land ownership among women compared to their male counterparts. This data highlights the systemic nature of inequality that continues to affect households across the Cape Flats and the broader country.
Despite the progress we have made, the reality is that women in South Africa do not yet own an equal share of the land and wealth of this country.
Policy And Legislative Reform
The President called for a move away from symbolic gestures, demanding that national policy frameworks become more targeted in their approach to gender-responsive economic reform. He stressed the necessity of integrating land redistribution and business capital access into the core of South Africa’s socio-economic strategy.
We must move beyond rhetoric and ensure that policies regarding land reform and economic participation are explicitly gender-responsive.
The government’s next steps regarding specific legislative amendments and implementation timelines for these economic programmes remain under review. We will monitor upcoming parliamentary debates on land reform and provide updates as further policy details emerge.