Assessing Policy Support in Addressing the Barriers to Effective Co-Operative Small-Scale Farming in South African Local Municipality
Bongekile Mkhwanazi ORCID ↗ · Andrew Enaifoghe ORCID ↗
International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy · 2026 · Vol. 8 / Issue 4 · 794-805
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Observed 21 Oct 2026, 00:14 UTC
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Abstract
This study investigates the role of policy support in addressing barriers to effective small-scale cooperative farming in South African municipality, with a focus on identifying potential solutions to improve the success rate of agricultural co-operatives in the uMhlathuze local municipality. Despite their potential, agricultural co-operatives face significant challenges, with studies indicating an alarming failure of 88% in the country. This high failure rate underscores the need to understand how policy support can address the shortcomings hindering the success of agricultural co-operatives. The high failure rate of agricultural co-operatives in South Africa highlights a critical gap in policy support, necessitating an exploration of how policy interventions can mitigate challenges and enhance the viability of co-operative small-scale farming. The research adopts a secondary data collection method and thematic data analysis. Findings indicate that a combination of lack of member commitment, insufficient training and capacity building and financial constraints are a result of inadequate policy support; policies are not effectively addressing co-ops needs. The study recommends that policymakers should revise and tailor existing policies to better address the unique needs and challenges of small-scale farming co-operatives, enhancing their viability and sustainability.
Keywords: {'name': 'Small-scale farming'}, {'name': 'policy support'}, {'name': 'sustainability,'}, {'name': 'challenges'}, {'name': 'barriers'}
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Bongekile Mkhwanazi
University of Zululand
Andrew Enaifoghe
University of Zululand
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