Challenges faced by Communal Property Associations towards sustainable Community Development in Limpopo Province, South Africa, at the University of Venda

Abstract

Despite substantial state investment in land restitution under the Restitution of Land Rights Act 22 of 1994, Communal Property Associations (CPAs), established under the Communal Property Associations Act 28 of 1996, continue to experience governance, institutional and operational constraints that limit their contribution to sustainable community development. The study addressed a geographical and analytical gap in the literature by examining how interconnected CPA governance and institutional challenges influence livelihood and community development outcomes in Limpopo Province. The Sustainable Livelihoods Approach provided the primary analytical lens for assessing how communal land and other livelihood assets are converted into income, food security, employment and resilience. Asset-Based Community Development, Institutional Theory and Governance Theory were used as complementary lenses to interpret beneficiary participation, institutional dysfunction, accountability and collective decision-making. The study adopted a qualitative interpretivist paradigm and a qualitative desktop review based on systematic analysis. Peer-reviewed literature, legislation, policy documents and government and institutional reports published between 2015 and 2025 were systematically retrieved from Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, the Directory of Open Access Journals and relevant institutional repositories. Purposive eligibility criteria guided document selection, while the PRISMA 2020 framework documented identification, screening, eligibility assessment and inclusion. Fifty-three documentary sources were included and analysed through thematic analysis. The synthesis identified climate vulnerability, weak governance, limited market access, financial instability, traditional leadership conflicts, internal disputes and regulatory non-compliance as mutually reinforcing constraints on CPA effectiveness. It also showed that farming, women’s participation, local economic activity and community support can produce developmental benefits, although these outcomes remain uneven and dependent on institutional capacity. The study contributes a context-specific conceptual synthesis of the relationship between CPA functionality and sustainable community development rather than claiming new empirical evidence. It concludes that the developmental potential of CPAs depends on accountable governance, beneficiary participation, sustained post-settlement support, financial capability and collaboration among relevant institutions.