Land Apportionment Act

Africa [1930]

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June 30, 2026

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The Land Apportionment Act of 1930 in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) was a significant piece of legislation that formalized racial segregation in land ownership and occupation. It barred Africans from owning land outside designated reserves, with the best land being allocated to white settlers. This act, along with similar legislation in other parts of Southern Africa, aimed to consolidate white agricultural interests and control African labor by limiting their access to land and forcing them into the wage economy. The act ensured that less than one-third of the land went to Africans, while about one-fifth remained unassigned, leading to overcrowding and erosion in the reserves. This policy was part of a broader pattern of land dispossession and racial discrimination that characterized the colonial era in Africa.12

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Southern Africa
White agriculture and African reserves
The crucial legislation was the Land Apportionment Act of 1930, which barred African landownership outside the reserves, except in a special freehold purchase area set aside for “progressive farmers.” The best land was allocated to whites; less than one-third went to Africans, while about one-fifth remained unassigned. From 1937 Africans…
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The crucial legislation was the Land Apportionment Act of 1930, which barred African landownership outside the reserves, except in a special freehold purchase area set aside for “progressive farmers.” The best land was allocated to whites; less than one-third went to Africans, while about one-fifth remained unassigned. From 1937 Africans…
Read More

Zimbabwe
Settlement patterns
The Land Apportionment Act, a segregationist measure that governed land allocation and acquisition prior to independence, made no provision for Blacks who chose an urban life, because towns were designated as white areas. As a result, though urban Blacks now outnumber whites by more than four…
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The Land Apportionment Act, a segregationist measure that governed land allocation and acquisition prior to independence, made no provision for Blacks who chose an urban life, because towns were designated as white areas. As a result, though urban Blacks now outnumber whites by more than four…
Read More