The land–water nexus: a critical perspective from South Africa

This article identifies a ‘land–water nexus’ in South Africa, whereby access to water is dependent upon access to land and therefore property relations. It argues that the post-apartheid water reform has strengthened the land–water nexus by causing an overlap of property regimes in water to the benefit of white commercial farmers and by favouring the use of water for accumulation purposes. The case study of the Waterberg is employed to illustrate three specific ways in which the nexus currently manifests, namely water commodification; the tightening of private control over water in private nature conservation; and water access via labour relations.