Repositioning rural livelihoods towards the fundamental conquest of income poverty alleviation in the South African context

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively examine ways to reposition rural livelihoods towards the fundamental conquest of income poverty alleviation conceptually. The paper’s objectives were to analyse the types, characteristics and challenges of rural livelihoods; to examine the determinants of income poverty alleviation and to uncover ways to reposition rural livelihoods towards the fundamental conquest of income poverty alleviation. The research question this paper seeks is: how to reposition rural livelihoods towards the fundamental conquest of income poverty alleviation in the South African context? The paper argues that, just like many developing countries such as Nigeria, and Venezuela, South Africa comprises many rural inhabitants who engage in numerous rural livelihood practices as a conquest to reduce income poverty. Despite the capacity and potential rural livelihoods possess in their variety of on-farm, off-farm, and non-farm activities to greatly keep income poverty at bay, the prevalent reality is constituted of its persistence which manifests through undesirable living conditions, poor purchasing power, food insecurities, and so on. Through a qualitative desktop-based method, data was analysed through thematic content analysis, this paper highlights how rural livelihoods play a role towards the fundamental conquest of income poverty alleviation. The findings of the study revealed that one of the greatest detriments that impede the progression of rural livelihoods is over-reliance on on-farm activities in South Africa. Challenges encountered encompass poor-micro financing, infrastructural inadequacies, and poor access to the market in rural areas. They are also derailed by lack of efficient support systems by the local government. All these challenges derive a multiplicity of implications that exacerbate income poverty. The study recommends that rural livelihoods should be prioritised in local municipal planning, this should encompass skills acquisition training programs, efficient support systems, and the integration of value-added goods to prospective rural livelihoods. The paper further recommends diversification of rural livelihoods over sole dependence on farming activities to greatly alleviate income poverty.