The Leliefontein communal area in Namaqualand is grazed by mixed species herds that have multiple benefits for pastoralists. This study assessed how the management (herding and free-ranging) of dif...

Access to good-quality forages is one of the major limitations to livestock production in semi-arid pastoral systems. This study aimed to determine whether there are differences in the nutritional ...

In this paper the use of fenced grazing camps to manage the rangeland commons is challenged. A historical perspective is presented on fencing and rotational grazing in South Africa. Two case studies in KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern Cape illustrate the factors that influence the management of rangelands under communal land tenure without the use of fences. It is argued that herding is preferred over fencing. The reintroduction of herding could reap multiple benefits such as improving rural livelihoods, reviving customary practice, reducing stock theft, reducing predation and improving biodiversity management. The paper concludes with some issues for consideration when implementing herding as a multipurpose strategy for improved rural livelihoods and sustainable management of natural resources.

Pastoral areas around the world, including South Africa, are resource poor and external development interventions to improve conditions have largely been unsuccessful. It has been advocated that the focus should shift from external stakeholders to local pastoralists by incorporating the latter’s landscape ethno-ecological knowledge (LEEK) in future management and policy planning. Through the use of participatory methodologies, this study gazed through the lens of Namaqualand herders in South Africa to reflect their specific local needs and what they consider important in their grazing landscape. It highlights that individual pastoralists’ LEEK and management strategies vary but that all are able to read the signs in the rangeland through various plant, animal and soil indicators. As such, pastoralists systematically plan their grazing routes based on the temporal palatability of plants to allow their animals access to a diverse and nutritious diet. The braiding of LEEK into modern science would provide development agencies with the necessary insight into pastoral systems and a platform for planning and policy development.