Our Land for Life examines the diversity and prosperity of South Africa, from its mineral resources to its rich animal and plant life. We present an overview of how people setted on the land at foot of Africa, how it has been distributed and the way in which it is now used.

Our Land for Life traces the progress that South Africa has made toward righting the wrongs of former governments that restricted the use and ownership of land. It explains the legislation that has been introduced to create a fairer, more equal distribution of land while also giving a platform for government departments, NGOs and companies to talk about their initiatives in the search for and establishment of sustainable land us.

Our Land for Life is the third book in a series on corporate social responsibility, which also incorporates Our Future for Life and Our Coast for Life. The statistical groundwork that supports this book was sourced from various organisations, although the bedrock was provided by the official South African Yearbook, which proved to be the most comprehensive and authoritative voice. For the chapter on environmental challenges we relied heavily on the Enviro Facts, which are published by the Department of Botany at the University of the Western Cape.

Former Archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Desmond Tutu summed up South Africa’s land problems by saying, When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said Let us pray, We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.

Our Land for Life shows how this issue is being addressed and encourages all South Africans to make a joint effort to live in harmony and work the land together in a sustainable way in the hope that future generations will be able to enjoy our land for life.

Silke Colquhoun.