Research & Evidence

Grounding every campaign in data, case studies, and commissioned research. Without the evidence, we are just an opinion — with it, we have a case.

Our research is organised around the five focus areas that drive Natives Forum's work. Each section collects the reports, data, briefs, and case studies that inform our advocacy and underpin the proposals we put to Parliament.

Banking & Finance

Research supporting native-owned financial infrastructure and community wealth building.

ReportPlanned
The Case for a Native-Owned Commercial Bank

Landscape of banking exclusion in South Africa and the business case for a community-owned commercial bank held through a trust structure.

Scoping this piece — contributions welcome.
BriefPlanned
Community Trust Governance Models

Comparative review of trust-based ownership structures in cooperative banking globally and their applicability to South African conditions.

Scoping this piece — contributions welcome.

Cooperative Business Networks

Evidence on worker-owned cooperatives, preferential trading, and keeping wealth circulating internally.

DataPlanned
Mapping the Informal Economy

Size, structure, and ownership patterns of spaza shops, township retail, and the informal sector, with a focus on native participation.

Scoping this piece — contributions welcome.
Case StudyPlanned
Cooperative Networks: International Case Studies

Lessons from Mondragon, Emilia-Romagna, and other established worker-cooperative networks applicable to South African conditions.

Scoping this piece — contributions welcome.

Food Value Chain

Research on sustainable farming, community-owned distribution, and food sovereignty.

DataIn progress
Foreign Ownership of Agricultural Land

Data on foreign acquisition of farmland, conversion to game farms and lifestyle estates, and the impact on rural livelihoods and land reform.

Draft in preparation — check back soon.
BriefPlanned
Community-Owned Distribution Models

Feasibility study on farmer-to-consumer distribution networks that bypass exploitative middlemen and retain value in producing communities.

Scoping this piece — contributions welcome.

Industrial Development

Strategic industry identification, skills development, and manufacturing capacity building.

ReportPlanned
Priority Industries for Native Participation

Identification of strategic industries where native ownership and skills development will deliver the highest economic returns.

Scoping this piece — contributions welcome.
BriefPlanned
Skills Pipeline and Bursary Framework

Analysis of the technical skills gap and a proposed bursary pipeline aligned to priority industrial sectors.

Scoping this piece — contributions welcome.

Policy Advocacy

The evidence base behind our parliamentary submissions and policy proposals.

DataIn progress
Foreign Ownership of South African Land & Property

Scale of foreign purchases of residential, agricultural, and commercial property, with a focus on the Western Cape and overseas marketing campaigns.

Draft in preparation — check back soon.
BriefIn progress
Comparative Foreign-Ownership Regimes

How New Zealand, Canada, Denmark, Australia, and others restrict foreign property purchases — and what South Africa can learn from each.

Draft in preparation — check back soon.
ReportPlanned
Land Reform Cost Analysis

The fiscal cost of restitution and redistribution under current land prices, and how foreign purchases inflate the cost of land reform.

Scoping this piece — contributions welcome.

Contribute to the research

Have data, expertise, or a case study relevant to any of our focus areas? We build our case with the community, not in isolation from it.