The effects of pig farming on unemployment alleviation in Buffalo City, Eastern Cape

Abstract

South Africa experiences an extreme unemployment and poverty rate. The last two years witnessed an enormous job loss owing to the COVID-19 lockdown regulations. Interventions, support, and economic shifts are required to reduce unemployment, such as pig farming. The essence of this research was to examine pig farming’s effects on unemployment alleviation in Buffalo City, Eastern Cape. This research aimed to advance knowledge on small-scale pig farming to enable job creation while encouraging individuals to farm. The research objectives and questions were achieved by adopting a mixed-method approach. The area of study is Buffalo City rural communities in the Eastern Cape. For this study, unemployed individuals were selected to better understand the effect of unemployment in South Africa. Data were collected through interviews and questionnaires with the aid of field workers. The study revealed that farming activities provide a source of income, with several households depending on it as a livelihood. The collective advantage among pig farmers is the availability of space for farming activities. Most farmers are engaging in pig farming as a necessity. The government has two crucial functions in the sustainability of pig farming activities, such as to create and enable an environment for the business to thrive.