Reviving South Africa’s grasslands: Eastern Cape villagers explain the challenges they face

South Africa’s Eastern Cape province comprises millions of hectares of open land held in trust by the state for local communities. Villagers use this land for grazing livestock, subsistence farming, and hunting. Many believe the grasslands will rejuvenate naturally, but degradation renders them unusable for small-scale farmers. The villagers face challenges due to the declining quality of communal land. Grazing livestock, farming, and hunting activities contribute to the degradation of the rangelands.