Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies

What Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies does

PLAAS (Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies) is an independent policy research institute within the Faculty for Economic and Management Sciences at the University of the Western Cape in Bellville, South Africa. Founded in 1995 by Professor Ben Cousins, the institute conducts research, teaching, and policy engagement on chronic poverty, economic marginalisation, and structural inequality in Southern Africa, with particular focus on the role of land, agriculture, fisheries, natural resource management, and food systems in the livelihoods of marginalised populations. Its core content domains span land reform, tenure security, women's land rights, agrarian change, food systems, and environmental sustainability, with active research projects on Zimbabwe's land reform, inclusive urban land reform, digital technology in African agriculture, and climate-resilient rangelands.

The institute delivers a vertically integrated academic programme comprising the only Postgraduate Diploma in Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies in Southern Africa, an MPhil Research degree, and a PhD programme, alongside pan-African accredited short courses delivered through the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA). PLAAS holds the DSI-NRF South African Research Chair (SARChI) in Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies, currently held by Director Professor Ruth Hall, and runs the Agrarian Politics Podcast, Agrarian Conversations Webinar series, and a recurring Africa Writeshop Programme. Its outputs include working papers, research reports, and books, disseminated via the institute's website, social media, and academic conferences.

PLAAS does not operate as a commercial enterprise. It is funded through university allocations, government research grants (DSI-NRF for the SARChI Chair), and international development partnerships — most notably GIZ's Strengthening Advisory Capacities for Land Governance in Africa (SLGA) programme (concluding 2026), DAAD scholarship support, and UNECA funding via NELGA. Its customer base comprises government agencies and policymakers, civil society organisations and social movements, postgraduate students and researchers, and African land professionals across the continent. The institute operates with 11-50 employees and has trained 260 land professionals across 38 African countries through NELGA short courses since 2018.

Name

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies

Legal name

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies

Website

https://plaas.org.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PLAAS is a university-based policy research institute at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa that conducts research, postgraduate teaching, and policy engagement on chronic poverty, land reform, agrarian change, fisheries, and food systems across Southern Africa and the broader African continent.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

PLAAS is an independent policy research institute within the Faculty for Economic and Management Sciences at the University of the Western Cape that conducts research, teaching, and policy engagement on chronic poverty, land reform, agrarian change, fisheries, natural resource management, and food systems in Southern Africa. It offers academic programmes (Postgraduate Diploma, MPhil, PhD), accredited short courses on land governance for African land professionals, and produces publications, podcasts, webinars, and policy briefs for government and civil society stakeholders.

Product overview

PLAAS (Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies) is an independent Policy Research Institute within the University of the Western Cape that offers a portfolio of academic programmes (including a Postgraduate Diploma in Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies, MPhil Research, and PhD programmes), short courses (such as the Political Economy of Land Governance in Africa), and research outputs. The institute produces Working Papers and Publications, hosts the Agrarian Politics Podcast and Agrarian Conversations Webinar series, and runs the Africa Writeshop Programme. PLAAS serves as the SARChI Chair in Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies and as a technical node within NELGA (Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa). The Living Landscapes in Action programme focuses on conservation and social justice integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Postgraduate Diploma in Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies A postgraduate diploma programme, the only such course in Southern Africa, providing advanced education on chronic poverty, land, and agrarian issues for prospective postgraduate students and professionals.
• MPhil Research Programme Master of Philosophy research degree focusing on poverty, land, and agrarian studies, offered to graduate students seeking advanced research training.
• PhD Programme Doctoral research programme in poverty, land, and agrarian studies for candidates pursuing scholarly research and academic careers in the field.
• Political Economy of Land Governance in Africa Short Course Accredited short course covering political economy of land governance in Africa, delivered as a pan-African online programme for land professionals in government, private sector, civil society, and academia. Has trained 260 land professionals across 38 African countries since inception.
• Africa Writeshop Programme Academic writeshop programme for early career researchers to develop academic writing and publishing skills, co-organised with the Journal of Peasant Studies.
• Working Papers and Research Publications Research publications including working papers, research reports, books, and policy briefs on land reform, agrarian change, fisheries, food systems, and natural resource management, distributed to academic and policy audiences.
• Agrarian Politics Podcast Podcast series covering political ecology, agrarian studies, and food systems, distributed via YouTube and other channels for scholarly and policy audiences.
• Agrarian Conversations Webinars Online webinar seminar series featuring academic discussions on land reform, women's land rights, food systems, fisheries, and agrarian justice for academic and policy audiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trained 260 land professionals across 38 African countries since 2018

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018PLAAS serves as a special node of NELGA, a partnership of leading African universities and research institutions with over 70 partner institutions across Africa. NELGA aims to strengthen African expertise on land governance. PLAAS has trained 260 land professionals across 38 African countries through NELGA short courses since 2018.
• African Land Policy Centre (ALPC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018PLAAS collaborates with the African Land Policy Centre, a UN initiative, to deliver the pan-African short course on Political Economy of Land Governance. The course is accredited by the University of the Western Cape.
• Land Deal Politics InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research network co-founded by PLAAS researchers, focusing on politics of land deals globally. Co-organises the International Conference on Global Land Grabbing with leading scholarly journals.
• Journal of Peasant StudiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPLAAS professor Ruth Hall serves as editor of the Journal of Peasant Studies. The journal and PLAAS co-organise academic conferences including the International Conference on Global Land Grabbing.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Landesa: Global land rights organisation that conducts research, policy engagement, and field programmes on secure land tenure. Comparable to PLAAS in its core focus on land rights, tenure security, and policy influence, particularly in developing-country contexts.
• Future Agricultures Consortium: Africa-focused research consortium examining agricultural policy and agrarian change. Direct peer given its parallel mandate to produce policy-relevant research on African agriculture, land, and rural livelihoods.
• South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA): South African policy research institute working on international affairs, governance, and development. Comparable to PLAAS in its South Africa base, policy-engagement model, and focus on African governance and development issues.
• African Centre for Cities (ACC): University of Cape Town-based research centre focused on urban governance, land, and development in African cities. Comparable to PLAAS as a South African university-based research institute working on land and policy issues with pan-African reach.
• Institute for Development Studies (IDS): University of Sussex-based global development research institute combining academic research, postgraduate teaching, and policy engagement. Highly comparable to PLAAS in its blend of social science research, postgraduate training, and direct influence on development policy.
• International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED): UK-based research and policy organisation working on land tenure, natural resources, and sustainable development in low- and middle-income countries. Direct peer given overlapping focus on land rights, tenure security, and policy engagement in Africa and the Global South.
• Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA): Pan-African social science research council based in Dakar supporting research, training, and publications across the continent. Comparable to PLAAS in its pan-African social science research mandate, postgraduate training, and convening role.
• Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR): South African non-profit research institute conducting research, advocacy, and training on violence, justice, and reconciliation. Comparable to PLAAS as a South African policy research institute that combines academic research with civil society engagement and training.

Broad incumbents

• Overseas Development Institute (ODI): UK-based global development think tank with a much broader portfolio but overlapping work on land governance, agriculture, and inequality. Comparable to PLAAS as a research-to-policy institution combining academic rigour with direct engagement on development policy.
• World Resources Institute (WRI): Global research organisation working on environment, land, and sustainable development with significant Africa programming. Overlaps with PLAAS on land tenure, food systems, and natural resource governance research and policy engagement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/plaasuwc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCkLqp-zOVwOUki02iKerU-A
• Facebookfacebook.com/PLAASuwc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-poverty-land-and-agrarian-studies-plaas-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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