![](/public/library/css/images/jpad_cover.jpg)
The complex nature of land ownership and its historical unresolved problems has brought South Africa back into the negotiating table to determine applicable land reform model. Land reform in South Africa requires farming skills and capacity among black people to maintain the essential food security goals. One of government's interventions was undertaken through a Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy (PLAS) programme, which is meant to support black emerging farmers to obtain critical farming skills. According to PLAS strategy, the state acquires available land before beneficiaries are identified. This article examines key narratives on land reform and areas of government support for emerging black farmers through the lens of a discourse analysis. An empirical qualitative study was undertaken with the use of a census sampling method for beneficiaries of the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy (PLAS) in the Mopani District of the Li