This masterclass forms part of the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa lecture series, hosted by PLAAS.
Wednesday, 12 March 2025
10:00 – 13:00 SAST / CAT
Register on: https://shorturl.at/NayHx
Land law remains the foundation of legal and economic systems across Africa, structuring resource access, economic development and social equity. This lecture comparatively explores the diverse landscape of land law in Africa examining the historical underpinnings of land law, especially the influence of colonial legal traditions — common law, civil law, and customary law — and how these legacies continue to interact with modern reforms. It highlights the key differences and convergences in land tenure systems, including communal land ownership, leasehold arrangements, and the push for formalising property rights. To contextualise land law in the modern world, the lecture also assesses innovations in land law including land registration systems, the recognition of indigenous land rights, and the intersection of land law with climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development goals.
Join us for our NELGA Masterclass on land law in Africa with Professor Patricia Kameri-Mbote from the School of Law at the University of Nairobi.
Bio:
Professor Patricia Kameri-Mbote is a Founding Research Director of the International Environmental Law Research Centre, and the Programme Director for Africa. She studied law at the University of Nairobi, the University of Warwick, the University of Zimbabwe and earned her doctorate from Stanford Law School (Stanford University). She is currently a Professor of Law at the School of Law, University of Nairobi, where she has taught for over 30 years and served as Chair of Department and Dean. Read her full bio here.
Required readings
- Liz Alden Wily, “Land, People and Forests in Eastern and Southern Africa at the Beginning of the 21st Century: The Impact of Land Relations on the Role of Communities in Forest Future” (2002).
- Patrick McAuslan, “Bringing the Law Back In: Essays on Land, Law and Development” (2003)
- Sara Berry, “Chiefs Know Their Boundaries: Essays on Property, Power, and the Past in Asante, 1896–1996” (2001)
- Robert Home, “Land Issues for Urban Governance in Sub-Saharan Africa” (2013)
- Melani Prinsloo & Cara Bouwer, “Understanding the Land Title, Tenure Tightrope: Is Technology the Solution to Africa’s Complex Land Ownership Challenges?” 2023, Henley Business School
