Fact check: What is the exact current number of white farmers in South Africa?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the provided analyses, an exact current number of white farmers in South Africa cannot be definitively stated. While there are approximately 2.7 million white Afrikaners in South Africa overall ^{[1] [2]}, none of the sources provide a precise count of how many are actively engaged in farming.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual points emerge from the analyses:

• White South Africans make up less than 8% of the total population ^[1]
• Despite this demographic proportion, approximately 75% of privately owned farmland remains under white ownership ^{[1] [3]}
• More specifically, 72% of farms and agricultural holdings are owned by whites, who represent 7.3% of the population ^[4]
• The agricultural sector is substantial, with over 86,000 South African farmers attending agricultural trade fairs ^[4]
• The Black population comprises about 80% of South Africa's total population ^[1]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself may be problematically narrow in several ways:

• Focusing solely on the number of white farmers without acknowledging the broader context of land ownership disparities could present an incomplete picture of South African agriculture
• The question might inadvertently overlook the complex historical and social context of land ownership in South Africa
• The emphasis on race in agricultural statistics could be used to support various political narratives:

Those advocating for land reform might use these statistics to highlight ongoing inequalities (benefiting political reform advocates)

Those opposing land reform might use individual farmer numbers to argue against changes to the current system (benefiting current landowners)

• The distinction between farm ownership and active farming is crucial, as the sources indicate that land ownership statistics ^{[1] [3] [4]} are more readily available than actual farmer numbers