Subsistence Agriculture as the Basis of Rural Livelihoods in Msinga Local Municipality, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

ABSTRACT Subsistence agriculture is recognised as a livelihood contributing to food security for households in rural communities. The sustainable livelihood approach is employed in this study, based on its strength and optimistic orientation to grant rural people an opportunity to improve their environment, economic standing, and social development. Data were collected from 180 households using a questionnaire analysed with the SPSS software. The subsistence agriculture sector still lacks adequate governmental support for effective operations to enhance rural livelihoods. Assisting subsistence farmers should improve productivity. The study recommends that the local municipalities should establish a marketplace that would be used as a sales point for community members and local emerging farmers to ensure an effective distribution of agricultural products. This would play a significant role in solidifying the return of the rural economy by increasing farm productivity and complimenting market opportunities.