South African farmers have gained access to 200,000 hectares of state land in the Congo Republic, as part of a deal designed to improve food production in the poverty-stricken central African state.

The land on offer was formerly part of state-run collective farms but was abandoned more than a decade ago. The government, which imports a large percentage of its food, is providing the land free of charge on renewable 30-year leases as well as offering a number of tax advantages to investors.