South African Boers in Georgia? / Conor Prasad

Abstract

In August 2010, the Georgian government announced an unexpected, radical and quite controversial proposal; to invite some of South Africa's 40,000 Boer farmers to purchase prime land in the country in exchange for bringing their expertise and knowledge of modern farming methods. In September 2010, the Georgian State Minister for Diaspora Affairs, Mr. Papuna Davitaia, welcomed a delegation of South African farmers to Georgia and offered them a number of guarantees if they decided to move. Further such "fact-finding missions" took place in January and February, 2011.