This paper examines the asset holdings and income portfolios of eight case-study groups located in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa that have recently benefited from the government’s land reform programme. It also describes a participatory land use planning methodology that guides groups through the process of developing a management plan to help them to integrate agriculture more fully into their livelihoods. The research findings show that the majority of households are experiencing difficulties in this regard due to their low asset holdings and the competitive nature of the South African agricultural market that was reformed following the 1994 elections.