Foreigners will not be allowed to own land in South Africa, President Jacob Zuma said during his state-of-the-nation address to Parliament on Thursday.
He said they would instead be eligible for long-term leases.
"In this regard, the Regulation of Land Holdings Bill will be submitted to Parliament this year," he said to applause in the National Assembly.
Land had become a critical factor in achieving redress for the wrongs of the past.
The second window for lodging land claims was reopened last year.
Zuma said more then 36,000 land claims had been lodged nationally. The cut-off date was 2019.
"We are also exploring the fifty/fifty policy framework, which proposes relative rights for people who live and work on farms.
"Fifty farming enterprises will be identified as a pilot project."
In terms of new proposed laws, a ceiling of land ownership would be set at a maximum of 12,000 hectares.
Through the land reform programme, more than 90,000 hectares had been allocated to smallholder farmers, farm dwellers and labour tenants.
"The process of establishing the office of the valuer-general is underway, which is established in terms of the Property Valuation Act," Zuma said.
"Once implemented the law will stop the reliance on the willing-buyer, willing-seller method in respect of land acquisition by the state."
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