About 62Â 000 land claims were settled by June this year, Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs Thoko Didiza said on Monday.
About 17Â 000 land claims still need to be settled under the land-reform programme, she told the National Press Club in Pretoria.
The claims were either settled financially or through land restitution.
Didiza was briefing reporters on the upcoming land summit to be held towards the end of the month.
The conference will consider a number of issues, including the pace of land restitution and the willing-seller-willing-buyer concept.
It will also discuss foreign land ownership in South Africa, as well as the financing of the land-restitution programme.
She said although there have been calls on the government to allow for new land claims, which will be debated at the summit, the state will not allow for any new claims as it would be a very expensive affair and lead to economic instability.
Commenting on foreign land ownership in the country, Didiza said a panel has been set up to probe the matter and it is hoped that its interim report will be released by the end of the month.
At the recent African National Congress national general council meeting, the council considered a proposal for a moratorium on the sale of land to foreigners, but decided there is a need for further discussions on the matter.
On calls by the South African Communist Party for the government to do a land audit, she said the government will make details of its audit available at the conference.
She said the summit will be a frank analysis of where the country currently stands regarding land and agrarian reform, and what South Africans need to do collectively to address future challenges. — Sapa