Agriculture remains crucial for economic development and the livelihoods of many people in developing countries. The role of small-scale subsistence agriculture in ensuring food security is especially significant in Africa in the context of secure land tenure. Land tenure is characterized by different land allocation periods which have resulted in the separation of commercial and communal areas in many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. To evaluate the influence and impacts of communal land reform on vulnerability to global change impacts, such as climate change, population growth, land use pressure, HIV/AIDS ratio, this study was conducted in the Sub-Saharan country of Namibia. For the case study, two communities in the Omusati Region with different land allocation systems were compared. In addition, this study provides elaborated recommendations about how to improve the communal land reform in order to reduce poverty and enhance livelihoods of land users.