<p>Land is an important resource for the development and welfare of people in the global South. In Tanzania, land is regarded as a human right, an object of life, also an instrument of labour possessed when in use. Land is currently being commoditized, a commodity with legal protection, and the legal frameworks that are neither well-known nor practiced by rural communities. This study explores villagers’ knowledge and awareness of formal mechanisms for acquiring village land and the institutions governing land respectively. The study was conducted in two purposively selected villages of Isaula and Matembwe of Iringa and Njombe regions, respectively, in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. The study employed a parallel convergent design to collect quantitative data from 363 respondents. These data were triangulated with qualitative data obtained through Key Informants Interviews, and Focus Group Discussions conducted in the same villages. The quantitative data were analysed by Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS version 26), while the qualitative data were analysed by content analysis. The findings revealed villagers’ little knowledge of formal ways of obtaining village land, also a lack of awareness of institutions governing village lands. The findings revealed eleven factors that influence a person to have knowledge of formal institutions governing village lands, which include gender, age, and land size one holds. Despite the establishment of legal frameworks to safeguard land rights, most of the local communities are victims of ignorance of the frameworks governing land matters. The study recommends deliberate efforts to educate local leaders and villagers on legal frameworks governing village lands, and to formalise village land by giving land titles to all landholders.</p>