The impact of theft on farms in South Africa

A high number of livestock are being stolen every year in South Africa. Insurance is expensive and farmers are battling to find solutions to the problem, says Dr Lindie von Maltitz, agricultural economics lecturer in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of the Free State.

- Dr Lindie von Maltitz

Farming is not for the faint of heart. As if dealing with climate change, low producer prices, increasing input costs, and a weak economy were not enough, farmers of all sizes must also deal with the theft of any saleable assets on their farms.

Accurate and up-to-date statistics are scarce. South African Police Service (SAPS) statistics on stock theft for 2023/24 were provided to Dr Jane Buys, safety and risk analyst at Free State Agriculture. With conservative estimates applied to these statistics, Table 1 reflects the number of animals stolen during this period.

NO INSURANCE, NO REPORT

It is important to note that only reported cases form part of these statistics. According to the 2023/24 Victims of Crime report released by Statistics South Africa in August 2024, a mere 44% of crime victims reported incidents to the police. This statistic is relevant to household robberies in urban areas.

Many of these incidents are only reported because of insurance requirements. Livestock insurance is very costly, and insurance for crop theft does not exist. A comprehensive agricultural crime survey commissioned by AgriSA in 2018 found that only 25% of farmers affected by crime in 2017 reported it to the police. The effort of reporting the crime is not worth the benefit, and successful arrests and prosecutions are few and far between.

However, since the statistics only come from reported cases, farmers must be vigilant in reporting the crime. This way, a better case can be made to regulatory authorities.