Stock theft is tightening its grip on rural small businesses in the North West, threatening the survival of SMEs that rely on livestock for income and employment. Farmers say they are bleeding losses, with police urging communities to take stronger preventative measures while the government calls for tighter collaboration.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development held an awareness session in Taung, but for many small-scale farmers, the crisis has long since outgrown workshops. With livestock disappearing from kraals under the cover of night, entrepreneurs warn that the theft is undoing years of investment and eroding trust in rural economies.
Captain Lerato Mokoena, SAPS spokesperson in North West, told Vutivi News that law enforcement views stock theft as a direct threat to rural development.
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“We know the impact is not just about stolen animals, it’s about businesses being crippled, families losing livelihoods, and communities losing faith,” Mokoena said. “We are intensifying patrols and awareness campaigns, but we need farmers to brand their animals, report thefts without delay, and work with our rural safety structures. Police cannot win this fight alone.”
“Our members tell us this crime is draining their working capital and undermining their competitiveness,” the forum noted. “When emerging farmers are forced to spend more on security than on productivity, it chokes the very growth the government wants to see. What SMMEs need is a coordinated clampdown that combines policing, community vigilance, and investment in affordable livestock-tracking technology.”, said Sphiwe Zingani, Chairperson of a business forum, for The People Economic Development Forum.
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development spokesperson Boitumelo Ntsimane said the department is working to strengthen traceability systems and equip farmers with the right tools.
“Branding, record-keeping, and closer cooperation between farmers and police are vital,” Ntsimane explained. “We cannot allow SMMEs, especially emerging farmers, to be pushed out of business by criminals. Stock theft is a business issue as much as it is a crime issue, and protecting these enterprises is key to sustaining rural economies.”
Kgosi Mabele, who runs a small cattle farming operation with his siblings in Taung, the losses often go beyond financial damage.
“When a cow worth R15,000 is stolen, it’s not just one animal gone, it’s months of planning, feeding, and investment erased overnight,” Mabele said. “For small farmers like us, we don’t have insurance cushions or big profits to absorb the blow. Every theft sets us back years. We want to see technology like electronic tagging made more accessible, so criminals think twice.”
Another entrepreneur, goat farmer Nomvula Phiri, described how theft is forcing many in her cooperative to scale back ambitions.
“If we lose three goats in one month, it’s a serious dent,” Phiri said. “For SMEs, stock theft kills growth because we end up spending more money on fences, guards, and trying to recover animals instead of investing in expansion. What we need is tougher sentencing for culprits and real support for farmers using modern tracking systems.”
excel@vutivibusiness.co.za
“From our records, the longest outage
