Stock theft is covered on the “Animal husbandry” page.
Introduction
Farming units experience crime, from the theft of infrastructure and produce to the attacks on those who work the land and live on it. Some of the crimes are opportunistic but the possibility of syndicates being involved must be acknowledged.
The murder rate from farm attacks, in particular, has drawn much attention – or very little – depending on who you are and how you have experienced it. In the past, farmer groups and representatives took the matter to The Hague and overseas television, drawing international censure against farm attacks in South Africa.
This is obviously an issue in agricultural circles, and it should be one beyond this. Farmers make a country food secure. It is not in a country’s interest that this sector is exposed to violent threat to the extent that people leave the sector and possible new entrants are discouraged from doing so.
Security Tips
Numerous farm attacks are prevented through early observation and detection of suspicious vehicles/persons moving in rural areas by both workers and farmers.
A number of safety tips have been passed on to farmers.
House
- An electric perimeter fence is a good idea. Failing that, a four-foot fence to keep the dogs around the house.
- Have security chains on the doors.
- Don’t sleep in a place where you are visible from the outside. Security gates should be installed at the sleeping quarters inside the house as well as outside. (It goes without saying that you should have burglar-proofing and an effective alarm system).
- Don’t go outside at night to investigate noises. Call the police or farm watch.
- A fence, rather than a wall, around the house ensures better visibility.
- Have a torch or two handy, preferably in a strategic place in the house.
- Test your sirens and alarm systems regularly.
- Have a first aid kit; know what is in it.
Dogs
- Farmers should keep well-trained dogs on the premises, with some kept inside the house at night.
- Pay attention to their behaviour e.g. if they become inexplicably sick, or if their behaviour is different upon your return to the house (if they are fearful or bark at a particular place).
- On which part of the yard do they spend most of their time? The other side might well deserve some attention as it makes you vulnerable.
Labour
- Good relations and communication with farm workers is crucial.
- Know every person, who his/her family is, where they come from.
- Have copies of your workers’ identity documents.
- Depending on your relations with them, they could be included in a farm watch system. Certainly they should be encouraged to be alert on security matters and to report anything unusual – alien motor cars, strangers on the farm etc. Reward your workers for useful hints and information.
- Be aware of unusual behaviour and activity on their part especially if you have just hired or retrenched somebody e.g. if they vacate their posts without any reason.
Phones
- Cellphones should have the telephone numbers of the police and farm watch keyed in for easy access during an emergency.
Equipment
- Keys should be carefully controlled to prevent their duplication. Remove all keys from all vehicles when not in use. Be aware if keys disappear or re-appear without explanation.
Money
- Pay wages electronically.
- Selling products for cash to the public on your farm exposes you.
- As far as possible, avoid keeping large sums of money on the premises.
Strangers
- Be wary of strangers who wish to buy livestock, certainly if you do not sell livestock as a rule. Or they may be “looking for work”, or making enquiries about somebody who is in your employ.
Communication & Social
- Have an emergency plan and practice it with your family so that each one of them knows what to do.
- Let your family know what your movements are.
- Liaise with your local police station or agricultural union on what the law allows you to do.
- Be attentive when you hear conversations of unusual events.
- Encourage a safety consciousness amongst your colleagues.
Farm Layout
- Don’t plant trees or shrubs near gates. These are hiding places for perpetrators.
- Be aware of gates that are closed when they ought to be open.
Attitude & Routine
- Be alert at all times.
- Vary your routine. If you have two entrances to your farm, you have the advantage.
- It’s a good idea not going to sleep immediately after switching off the lights. Stay awake for a while.
Sources: www.agrisa.co.za; www.saps.gov.za , Kobus Visser (Agri SA) and Perpetrators of farm attacks: An Offender Profile, D Mistry & JDhlamini, 2001.
Further reading:
- Bolhuis M. 2025, March 27. “Project: Security Mistakes that put your property and life at risk”. Available at www.mikebolhuis.co.za/post/project-security-mistakes-that-put-your-property-and-life-at-risk
- Labuschagne H. 2024, August 12. “Must-have home security gadget that trumps electric fences”. My Broadband. Available at https://mybroadband.co.za/news/security/554544-must-have-home-security-gadget-that-trumps-electric-fences.html
- Botha L. 2023, December 18. “Follow these simple steps to keep your farm safe this holiday”. Farmer’s Weekly. Available at www.farmersweekly.co.za/agri-news/south-africa/follow-these-simple-steps-to-keep-your-farm-safe-this-holiday/
- Du Toit M. 2023, January 24. “Guard dogs: which breed is best?” Farmer’s Weekly. Available at www.farmersweekly.co.za/farming-basics/how-to-livestock/guard-dogs-which-breed-is-best/
- Marais S. 2022, December 20. “Give your farm security a high-tech boost”. Farmer’s Weekly. Available at www.farmersweekly.co.za/farming-basics/how-to-business/give-your-farm-security-a-high-tech-boost/
- Janeke, A. 2019, May 16. “Beveilig jou plaas so, sonder dat dit sakke vol geld kos” [Secure your farm like this, without it costing sacks of money]. Landbouweekblad. Available at www.netwerk24.com/landbou/Nuus/beveilig-jou-plaas-so-sonder-dat-dit-sakke-vol-geld-kos-20190516
- Botha, L. 2019, May 1. “Vital tips for stepping up security on your farm”. Farmer’s Weekly. Available at farmersweekly.co.za/farm-basics/how-to-business/vital-tips-for-stepping-up-security-on-your-farm/
National strategy and government contact
Safety and security leads to increased confidence in the economy and social structures.
The National Development Plan (NDP) chapter 12 is “Building safer communities”. It sees the importance of an “integrated approach to make safety and security a reality for all South Africans in 2030”, and sets out practical measures towards this.
The National Rural Safety Strategy (NRSS) was designed to create a safe and secure environment in rural areas (Pillay, 2025). The NRSS was developed in 2009/10 as a collaboration between the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), agricultural unions, the then Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs and the South African Police Services (SAPS).
South African Police Services (SAPS)
Department of Justice and Correctional Services
www.justice.gov.za and www.dcs.gov.za
Stats SA
Find crime statistics on the website, www.statssa.gov.za.
Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA)
Regulates the private security industry. See www.psira.co.za.
Role players
View the Premium Listings below (scroll down or click on “Premium Listings” on the Table of Contents to the right).
Websites and publications
Visit the websites of role players listed earlier on this page.
- Find the “Farm attack” menu option at https://southafricatoday.net.
- The #StopFarmAttacks websites: https://stopplaasaanvalle.co.za or https://stopfarmattacks.co.za.
- Find crime statistics at www.crimestatssa.co.za.
- The ISS Crimehub is South Africa’s “most complete source for ready-to-use information, statistics and analysis on crime and safety”. Visit https://issafrica.org/crimehub
- Roets, E. 2018. Kill the Boer: Government complicity in South Africa’s brutal farm murders. Centurion: Kraal.
- Kruger T., Lancaster L., Landman, K., Liebermann, S., Louw, A. & Robertshaw, R. 2016. Making South Africa Safe: A Manual for Community-based Crime Prevention.Pretoria: CSIR. Available at www.csir.co.za/sites/default/files/Documents/Making%20South%20Africa%20Safe.pdf
- Minnaar, A.2016. Research, theory and a developing criminology for rural crime. Acta Criminologica: Southern African Journal of Criminology29(1). Available at https://journals.co.za/content/crim/29/1/
- Oorgrens Veiligheid www.facebook.com/groups/veiligheidsisteem
- Van Zyl, C. & Hermann, D. 2011. Treurgrond – 20 jaar van plaasaanvalle in Suid-Afrika. Centurion: Kraal. [Available in English as Land of Sorrows]
- The National Directory on Services for Victims of Violence can be downloaded at www.westerncape.gov.za/general-publication/national-directory-services-victims-violence
- Swart, L. 2003. Oorwin Plaasaanvalle. Cape Town: CLS Publishers. [Available in English as Counteract Farm Attacks]
- Find the thesis done by Veronica Hornschuh (University of Pretoria) on farm attacks at http://upetd.up.ac.za.
- Mistry, D. & Dhlamini, J. 2001. Perpetrators of farm attacks: An Offender Profile. Institute for Human Rights and Criminal Justice Studies.
- Safety & Security Review Africa (magazine) https://safetyandsecurityafrica.com
Videos/movies
- Find the Landbouweekblad presentation on farm safety (in Afrikaans) at https://projekte.landbou.com/wees-veilig-op-jou-plaas/index.html. It includes tips on farm safety.
- Javier A. 2020, October 20. “Free State black farmers: It’s not a race issue, we are all affected” (Video). Available at https://ewn.co.za/video/11964/free-state-black-farmers–it-s-not-a-race-issue–we-are-all-affected
- Watch “Wat sê die statistiek oor plaasaanvalle?” which showed on kykNET’s PRONTUIT on 27 May 2019 on YouTube. Go to youtube.com/watch?v=Lyvu9NUVDGM&feature=youtu.be
- Southern, L. 2018. Available at https://laurensouthern.net/farmlands/
- ABC News (Australia). 2018, July 31. “White farm murders in South Africa – Race hate, politics or greed?” Available at youtube.com/watch?v=JU4m8hkf-O0
- 2018, May 16. “Ernst Roets on Fox News”. Available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dMYhLZb96Q
- Henri LeRiche. 2014. “War of the Flea – Hate crimes in South Africa” (a Rian van der Walt film). Available at youtube.com/watch?v=cAfzp9eItCU
Some articles
- See the blog “Trespassing on farms: the challenges and solutions”.
- Ndenze B. 2025, June 6. “Farm murders and rural safety take prominence on parliamentary agenda.” Eye Witness News. Available at www.ewn.co.za/2025/06/06/farm-murders-and-rural-safety-take-prominence-on-parliamentary-agenda
- Pillay Y. 2025, May 27. “Police Minister Mchunu clarifies rural safety strategy while addressing crime statistics.” Business Report. Available at https://persfin.co.za/economy/2025-05-25-police-minister-mchunu-clarifies-rural-safety-strategy-while-addressing-crime-statistics
- Newham G. 2025, May 26. “Violent crime and the myth of South Africa’s ‘white genocide’.” Polity. Available at www.polity.org.za/article/violent-crime-and-the-myth-of-south-africas-white-genocide-2025-05-26
- Reporter. 2025, May 23. “More farm murder victims are African, Police Minister.” SA News. Available at www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/more-farm-murder-victims-are-african-police-minister
- Janeke A. 2025, May 13. “Altesaam 26 name bygevoeg tot Muur van Herinnering [Altogether 26 names added to the Wall of Remembrance. Landbouweekblad. Available at www.landbou.com/nuus/kyk-altesaam-26-name-bygevoeg-tot-muur-van-herinnering-20250513-0588
- Majadibodu S. 2025, May 15. “Mashatile urges farmers to stay in South Africa, promises to tackle safety issues”. IOL. Available at https://iol.co.za/news/politics/2025-05-15-mashatile-urges-farmers-to-stay-in-south-africa-promises-to-tackle-safety-issues/
- Manoko T. 2025, April 17. “Agri leaders demand stronger policing in rural communities”. Food for Mzansi. Available at www.foodformzansi.co.za/agri-leaders-demand-stronger-policing-in-rural-communities/
- Moodley S. 2025, March 28. “AfriForum takes fight against ‘Kill the Boer’ chant international”. Polity. Available at www.polity.org.za/article/afriforum-takes-fight-against-kill-the-boer-chant-international-2025-03-28
- Sithole S. 2025, March 27. “Cabinet confronts ‘misinformation’: minister reveals AfriForum conceded on farm murder statistics”. IOL. Available at https://iol.co.za/the-star/news/2025-03-27-cabinet-confronts-misinformation-minister-reveals-afriforum-conceded-on-farm-murder-statistics2/
- Ntanzi H. 2025, March 6. “Are farm murders underreported? SAPS looks into AfriForum’s allegations”. IOL. Available at www.iol.co.za/news/politics/are-farm-murders-underreported-saps-looks-into-afriforums-allegations-002b1b80-ef83-4206-9a2c-4b984fcf2a8c
- Afriforum. 2025, March 3. “AfriForum provides Mchunu with details of farm murders amid government denial”. Polity. Available at www.polity.org.za/article/afriforum-provides-mchunu-with-details-of-farm-murders-amid-government-denial-2025-03-03
- PDF Van der Spuy. 2025, January 19. “Misdaad: 17 dae, 10 aanvalle en 3 moorde op plase [Crime: 17 days, 10 attacks and 3 murders on farms]”. Landbouweekblad. Available at www.landbou.com/landbou/nuus/misdaad-17-dae-16-aanvalle-en-3-moorde-op-plase-20250118
- Rondganger L. 2023, August 18. “AfriForum blasts police for allegedly under counting farm murders – calling crime stats ‘factually incorrect’”. IOL. Available at www.iol.co.za/news/crime-and-courts/afriforum-blasts-police-for-allegedly-under-counting-farm-murders-calling-crime-stats-factually-incorrect-fc225f4f-5f79-4bab-9a60-4ea9f23550f4
- Isaacs L. 2023, May 23. “AfriForum concerned there’s been no significant decrease in farm attacks”. Eye Witness News. Available at https://ewn.co.za/2023/05/23/afriforum-concerned-there-s-been-no-significant-decrease-in-farm-attacks
- Mboto S. 2022, October 18. “Emerging farmers, especially women, say they are soft targets for criminals and call for more policing in rural areas”. Natal Mercury. Available at www.iol.co.za/mercury/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/emerging-farmers-especially-women-say-they-are-soft-targets-for-criminals-and-call-for-more-policing-in-rural-areas-54cad0fd-0366-44c6-a039-18c92aa3194c