As winter intensifies, the days become shorter and the nights longer. Across much of South Africa, however, the season is marked by something even more unsettling than frost-covered fields and icy mornings. It is the sight of smoke rising from the veld as fires consume thousands of hectares of grazing land.
By Lebogang Mashala, Editor, African Farming
What is particularly frustrating is that many of these fires are deliberately started. Despite years of public awareness campaigns, educational programmes and repeated warnings from Fire Protection Associations, farmers’ organisations and government departments, some individuals continue to set veld fires without giving a second thought to the devastation they leave behind.
It is difficult to comprehend such reckless behaviour. Perhaps even more difficult is understanding why it continues year after year.
A veld fire does not simply burn dry grass. It destroys livelihoods.
Livestock perish in the flames. Valuable grazing is reduced to ash. Fences, water infrastructure, machinery and wildlife are lost. Farmers who have spent months carefully managing their grazing suddenly find themselves forced to purchase expensive feed or reduce their herds. In many cases, the financial recovery takes years, while the emotional scars last even longer.
Deliberately setting veld fires is not harmless mischief. It is an act of economic destruction. Until arson affecting agricultural land is investigated more aggressively and carries meaningful penalties, South Africa will continue to witness the same preventable disasters every winter.
Also read: From our editor: Veld fires expose the cost of disunity on communal land
The growing scourge of stock theft
As destructive as veld fires are, they are not the only threat that intensifies during winter.
The longer nights and reduced activity in rural areas create ideal conditions for stock thieves. Reports of stolen cattle, sheep and goats increase as organised criminal syndicates exploit vulnerable farming communities.
Stock theft has plagued South African agriculture for decades, but the scale and sophistication of these crimes have become increasingly alarming. Every week, farmers wake up to broken fences, empty camps and the heartbreaking discovery that years of careful breeding and investment have disappeared overnight.
This is far more than ordinary theft. It is organised economic sabotage.
During the 2024/25 financial year, stock theft cost South Africa’s agricultural sector more than R1.2 billion in direct losses. More than 152 000 animals were reported stolen, including over 61 000 goats, nearly 38 000 cattle and almost 28 000 sheep, according to Statistics South Africa’s Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey.
Also read: ‘Stock theft a national crisis; land reform must change’ – Steenhuisen at AFASA conference
Yet the financial losses tell only part of the story.
Behind every stolen animal is a farming family dealing with frustration, anxiety and uncertainty. I personally know farmers who have suffered devastating losses. Some eventually walked away from farming because they simply could not recover financially or emotionally. Others chose to rebuild, driven by resilience, passion and an unwavering commitment to continue producing food for the nation.
When a livestock farmer leaves agriculture, the consequences extend far beyond that individual. Workers lose their jobs. Rural businesses lose customers. Local economies shrink. Communities suffer.
Agriculture remains one of the largest employers in rural South Africa, making every successful farming enterprise essential to economic stability.
Equally concerning is the country’s poor conviction rate for stock theft. Experts estimate that only about 9% of reported cases ultimately lead to convictions. Such statistics embolden criminals while leaving farmers feeling increasingly vulnerable.
There is also the ever-present danger confronting farming families. What happens when a farmer unexpectedly encounters armed thieves busy stealing or slaughtering livestock? Too often, protecting one’s livelihood means placing one’s own life at risk.
Also read: Increase in veld fires threatens food prices and farm production costs
A perfect storm on the horizon
As if these challenges were not enough, climate forecasts suggest another difficult season may lie ahead.
Meteorologists are warning that South Africa is entering the early stages of a potentially significant El Niño event, which could bring below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures during the 2026/27 summer production season. Should these forecasts materialise, farmers recovering from winter veld fires and stock theft may soon face drought conditions as well.
The combination would be devastating.
Less grazing, dwindling water supplies, rising feed costs and continued criminal activity would place enormous pressure on livestock producers and crop farmers alike. Ultimately, consumers would also feel the effects through reduced food production and higher prices.
Also read: ‘Don’t be a cowboy in fire season!’
A fight that requires unity
These challenges demand more than sympathy – they require action.
Farmers cannot fight this battle alone. Government, law enforcement agencies, organised agriculture, municipalities, traditional leaders and rural communities all have a role to play in protecting the country’s agricultural resources.
Awareness campaigns must continue, but education alone is no longer enough. Deliberate veld fires and organised stock theft must be treated as serious crimes against the economy and national food security. Investigations must improve, prosecutions must be expedited and meaningful sentences must serve as a deterrent.
Also read: How to assess and treat livestock after a veld fire
Farmers also have an important responsibility. Participation in organised agriculture, Fire Protection Associations, rural safety structures and local anti-stock theft forums has never been more important. Proper livestock identification, branding, record-keeping, coordinated patrols and strong relationships with neighbouring farmers remain some of the most effective tools available.
South African agriculture has overcome droughts, disease outbreaks, market volatility and countless other challenges because of one defining characteristic: resilience.
That same resilience will be needed now.
Protecting our farms is about far more than safeguarding individual businesses. It is about securing rural livelihoods, preserving food security, strengthening our economy and ensuring future generations inherit an agricultural sector capable of feeding the nation.
This winter, let us not simply watch the smoke rise across our veld or accept stock theft as an unavoidable reality. Let it instead become the season when farmers, communities and authorities stand together with renewed purpose.
The future of South African agriculture depends on nothing less.
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