South African farmers, encompassing commercial, small-scale, subsistence, and communal sectors, face a host of challenges that significantly impact the nation, including climate change, deteriorating infrastructure, crime, and notably, livestock theft. According to the Institute of Security Studies (ISS), livestock theft has been a longstanding issue documented across South Africa and Lesotho’s borders. The annual financial toll from livestock losses is estimated to exceed one billion rand, but the repercussions extend beyond mere monetary loss including economic losses, animal cruelty, and human insecurity. Subsistence and communal farmers , for one, are at risk of losing their entire livelihoods, while the broader impact extends to food security and employment opportunities on farms. It is understood that contrast to the treatment of violent cattle rustling in East Africa, stock theft in Southern Africa is not consistently regarded as a serious crime, despite its widespread occurrence and detrimental effects. Economically motivated crimes, such as organised stock theft and corruption, may be perceived as victimless in the absence of violence, only revealing their darker side when lives or livelihoods are at stake. Senior Organised Crime Researcher at the Institute of Security Studies (ISS) Dr Carina Bruwer and Safety Risk Analyst at Free State Agriculture Dr Jane Buys join Lerato Mbele for the conversation.