Johannesburg, South Africa – November 26, 2025
South Africa’s battle against cable theft has intensified into a full-scale crisis, with the theft of copper and other metals from critical infrastructure exacting a devastating toll on the nation’s economy, public services, and daily life. What began as opportunistic scavenging has evolved into a sophisticated network of organized crime, fueled by global demand for scrap metal and exacerbated by domestic vulnerabilities. In 2023, Transnet alone reported the theft of 1,121 kilometers of cable from its rail network—an eight-fold increase over five years—while Eskom’s annual losses from stolen copper cables, overhead lines, and conductors reached between R5 billion and R7 billion, plus an additional R2 billion for replacements. These figures underscore a problem that permeates every sector, from power grids to transportation, leaving communities in the dark and derailing economic progress.
The scope of cable theft is vast and unrelenting. Across the country, state-owned enterprises like Eskom, Transnet, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), and Telkom collectively incur direct losses exceeding R7 billion annually, with broader economic ripple effects estimated at up to R200 billion per year. In Johannesburg, City Power documented over 2,000 incidents of cable theft and vandalism in the 2023 financial year alone, costing R380 million in repairs. Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape, and Mpumalanga are the epicenters of this crime, where high-risk targets include railway lines managed by Transnet and Prasa, Eskom transmission lines, municipal streetlights, and industrial cabling.
At the heart of this epidemic lies the allure of copper, a non-ferrous metal prized for its conductivity and value on the international scrap market. Criminals strip cables from overhead lines, underground conduits, and even transmission towers, often leaving behind hazardous remnants that endanger repair crews and civilians. The process is methodical: thieves burn off protective sheathing to expose the copper core, which is then melted down and sold—often to unscrupulous scrapyards that process up to 85% of South Africa’s scrap metal exports, primarily to buyers in China. This illicit trade thrives on a black market where copper fetches R90 to R120 per kilogram, linking petty thieves driven by economic desperation—such as unemployment and substance abuse—to transnational syndicates involving corrupt officials and international networks.
The consequences ripple far beyond the crime scenes, striking at the core of South Africa’s infrastructure and economy. Eskom attributes a portion of its load-shedding challenges to cable theft, which disrupts power to hospitals, businesses, and households, forcing reliance on expensive generators and halting operations. In the telecommunications sector, Telkom recorded 1,321 copper cable thefts between January 2017 and November 2022, resulting in over R200 million in damages and service disruptions for thousands of users. Rail services suffer acutely: Transnet’s freight lines, vital for exporting minerals and goods, have seen theft nearly double over five years, leading to delayed trains, canceled services, and a loss of South Africa’s competitive low-cost rail advantage. Prasa reports annual vandalism costs of R70 million, contributing to commuter delays and reduced productivity. Municipalities face parallel devastation; in Cape Town and Johannesburg, theft from traffic lights has affected a significant portion of signals, causing chaos on roads and increasing accident risks.
Economically, the drain is profound. The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry estimates that cable theft siphons R5 billion to R7 billion from the economy each year, undermining business confidence and stalling recovery efforts. Mining operations, a cornerstone of the economy, report daily disruptions in areas like Rustenburg, where cable theft halts production and inflates security costs, indirectly curtailing community development and job creation. Vodacom loses R100 million annually to related vandalism, with single-site repairs costing up to R100,000. These losses compound inequality, as vulnerable communities endure prolonged blackouts and service gaps, while the overall economic hit is estimated at between R45 billion and R187 billion annually.
Perpetrators range from subsistence thieves—often motivated by poverty and addiction—to entrenched syndicates that exploit insider knowledge, including from Eskom contractors and police officers. Recent arrests, such as the October 2024 apprehension of three suspects in Pretoria with Eskom cables worth over R1 million, and six suspects in KwaZulu-Natal in April 2025 with R1.5 million in stolen property, demonstrate ongoing enforcement challenges. As of mid-2025, Eskom reported year-to-date losses of R221 million—down from R271 million the previous year, indicating modest improvement.
Government and industry responses have gained momentum. The Criminal Matters Amendment Act of 2015 classifies damage to essential infrastructure as a serious offense, with maximum sentences of 30 years for instigators. In 2020, CEOs from Eskom, Transnet, Prasa, and Telkom formed a joint working group to devise a national prevention strategy, collaborating with the South African Police Service, Hawks, and the National Prosecuting Authority. Gauteng’s provincial crackdown shut down 1,079 non-compliant scrapyards by February 2025 and deployed a 24-hour response team. Eskom has bolstered defenses with 450 additional guards, drone surveillance, infrared technology, vibration sensors on cables, and GPS tracking on routes, while phasing out copper in new installations in favor of less attractive alternatives. Transnet is investing R7.3 billion over five years in rail modernization, prioritizing anti-theft measures.
In the Western Cape, a dedicated Rail Enforcement Unit of 100 officers, launched in 2018 by Prasa, the City of Cape Town, and the provincial government, targets theft hotspots. Nationally, the Non-Ferrous Crime Combating Committee coordinates provincial strategies, while proposals include cashless scrap metal transactions and tighter regional trade regulations. Courts are imposing harsher penalties, and public awareness campaigns urge reporting via Eskom’s hotline (0800 11 2722) or SAPS.
Despite these efforts, cable theft remains at alarming levels, with Transnet noting 1,013 kilometers stolen in the year to March 2025. The interplay of unemployment, inequality, and corruption sustains the cycle, demanding sustained investment in technology, enforcement, and socioeconomic alternatives. As South Africa pushes toward infrastructure renewal—Eskom plans 2,700 kilometers of new transmission lines annually through 2032—the imperative to safeguard these assets has never been clearer. Without decisive, coordinated action, the unchecked theft of copper risks not just blackouts and breakdowns, but the long-term stability of a nation striving for recovery.
