As the world marks World Rhino Day, South Africa reaffirms its commitment to protecting its rhino heritage and to intensifying the fight against poaching that continue to threaten these iconic animals. South Africa remains home to the world's largest rhino population. At the end of 2025, the minimum national rhino population was estimated at 15,096 animals, comprising at least 2,565 black rhinos and 12,531 white rhinos. This reflects a 4.9% increase of rhinos since 2024.
While the rhino population has demonstrated a positive increase, the number of rhinos poached in South Africa remain significantly high. From January to the end of August 2026, 230 rhinos were poached nationally, compared with 248 during the same period in 2025. In the Kruger National Park (KNP), 114 rhinos were lost to poaching during the first eight months of 2026, compared with 123 during the corresponding period in 2025. In 2025, poaching accounted for 2.2% of South Africa's rhino population, below the estimated 3.5% population sustainability threshold. The reduction has coincided with continued maintenance, dehorning programmes, strengthened protection measures and persistent law-enforcement efforts.
KNP has strengthened its field capacity through the appointment of additional field rangers and rhino monitors under the Rhino Renaissance Initiative as part of the broader Rhino Conservation Plan which includes dehorning, layered security, appropriate technology, skills development and strengthened integrity management.
Every rhino lost to poaching is one too many, as poaching also results in the loss of breeding animals, orphaning of calves and disruption to population recovery. The objective must therefore be to drive poaching down as far as possible while strengthening the long-term recovery and resilience of rhino populations.
The Department has on 14 April 2026 published the Biodiversity Management Plan (BMP) for the black and white rhino for implementation. This 10-year plan envisages Thriving national herds of wild black and white rhino are valued, promote conservation, and people benefit from their inclusive sustainable use. The BMP is supported by five key objectives with a key element focusing on growing and securing rhino populations, through enhanced biological management interventions and support towards expansion projects. The DFFE is in the process of establishing a National Rhino Conservation Coordination Committee (NRCCC), which will serve as lead implementing agency for the BMP. The NRCCC will facilitate and coordinate the implementation of the BMP by supporting and monitoring the execution of the actions outlined in the plan.
Implementation of the National Integrated Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking (NISCWT) continues to target the entire illicit value chain – from poachers to traffickers to financers of criminal operations and to those who profit from international trafficking. By the end of March 2026, the second year of implementation was on track with progress being particularly strong in coordinated investigations, strengthened prosecutions, intelligence sharing and targeted operations.
The fight against rhino poaching demands a whole-of-society approach, including, national and provincial conservation authorities, law-enforcement and criminal justice agencies, government and financial institutions, local communities, private-sector and the international community.
On World Rhino Day, South Africa recognises all those who continue to contribute to the protection of the country's rhino populations.
Our objective must remain focused - to ensure that South Africa's rhinos survive and thrive, and that future generations inherit these remarkable animals as part of our country's natural heritage.
Members of the public can report any suspicious activities around wildlife to the Department’s environmental crime hotline which is 0800 205 005 or the SAPS number 10111.
Editor’s note
1. The provincial and national breakdown of rhinos poached for January to August for 2024, 2025 and 2026 is as follows:
| Provinces and National Parks | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SANParks | 53 | 123 | 114 |
| Gauteng | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Limpopo | 34 | 28 | 33 |
| Mpumalanga | 1 | 3 | 14 |
| North West | 9 | 14 | 19 |
| Eastern Cape | 4 | 2 | 5 |
| Free State | 3 | 8 | 12 |
| Northern Cape | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| KwaZulu-Natal | 165 | 67 | 29 |
| Western Cape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 272 | 248 | 230 |
2. Prosecutions
Some of the successful convictions that were attained over the period since January 2026 and highlighted below demonstrate the NPA's ongoing dedication to combating wildlife crime through close collaboration with law enforcement agencies and other key stakeholders.
- S v A Baloyi, Skukuza CAS 8/5/25, The accused pleaded guilty on the following seven charges trespassing, illegal immigration, possession of a prohibited firearm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit a crime, conspiracy and possession of a dangerous weapon. Sentenced effectively to 10 years imprisonment.
- Bernet Sibuyi & Evans Mashele - Convicted on possession of firearm to commit crime and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.
- Two former security officers, Nyiko Gumede and Nomsa Ndlovu, were each sentenced to an effective 12 years’ direct imprisonment, while their co-accused, Ludwick Mhlaba, a technician, was sentenced to 10 years’ direct imprisonment. Gumede and Ndlovu were convicted on two counts: the killing of a rhino and conspiracy to commit a crime. Mhlaba was convicted on a single count of killing a rhino. In aggravation of sentence, Prosecutor Mgiba emphasised that the accused had been entrusted with protecting wildlife but instead betrayed that trust by participating in poaching activities.
- Sifiso Mbuyane was convicted on eight counts, including trespassing in the Kruger National Park, killing two rhinos, conspiracy to commit an offence, possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm for the purpose of committing a crime, possession of ammunition, and possession of a dangerous weapon and sentenced of 28 years’ direct imprisonment. The State led compelling evidence, including testimony from the rangers, DNA evidence confirming that the rhino horns found in the accused’s possession matched the carcasses discovered at the crime scene, and ballistic evidence proving that the bullet recovered from the carcass had been fired from the firearm found in the possession of the accused.
- S v J Lubisi, who was arrested in KNP, in possession of a semi-automatic rifle, one axe and two backpacks, was convicted on illegal immigration, possession of an unlicensed firearm, possession of an unlicensed firearm with the intent to commit a crime, conspiracy and possession of dangerous weapons and was sentenced to an effective 8 years imprisonment.
- The case against Dawie Groenewald and Tielman Erasmus was finalised on 6 August 2026 in the Polokwane High Court. Groenewald is regarded as the mastermind behind a large-scale rhino horn trafficking enterprise finally entered into a plea agreement with the State in this matter ending the pending legal saga of more than a decade regarding allegations of trafficking rhino horns, racketeering and money laundering. Groenewald was sentenced to a fine of R2 million- or four-years imprisonment, and a further 10 years imprisonment suspended for 5 years, with strict conditions. He was further sentenced to high value fines and imprisonment on each of the other offences he was convicted on. The fines add up to more than R10 million and 36 years imprisonment. In his capacity as manager of a professional hunting outfitter “Out of Africa” and by employing professional hunters and other individuals, he managed the sourcing of rhino horns from his own rhinos and from other private rhino owners to fuel the black market in Southeast Asia. None of the rhino’s was the subject of poaching activities. Tielman Erasmus was sentenced in terms of the same plea agreement and received a fine of R100,000 or three years' imprisonment.
Enquiries:
Sello Molekwa
Cell: 082 745 4950
E-mail: SMolekwa@dffe.gov.za
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