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Rooted in Crime: A Study of Plant ‘Poaching’ in the Succulent Karoo
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613751181574144 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Rahl-Botha, Faye |
| author2 | Robins, Steven |
| author_browse | Rahl-Botha, Faye Robins, Steven |
| author_facet | Robins, Steven Rahl-Botha, Faye |
| author_sort | Rahl-Botha, Faye |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135917 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:06.301Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135917 Rooted in Crime: A Study of Plant ‘Poaching’ in the Succulent Karoo Rahl-Botha, Faye Robins, Steven Borchardt, Stephanie Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology. Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Rahl-Botha, F. 2026. Rooted in Crime: A Study of Plant ‘Poaching’ in the Succulent Karoo. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/0e7e9cf4-4021-4fee-ad18-91e11dc73fd2 The rapid escalation of the illegal plant trade in South Africa’s semi-arid Karoo region since the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic foregrounded concerns about wildlife trade and biodiversity regulations, socioeconomic precarity, and the widespread loss of endemic flora. The Succulent Karoo, which is one of South Africa’s three biodiversity hotspots, is at the centre of what is referred to as a ‘plant poaching’ crisis. The National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) estimates that over 1.5 million plants have been poached since 2020, leading to unprecedented biodiversity loss. Community participation in illegal harvesting exposes deep socioeconomic issues in the Karoo. Economic explanations were important for understanding what motivated harvesters, but these could not fully account for participation in the trade. As the global demand for rare plants rose – driven in part by pandemic restrictions and the emergence of an online "plant culture" – the commodification of ornamental plants appeared to fuel extinction, increase vulnerability and precarity in communities, and decrease resilience. Conservationists and legislators implemented strategies to combat the illegal plant trade in the Karoo, which seemed to reduce the number of confiscated plants in recent years, but biodiversity regulations remained contested due to how they impacted the lives of individual actors and communities. Furthermore, partnerships between environmental protection and market-driven solutions may create new forms of value extraction that cannot ensure the ongoing survival of wild flora. This study examines how the trade in ornamental plants intersects with socioeconomic issues in the Karoo and the degree to which trade regulations risk criminalising local actors. It evaluates whether existing conservation policies and legislation can effectively address largescale environmental destruction whilst accounting for social, cultural, and political complexities in post-apartheid South Africa. The research employs semi-structured interviews, observations, and analysis of wildlife crime legislation. This study aims to shed light on the complex intersections of crime and conservation whilst offering insights into how regulations can more effectively safeguard South Africa’s unique floral heritage. Masters 2026-04-15T07:46:52Z 2026-04-15T07:46:52Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135917 en Stellenbosch University 128 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Rahl-Botha, Faye Rooted in Crime: A Study of Plant ‘Poaching’ in the Succulent Karoo |
| title | Rooted in Crime: A Study of Plant ‘Poaching’ in the Succulent Karoo |
| title_full | Rooted in Crime: A Study of Plant ‘Poaching’ in the Succulent Karoo |
| title_fullStr | Rooted in Crime: A Study of Plant ‘Poaching’ in the Succulent Karoo |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rooted in Crime: A Study of Plant ‘Poaching’ in the Succulent Karoo |
| title_short | Rooted in Crime: A Study of Plant ‘Poaching’ in the Succulent Karoo |
| title_sort | rooted in crime a study of plant poaching in the succulent karoo |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135917 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rahlbothafaye rootedincrimeastudyofplantpoachinginthesucculentkaroo |