According to the country’s Forestry Ministry, 352 of the animals were poached nationwide in 2025, a decrease from 420 in 2024
South Africa recorded a 16% decline in rhino poaching in 2025, a sign that intensified anti-poaching and anti-trafficking measures are beginning to yield results, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment Willie Aucamp has said.
From January to December 2025, 352 rhinos were poached nationwide, down from 420 in 2024.
”From January to December 2025, 352 rhinos were poached in South Africa. This was a decrease of 68 in comparison to 420 rhinos poached in 2024,” Aucamp said in a statement on Tuesday.
He credited the drop to tighter coordination between law enforcement, conservation authorities and the private sector.
”This decline shows the impact of our dedication and tactical, swift coordination,” the minister said.
Despite the overall national improvement, Mpumalanga emerged as the hardest-hit province, losing 178 rhinos in 2025, almost double the 92 lost in 2024. Most of these killings occurred in the Kruger National Park, which recorded 175 poached rhinos last year, up from 88 the year before.
By contrast, KwaZulu-Natal showed a sharp turnaround. Poaching in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park dropped from 198 rhinos in 2024 to 63 in 2025.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife attributed the improvement to closer collaboration with private rhino owners and conservation partners under the Integrated Wildlife Zones (IWZ) Programme.
Authorities say a combination of technology, integrity controls and tougher prosecutions has helped reduce poaching.
Ezemvelo noted that while strategic dehorning in 2024 helped stabilise pressures, the real gains in 2025 came from “enhanced detection and early-warning capability, achieved through the deployment and integration of advanced camera technologies and sensors,” and an Integrity Implementation Plan that included polygraph testing of all park law-enforcement personnel.
At the national level, the National Integrated Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking (NISCWT) is also paying off, with courts imposing lengthy prison terms in rhino-related cases.
One of the most significant convictions was that of ZM Muiambo, also known as Thomas Chauke, who was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in April 2025 after being found guilty on 19 charges linked to rhino poaching and organised crime.
”Only through this collaboration could cases, emanating from four provinces, be centralised,” the department said.
Minister Aucamp thanked private rhino owners and conservation groups for their role in the fight.
”Sustaining this downward trend in rhino poaching requires coordinated and aligned action by government, the private sector and non-governmental organisations, underpinned by clear objectives,” he said.
He also pointed to growing international recognition of South Africa’s efforts.
”These efforts led to the country receiving the Asia Environmental Enforcement Recognition of Excellence Award late last year,” Aucamp said.
Looking ahead, the minister said the focus would remain on intelligence-led, partnership-based protection.
”Working together with the South African anti-poaching and anti-trafficking organisations, we remain committed to a balanced, intelligence-driven, and partnership-based approach to rhino protection, recognising that sustained success requires constant adaptation, integrity, and cooperation across all sectors,” he said.