The impact of crime on sustainability in the sugarcane growth industry in South Africa

There are approximately 38,200 registered sugarcane growers in South Africa, covering three provinces, namely Kwazulu- Natal, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape. While this has contributed to social and economic sustainability of local communities, that also created a favorable environment for criminals. A relationship was discovered between the rate of crime and the growth of the sugarcane stalks. The methods used to gather the data included; interviews, questionnaires, crime related websites, and the South African Sugar Association database and other relevant achieve information. It was then recommended that the South African Police Service, South African sugarcane growers and the affected communities should put means in place to decrease the opportunities for criminal activities to occur hence support the grower’s economic and social status