South Africa’s Succulent Smuggling Crisis: The Threat to the Karoo’s Unique Biodiversity

Endless expanses of rugged terrain stretch before me, dotted with succulents in every conceivable shape. I’m near Nieuwoudtville, in the Northern Cape and Karoo region of South Africa—a town named after my forefathers, which for so many years was just a family name on a map. The Karoo is succulent central. Many of these plants are slow-growing, often taking years—or even decades—to reach maturity; some are over 50 years old.

As I marvel at the harsh natural beauty surrounding me, it’s hard to believe that beneath this tranquil surface lies a hidden crime. Plant poaching, often unnoticed, sees rare succulents being uprooted—even in broad daylight—disrupting ecosystems one specimen at a time. Yet these seemingly small thefts add up, leaving behind empty spaces where thriving plants once stood and raising increasing alarm among conservationists.

Africa, particularly the arid regions of the Karoo, has become a prime target for illegal plant smugglers looking to exploit its rare and diverse succulent species. These hardy plants, prized for their beauty and ability to thrive in harsh climates, have become lucrative commodities for international collectors and black-market traders. The illegal extraction of these succulents is now a growing environmental and economic threat with dire consequences for local ecosystems, biodiversity, and communities.

Source: Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund

The Karoo: A Unique Biodiversity Hotspot

The Karoo, a semi-desert region in South Africa, is home to one of the most unique and biologically diverse collections of succulents in the world. Many South Africans often only know it as a place you drive through when driving from Gauteng down to the Cape. The region’s harsh climatic conditions, characterised by extreme heat and limited rainfall, have shaped the evolution of a vast variety of succulent species, many of which are endemic and cannot be found anywhere else on Earth. These plants, including species from the genera Conophytum, Lithops, and Aloe, are highly sought after by collectors worldwide for their distinctive shapes, colours, and resilience.

In recent years, global demand for these rare succulents has surged, driven by trends in ornamental gardening, home décor, and the popularity of low-maintenance indoor plants, whether for lazy students or avid plant collectors. Unfortunately, this demand has fueled a growing illegal trade that is depleting the Karoo’s natural resources at an alarming rate.

According to TRAFFIC, a leading non-governmental organisation working to ensure the legal and sustainable trade of wild species, the illegal succulent trade has severely impacted biodiversity in South Africa. Since 2019, authorities have seized over one million illegally harvested succulents, representing more than 650 species, transiting Southern Africa en route to overseas markets. This trade imposes immense pressure on conservation agencies, which must process over 3,000 confiscated plants per week for criminal cases. TRAFFIC notes that the illegal trade, largely done online, has devastated ecosystems like the Succulent Karoo, which hosts over 6,000 succulent species—40% of which are endemic. In some cases, single poaching incidents have led to the extinction of entire species.

The Supply Chain: How the Illegal Succulent Trade Works

The illegal trade of succulents from the Karoo follows a sophisticated supply chain involving multiple actors across different regions and countries.

Poaching: The process starts with local harvesters, often hired or recruited by organised crime syndicates. These poachers, knowledgeable about the terrain, illegally uproot succulents from remote areas, sometimes at night to avoid detection. Many of these succulents are slow-growing and delicate; thus, their removal can devastate local populations. Local poachers are paid minimal amounts compared to the profits further down the supply chain.

Transport and packaging: Once poached, succulents are transported to urban centres, typically hidden within vehicles to avoid detection. In many cases, smugglers bribe local authorities to pass through checkpoints without inspection. The plants are then prepared for international shipping, often disguised as legal goods or concealed among other plants. Proper packaging is crucial to keep the succulents alive during transit, which can sometimes take weeks.

Smuggling to international markets: Succulents are shipped abroad, primarily to buyers in Asia, Europe, and North America. Smugglers use various methods, including shipping containers, air cargo, and postal services, often hiding the plants in shipments of legal goods. In some cases, forged permits are used to falsely declare the plants as legally sourced. For example, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has uncovered several smuggling rings involved in shipping succulents to markets in China, Korea, and Japan, recovering thousands of plants in the process.

Distribution: The plants are distributed through middlemen, who either sell them directly to private collectors or via online marketplaces. These plants are often sold at high prices due to their rarity and the difficulty in legally sourcing such species. Online platforms, including social media and e-commerce sites, have become major hubs for illegal succulent sales, where buyers may not always be aware of the plants’ illegal origins.

While platforms like eBay have made strides in removing illegal listings—reportedly blocking over 500,000 illegal items in 2023 alone—the sheer volume of online transactions allows illicit sales to continue under the radar. Other major players such as Etsy, Amazon, and Facebook Marketplace also serve as significant distribution channels for rare plants. The peer-to-peer nature of these platforms makes regulation even more challenging, allowing traffickers to hide illegal plants among legitimate listings.

This issue is further complicated by the fact that many buyers are unaware of the origins of the plants they purchase, making consumer education a critical hurdle in addressing the illegal trade. Social media platforms, particularly Instagram, have also emerged as popular hubs for promoting ‘plant porn’ through visually appealing advertisements, which increase both demand and the potential for illegal sales.

As conservationists and platforms like eBay work together to develop tools such as FloraGuard, designed to detect illegal listings, further collaboration between e-commerce companies, governments, and environmental agencies like TRAFFIC is necessary to ensure more robust enforcement and better protection for endangered species. Specialised plant platforms, such as Rare Plants Boutique and Succulent Market, cater specifically to collectors, but regulating the origins of the plants sold remains a persistent challenge.

End-consumer: The final buyers are often private collectors or enthusiasts who value these rare succulents for their uniqueness. Some are aware of the plants’ illegal origin, while others unknowingly purchase poached plants without understanding the environmental and legal consequences.

The Scale of Illegal Succulent Smuggling

The illegal trade in succulents has escalated to industrial levels, particularly targeting the Karoo. Organised criminal networks, often working in collaboration with international buyers, are known to send poachers into the region to harvest these plants illegally. They are uprooted from the wild in large numbers and smuggled out of the country, primarily to collectors in Asia, Europe, and North America. Once outside South Africa, these plants are sold for exorbitant prices, far beyond their local value.

South African authorities report that the illegal smuggling of succulents has reached crisis levels. The environmental department has observed a sharp rise in poaching activities, with thousands of plants confiscated each year in efforts to curb the trade. In some cases, poachers have been caught with hundreds of plants at once, all destined for overseas markets. In one instance, a South Korean man was arrested in possession of over 2,000 plants. What makes this smuggling particularly alarming is that many of the species targeted are slow-growing and extremely fragile, making their removal from the wild potentially devastating for their populations.

Dr. Carina Bruwer, Senior Researcher at ENACT Southern Africa, notes that policing the illegal succulent trade faces several challenges. These include a lack of resources and staff, particularly within police forces and environmental departments, which are overwhelmed by the volume of confiscated plants. Allegations of corruption, especially in the Northern Cape, further weaken enforcement efforts, leaving much of the response driven by stakeholders in the Western Cape.

Another significant challenge is the misalignment between South Africa’s national and provincial environmental laws. This inconsistency weakens protection for at-risk species and hampers enforcement across regions, making it difficult to combat the illegal trade effectively. Moreover, the illegal succulent trade is part of transnational organised crime, but the country’s response remains mostly domestic, highlighting the need for greater international cooperation. Finally, the socio-economic factors driving the illicit market also need to be addressed, with efforts focused on developing a formal succulent economy to curb illegal harvesting.

Environmental and Economic Consequences

The illegal extraction of succulents from the Karoo poses significant threats to local ecosystems. Many of these plants are integral to the survival of the region’s flora and fauna, providing shelter and sustenance to various species. The removal of large numbers of succulents disrupts these delicate ecosystems, leading to soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and changes in the local microclimate. Furthermore, the depletion reduces the Karoo’s environmental resilience against climate change, a factor already threatening the survival of many species in this arid region.

In addition to environmental damage, the illegal succulent trade undermines the economy of the Karoo. Local communities, which could benefit from sustainable tourism or legal plant trade, lose out to criminal networks that exploit these plants for short-term profit. Moreover, the illegal trade diverts potential revenue from conservation efforts and legal businesses.

A Comprehensive Strategy for Combating the Illegal Succulent Trade

Efforts to address the illegal trade of succulents require a multifaceted approach that includes strengthened surveillance, international cooperation, consumer awareness, and public-private partnerships. By combining these key areas, the goal is to protect vulnerable regions like the Karoo, disrupt transnational smuggling networks, and reduce demand for illegally sourced plants.

Increased Surveillance and Enforcement

Monitoring high-risk areas is crucial to intercept poachers before succulents are removed from their natural habitats. This can be accomplished through several initiatives:

Enhanced patrols: Increasing the presence of rangers and enforcement officers, while involving local communities to boost detection rates and provide critical on-the-ground knowledge.
Advanced surveillance technology: Introducing drones, motion-sensor cameras, and satellite imagery to monitor large and remote areas. These technologies offer real-time data, facilitating both prevention and successful prosecutions.
Capacity building: Equipping law enforcement and conservation personnel with the skills to identify threatened species, understand illegal trade networks, and enforce wildlife protection laws more effectively.
Stronger legal action: Instituting harsher penalties for poaching and trafficking to deter offenders and safeguard succulents from illegal removal.

International Cooperation

The illegal succulent trade crosses borders, making international collaboration essential to curb its spread. Key initiatives include:

Law enforcement collaboration: Sharing intelligence and resources with global agencies like Interpol to identify and dismantle international smuggling rings.
Strengthening CITES enforcement: Improving the implementation of CITES to ensure that vulnerable succulent species are listed and protected under its appendices, making trade in these plants more tightly regulated.
Extradition and legal agreements: Establishing treaties that facilitate the extradition and prosecution of foreign nationals involved in poaching and smuggling activities.
Global awareness campaigns: Partnering with other nations to raise awareness about the environmental impact of the illegal trade and target both the supply and demand sides of the market.

Raising consumer awareness

Educating consumers is crucial in curbing demand for illegally sourced succulents. Strategies for raising awareness include:

Public education campaigns: Informing the public about the ethical and environmental consequences of purchasing illegally sourced plants through social media, educational programmes, and influencer partnerships.
Promoting ethical sourcing: Encouraging consumers to buy from reputable suppliers offering legally and sustainably sourced plants, with certification schemes or labelling systems to help identify legitimate products.
Engagement with the plant community: Collaborating with botanical gardens, nurseries, and plant enthusiast groups to spread awareness and promote responsible practices.
Highlighting consequences: Sharing case studies of the ecological impacts of poaching and the legal penalties faced by those involved, reinforcing the importance of legal compliance.

Public-Private Partnerships

Effective conservation requires cooperation between government agencies, NGOs, local communities, and the private sector. A notable initiative in this regard is the National Response Strategy and Action Plan, launched in February 2022 by a coalition of public and private stakeholders, including the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, SANBI, and WWF. The plan focuses on:

Policy and legislation: Updating laws to provide stronger protection for succulent species, with stricter penalties for poaching and trafficking.
Research and monitoring: Investing in studies to understand succulent populations, their ecological roles, and the effects of illegal harvesting.
Community development: Working with local communities to create sustainable economic opportunities, such as ecotourism and sustainable harvesting programmes, reducing reliance on poaching.
Education and outreach: Raising awareness in poaching hotspots about the importance of succulents and the consequences of illegal removal.
Resource mobilisation: Securing funding from public and private sectors to support conservation, enforcement, and community initiatives.
Stakeholder collaboration: Facilitating cooperation between government bodies, conservation organisations, academic institutions, and private businesses to ensure a coordinated and effective response to the illegal succulent trade.

By adopting and expanding upon these strategies, there is a concerted effort to not only halt the illegal trade but also to promote the recovery and sustainable management of succulent species. The success of these initiatives depends on continued collaboration, adequate funding, and the commitment of all parties involved to preserve South Africa’s unique botanical heritage.

The illegal trafficking of succulents from South Africa’s Karoo is escalating into a serious environmental and economic crisis, threatening one of the country’s most fragile ecosystems. High global demand, limited enforcement capacity, and the organised nature of the trade make it difficult to tackle. Yet, through increased public awareness, stronger enforcement measures, and the promotion of sustainable cultivation practices, there is hope to protect these unique plants. Without urgent action, these rare succulents risk being lost forever, leaving both the Karoo’s landscape and its local communities impoverished.