Court Convicts Two in Phala Phala Farm Theft
A Modimolle Regional Court has found two people guilty of theft, housebreaking and money laundering linked to the $580,000 theft at a Limpopo game farm.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Financial Crime
The Modimolle Regional Court has convicted two people of theft, housebreaking and money laundering over the theft of $580,000 in foreign currency from a game farm in Bela Bela, Limpopo. A third accused was acquitted, and the two convicted people are due to be sentenced on Friday morning.
Why it matters
The case concerns a theft from the farm of President Cyril Ramaphosa, a matter that drew significant public attention in South Africa. The conviction and forthcoming sentencing bring the criminal proceedings toward a close, with cellphone records and testimony forming part of the evidence presented to the court.
Two people have been convicted of theft, housebreaking and money laundering, and one accused was acquitted. Sentencing for the two convicted people is scheduled for Friday morning at the Modimolle Regional Court.
The players
Modimolle Regional Court
The regional court in Modimolle, Limpopo, which heard the case, returned the convictions and will impose sentence on the two convicted people.
Cyril Ramaphosa
The President of South Africa, whose Phala Phala game farm in Bela Bela was the site of the theft.
The details
The theft took place in February 2020 at the Phala Phala game farm in Bela Bela, Limpopo, and came to light in 2022. The court heard that a former farm domestic worker tipped off a co-accused about foreign currency hidden inside a sofa, and that cellphone records linked the two convicted people. Sylvester Ndlovu, the acting farm manager, testified that the money had been hidden in the sofa after buffaloes were sold.
Timeline
February 2020: The theft of $580,000 in foreign currency occurred at the farm.
2022: The theft incident came to light.
Friday morning: The two convicted people are scheduled to be sentenced at the Modimolle Regional Court.
Legal Context
The convictions follow the 2022 disclosure of the Phala Phala theft, which had drawn wide political attention in South Africa. The case now moves from investigation to sentencing, showing how the criminal courts have handled one of the country's most publicised theft matters.
The outcome shows that theft and money laundering charges can result in convictions even where cellphone records and insider tips form the core of the case. Readers following high-profile matters can track the sentencing on Friday through the Modimolle Regional Court.
The takeaway
Convictions in this case rest on digital evidence and testimony rather than on the recovery of the stolen money, which the extraction does not report as recovered. Readers can watch the sentencing outcome on Friday to see how the court treats the convicted pair.
What happens next
The two convicted people will be sentenced by the Modimolle Regional Court on Friday morning.
Further reading
For related coverage, explore more Financial Crime reporting from South Africa.
