Cable theft is a major problem in South Africa. Besides the power outages affecting consumers, the cost of replacing these stolen cables is astronomical.
This crime impacts industries like mining, agriculture, and municipalities, costing billions of rands annually.
In 2023, miners in the West Rand were trapped underground due to cable theft, halting the elevator operations.
Similarly, farmers suffer losses when their irrigation systems, dairies, or packaging plants are disrupted, and food production halts due to power cuts.
Farmers often cannot keep up with the costs of alternative power generation, and the additional expenses of diesel, maintenance, and parts only make matters worse. Power outages also affect cooling systems, causing food spoilage.
Municipalities replace stolen cables almost weekly, and residents are often left without power for long periods.
But what if there were an easy and effective way to stop the crime of cable theft?
Rugged Croc may be the solution. Designed to prevent underground cable theft, Rugged Croc hooks are attached to the cable and are buried. If someone tries to pull the cable out, the hooks dig deeper into the ground, making it nearly impossible to remove.
Rugged Croc is made from a special polymer that prevents underground rusting. It is attached to the cable with special straps and is available in three different sizes:
- 25 mm Rugged Croc for cables between 25 and 30 mm.
- 50 mm Rugged Croc for cables between 35 and 75 mm.
- 95 mm Rugged Croc for cables between 75 and 120 mm
Wouter Botha, Director of The Energy Market, which holds the exclusive distribution rights for Rugged Croc, explains that the product is manufactured in Gauteng. They recommend burying the cable at least 500 mm underground with a Rugged Croc placed at every metre.
Check out the video to see how strong Rugged Croc is.
If you are interested in securing your cables, visit their website: www.theenergymarket.co.za.
