South African farmers who use connected technology to save water and protect crops face a growing risk of cyberattacks. The warning came from cybersecurity company Fortinet as the country heads into a hot, dry spring.
Irrigation systems, soil sensors and supply chains are becoming more automated. Fortinet said this means the number of systems that need protection is also rising.
“On many commercial farms, a pivot irrigator now adjusts itself by the minute, and a soil sensor decides when a field gets watered,” said Doros Hadjizenonos, Fortinet’s regional director for Southern Africa. “Cybercriminals were not part of the design brief for much of it.”
The South African Weather Service expects below-normal rainfall and above-normal temperatures across most of the country from October to December. It said a strong El Niño event is building towards its peak.
In September, the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said El Niño was getting stronger. It gave a more than 90% chance of a very strong event during the Northern Hemisphere autumn and winter of 2026/27.
The Food and Ag-ISAC 2026 State of the Threat report found that ransomware attacks on the global food and farming sector continue to rise.
“The attackers want a target that can’t afford to stop,” Hadjizenonos said. He said more attacks are aimed at systems that run physical equipment and processes on farms.
Farming is becoming more digital from the farm all the way to the port. Systems that share shipment and cargo data in real time are making the supply chain more efficient. They are also adding more connected systems that must be protected.
“Every connected device can potentially expand the attack surface,” Hadjizenonos said. He said farm systems that share data with a port authority, logistics firms or an export certification body face wider supply chain risks.
The risks matter for the wider economy. South Africa’s agricultural exports reached R268.7 billion in 2025, up from R243.7 billion in 2024.
Exports in the second quarter of 2026 came to about R65 billion. That was around 10% higher than in the same period a year earlier.
Farmers are also being asked to produce more with fewer resources. The Crop Estimates Committee said wheat plantings were estimated at 486,400 hectares in April. This was the smallest area planted in 12 years.
Harvest season is under way, and dry conditions are forecast to continue through December.
Source: this article is based on reporting by The Citizen. Image: The Citizen. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Business desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Anelisa Nkuna covers business and money news for Tzaneen Voice. Anelisa reports on the rand, fuel prices, interest rates, jobs, Eskom, Transnet, farming and company results. The aim is simple: explain what the numbers mean for household budgets, small businesses and workers in South Africa.