Melanie Israel, Control Agricultural Legislation Inspector at the National Department of Agriculture, says street hawkers will most probably sell unregistered products and fail to advise customers on the dangers of the product. She adds that this warning follows after a family of five died as a result of buying pesticides from the street without being informed of the dangers thereof. There are different types of pesticides that are used to, amongst others, get rid of insects in households and unwanted weeds in gardens. Israel adds that it is important that the public read the instructions on the label and take note of the expiry date. Israel adds that it is important that the public know the difference between a red label and a blue label pesticide. Furthermore, pesticides should be stored correctly and out of reach of children.

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The Western Cape Department of Agriculture has established a rural safety desk as part of the province’s economic recovery plan. This was announced by the MEC for agriculture, Ivan Meyer, when he tabled the province’s agriculture budget in the legislature recently. Farmer's Weekly reports he announced a budget of R909 million for the 2021/2022 financial year. Meyer said the desk would provide a platform for farmers, agricultural workers, and other agricultural stakeholders to log inquiries about rural safety matters. He added that this initiative supported the provincial and departmental focus on safety, with an amount of R28,95 million being allocated to rural development and safety.

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