The case for change
How pesticides are registered and used affects farmworkers, nearby communities, water, soil and wildlife. UnPoison is calling for stronger safeguards and safer ways to manage pests.
The framework
Act 36 of 1947 still governs pesticide registration in South Africa. It has been amended, but UnPoison argues that registration, monitoring and restrictions need to better protect people and ecosystems.
We are calling for tighter controls on highly hazardous pesticides, public access to registration information and a practical route to safer alternatives.
Watch: spray drift
UnPoison Our Air examines how pesticide spray can drift beyond treated fields and affect nearby communities.
Watch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)Where we focus
Our work spans national pesticide rules and local spraying practices.
Explore UnPoison's 2025 list of highly hazardous pesticides legally in use.
02We propose a separate registration process for biopesticides.
03The Cape Town campaign helps communities replace herbicide spraying with non-chemical weed control.