NSPCA raises concern over push to legalise greyhound racing in South Africa

The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) has opposed the Amaphisi Hunters’ Association’s (AHA) push to legalise dog hunting and commercial greyhound racing in South Africa.

The animal welfare body expressed alarm over a memorandum the AHA submitted to the Presidency, which called for hunting with dogs on public land and for reviving the long-banned racing industry.

‘Cruel and exploitative’

The NSPCA argues that these moves would reintroduce practices that courts, government reviews, and policy positions have already deemed cruel and exploitative — including a 2014 Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) stance that firmly rejected the idea.

The NSPCA says past investigations have documented widespread abuse in both greyhound racing and dog hunting.

The organisation warned that the AHA’s proposal to regulate breeding, licensing, and access to state land would “institutionalise harm” for profit.

“Tradition and job creation cannot justify the deliberate commodification and exploitation of animals,” said the NSPCA’s Grace de Lange.

Animal welfare

The AHA frames the proposal as a cultural and economic opportunity, but the NSPCA insists the cost to animal welfare is too high.

The NSPCA has called for an urgent rejection of the memorandum and invited dialogue on more humane alternatives.

South Africa still outlaws dog racing, with prohibitions backed by years of legal precedent and public policy.

Meanwhile, the Welsh government has announced plans to ban greyhound racing between 2027 and 2030.

Ministers have published a draft law that would criminalise operating a track for the sport and prohibit individuals from organising it.

Advocates of a ban say the sport is dangerous and causes injury to the dogs involved.