Tools worth R88.48 billion stolen from vans

We all tend to think that crime is particularly out of control in South Africa, and yes, that certainly is true. But crime definitely isn’t a uniquely South African problem. We’ve just received news that tool theft from vans is now costing UK tradespeople £4.4 billion every year – that’s around R88.48 billion!

According to a study by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, tool theft in the UK has soared in the last 12 months, with more than a third of van drivers falling victim to the crime wave. The study also found that when tools are stolen, it stops work for six days on average, causing UK businesses to lose a staggering £5.2 billion (R104.57 billion) annually.

“Tool theft continues to be a huge problem and it’s worrying to see the problem spreading across the country. We’re shocked to see that cases have risen so much in the past year, as we know the impact on businesses and workers is massive,” says David Hanna, head of direct sales at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

“Hopefully, these findings will prompt those with expensive equipment to take extra precautions, whether that’s additional security features on their vans, avoiding parking in secluded, poorly-lit areas, or taking an extra 15 minutes at the end of the day to unload their vans.”