Game Fencing Guide South Africa
Plan around animal behaviour, terrain, support loads, gates and the current project requirements.
Shop products ↗Request a quote ↗What is game fencing?
Game fencing is an enclosure system selected for the wildlife species, property and management objective. It can contain animals, manage movement or separate particular areas, but the words game fence do not define one height, pattern or strength.
Begin with the animals and the site, then select the material. A tall field-fence roll is not automatically an approved enclosure for every species. Gates, ground interfaces, support assemblies and maintenance are part of the system.
Why does animal behaviour change the fence design?
| Behaviour / risk | What the design must consider |
|---|---|
| Jumping or clearing the top | Effective height, approaches, terrain and nearby objects |
| Crawling or passing through gaps | Lower openings, ground clearance, gate gaps and erosion |
| Pushing, leaning or impact | Wire and joint strength, supports, bracing and visibility |
| Digging or undermining | Base treatment, soil, inspection and repair access |
| Horn or limb entrapment | Opening geometry, young animals and interface details |
| Mixed species and young stock | Requirements of every species and age group |
Do not copy a species-height table without checking its jurisdiction, purpose and current status. Animal size is only one variable: behaviour, panic movement and contact with the fence can change the requirements. Obtain specialist advice for dangerous animals, unusual species or a high-consequence escape risk.
What should be measured before choosing game-fence materials?
Prepare a plan with straight runs, corners, high and low points, gates, roads, buildings and watercourses. Separate boundary containment from internal camp divisions. Identify where animals may concentrate, such as feeding, handling or access points.
Record soil, exposure, drainage and access for construction and inspection. A straight fence run on a map can cross a hollow that creates a gap or a ridge that reduces effective height. Walk the proposed line rather than measuring only its horizontal distance.
Plan emergency access and repair materials. A system that cannot be inspected or maintained after a flood or fire is not a complete containment plan.
Which fence types can be considered?
| Material type | Selection checks |
|---|---|
| Field fence | Line count, actual height, horizontal block width, joint construction, wire sizes and coating |
| Smooth high-strain strands | Designed strand positions, strength, joints, tension and visibility |
| Netting base treatment | Aperture, wire diameter, attachment and ground interface |
| Welded / diamond mesh | Actual aperture, wire diameter, support and attachment detail |
| Electric offsets where appropriate | Qualified design, insulation, energiser, earthing, safety and monitoring |
These are possible components, not a universal enclosure recipe. Do not infer that WFSA supplies a specialised game-fence roll merely because a field-fence listing is tall. Ask for the exact project product and supporting specification.
The reviewed field-fence range includes 13 / 188 / 30 and a 15 cm block-width version at 100 m length. Their labels identify a pattern, not approval for a particular game species. Read the Field Fence Guide and confirm suitability before purchase.
How are height, line count and openings specified?
Specify effective above-ground height along the whole run, including low points and gate interfaces. Identify the number and positions of horizontal wires and the required opening pattern. Woven mesh may use progressively spaced horizontal lines; do not assume equal vertical openings from total height and line count.
The pattern 13 / 188 / 30 describes 13 horizontal wires, approximate 188 cm height and approximate 30 cm horizontal aperture / block width in the relevant WFSA field-fence label. A 15 cm block-width version is denser across the run, but that does not automatically make it appropriate for every animal.
Check top and bottom wires, intermediate diameters, joint type and specified strength separately. No species-specific height or breaking-force value is assigned to WFSA products here without a confirmed project specification.
What posts, standards, droppers and stays are needed?
End, corner and gate assemblies transfer tension and other loads into the ground. Intermediate standards maintain the line; droppers maintain strand positions in the systems that use them. A dropper is not a ground-anchored substitute for a structural post.
Choose sections, bracing, anchors and spacing for the actual height, wire system, animal load, terrain and soil. Taller or more highly tensioned systems may need different support details from a low general farm fence.
The typical WFSA welded/diamond mesh arrangement of major posts near 30 m and Y/K standards near 3 m is specific to that mesh configuration. It is not a universal game-fence spacing schedule. Read the Supports Guide.
How are terrain, drainage and water crossings handled?
Plan the lower edge to follow the approved ground detail without leaving unintended access gaps. Erosion, rocky ground and soft soil need individual solutions. Do not pull a continuous roll across a depression and assume it remains effective at the base.
Water crossings require a design that considers flow, debris, seasonal change, animal movement and maintenance. A solid obstruction can accumulate debris or divert water. Obtain the relevant project and environmental advice before modifying a watercourse.
Provide safe inspection access and identify points likely to fail after storms. Check ground levels again after construction and after major weather events.
Why are gates critical in a game enclosure?
A gate must continue the containment function when closed. Check effective height, infill openings, base clearance, side gaps, hinges, latch and adjoining support detail. A gate suitable for ordinary livestock is not automatically suitable for the game species involved.
Confirm handling needs, vehicle swept paths, locking and operational procedures. A gate that is routinely left open defeats the perimeter regardless of panel strength. Where double access controls are required, obtain a project-specific layout.
The Farm Gates Guide explains dimensions and support roles. The current general 1.2 m painted gate labels are not a declaration of suitability for a specialised game enclosure.
Can electric fencing be part of a game fence?
Electric offsets or conductors can form part of an assessed system, but their positions and operation must suit the species and site. Use qualified design and installation, appropriate equipment and current safety requirements.
Include earthing, insulation, gates, connections, vegetation control, monitoring and reliable maintenance. A power failure or vegetation short can change performance. Avoid entanglement and exposure risks to non-target animals and people.
Do not energise barbed or razor wire and do not attach a mains supply directly to fence wire. No energiser rating or universal live-wire spacing is prescribed here.
What requirements must be confirmed before building?
Confirm current provincial, environmental, veterinary and project-specific requirements. The relevant species, location, disease-control situation, land use and enclosure purpose can change what is needed.
A material guide does not issue an adequate-enclosure certificate or establish permission to keep or move wildlife. Historical enclosure tables must not be treated as current requirements without verification.
Consider the impact on non-target wildlife movement and sensitive habitats as part of the planning. Containment and ecological permeability can conflict; resolve the objective through the authorised project design.
How are game-fence quantities estimated?
Measure each run excluding gate openings. Calculate wire metres from the designed strand count or mesh rolls from confirmed usable roll coverage. Add planned joints, terminations and layout-specific allowance before rounding to whole coils or rolls.
Count unique end, corner, gate and intermediate straining assemblies on the plan. Locate standards between those assemblies rather than adding an extra standard at a position occupied by a major post. Include droppers only where the selected design uses them.
For example, an illustrative 950 m mesh requirement with 5% length allowance is 997.5 m, giving ten 100 m rolls. This is quantity arithmetic, not confirmation that a particular 100 m field roll meets the required game-fence specification.
How are coating and product range selected?
For the complete explanation of zinc, alloy and outer coating systems, read the WFSA Corrosion, Galvanizing & Protective Coatings Guide.
Select corrosion protection from exposure, required service life and the project specification. Standard galvanised (Class C), Heavy galvanised (Class A), Zn/Al and polymer systems are different; a product label alone does not prove coating mass or life.
Do not choose an economy material as a substitute for a required diameter, coating, tensile property, mass or certification. A standard-range label also does not automatically establish certification. Confirm the actual supplied evidence.
Aggressive moisture, irrigation, fertiliser, animal waste and coastal exposure warrant attention to enhanced protection and compatible fittings. Plan maintenance at soil contact, cuts and connections.
What must be inspected and supplied for a quote?
Inspect after storms, fire, impacts and unusual animal activity. Look for loose or broken wires, displaced droppers, moving strainers, gate faults, erosion and unintended gaps. Keep vegetation from obscuring damage and provide prompt repair.
Send species and age groups, containment purpose, location, measured plan, height and pattern, exposure and the approved project details. Identify gates, water crossings, corners and soil problems.
A completed fence needs an operational and maintenance plan as well as initial materials. No animal-containment guarantee is inferred from a product’s name.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there one standard game-fence height?
No universal height is prescribed here. Species, location, current requirements and the enclosure purpose must be assessed.
Does a 13 / 188 / 30 roll prove game suitability?
No. It describes a field-fence pattern; suitability and approvals require the actual project specification.
Can I use a livestock gate in a game fence?
Only if height, openings, base gaps, supports and operation meet the assessed containment objective.
Are droppers structural posts?
No. They maintain strand positions between supports in applicable systems.
Can I copy the 30 m / 3 m mesh spacing?
Not as a universal game design. That WFSA example applies to a particular roll-mesh configuration.
Does electric wire replace physical assessment?
No. The complete design, safe operation, equipment and maintenance remain essential.
How are water crossings handled?
Use a site-specific detail considering flow, debris, environmental requirements and maintenance.
Can I use an old species specification table?
Only after confirming current applicability; historical guidance is not automatically current legislation.
What approvals should be checked?
Confirm current provincial, environmental, veterinary and project-specific requirements before construction or animal introduction.
How many rolls should I order?
Calculate measured runs, approved pattern and usable coverage, with joints and allowance, then round up to whole rolls.
Is economy wire automatically suitable?
No. The actual diameter, strength, coating and any required certification must meet the project.
What information does WFSA need?
Species, purpose, location, measured plan, height, pattern, supports, gates, exposure and approved technical details.
Related Technical Guides
Need help specifying the materials?
Send the fence type, dimensions, quantities, coating, drawings and site location. Contact Centurion, Bloemfontein or George for current branch availability and delivery arrangements.
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