South Africa is the regional hub for stolen vehicles and smuggling of illicit cars has surged over the past 15 years.
A report by the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies said: "According to Interpol statistics, South Africa accounts for 96-98 percent of all vehicles acquired illegally in the region."
It detailed a police operation that recovered 1 576 stolen vehicles in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, of which 1 464 were from South Africa.
The SADC includes 14 countries from Tanzania to Namibia but South Africa's economy is by far the largest - which means it has the most cars to steal.
Sales of new vehicles in South Africa hit a record monthly total of 53 229 in August 2005. Its wealth and sophisticated banking system have also made it a magnet for criminal syndicates.
The ISS report pointed out that South African military and police control of borders was rigid prior to the 1990s but:
"After 1994 a number of factors, including the opening up of borders and an increase in trade and the movement of people, considerably reduced the risks associated with dealing in illicit vehicles.
"The emergence of hijacking and car theft networks within South Africa also increased cross-border smuggling of vehicles in the 1990s."
The report said the Beit Bridge border crossing into Zimbabwe was a major route for stolen cars but didn't give precise figures. It noted a worrying lack of co-ordination between border departments.
Corruption among border officials was another cause for concern - 27 police officers had been transfered from Beit Bridge in the past three years on suspicion of graft. - Reuters