The huge difference being that South Africa is a state. The criminal actions you mention above would cause groups to starve to death and be ostracized socially until nobody would transact with them.
The reason the biggest crimes in the world are allowed to flourish now is because of governments that immunize criminals from consequence.
If you want me to give a real world example of anarchic (un)systems that flourished how about pirate communities in the Caribbean of course they flourished by the very kind of criminal behaviour described earlier.
I'm well aware of terrible nastiness of even the most benign governments. Especially when there territorial control of sovereignty is involved. Small crimes tend to affect people personally and are still oppressive. I grew up in poverty(first-world poverty nothing onerous) and I know first-hand that rational self interest is usually not only not likely to be employed but also actively frowned upon by the criminal underclass. Nor does a criminal underclass rely on voluntary transactions and their idea of a good reputation is one of ruthless viciousness to outsiders anyway.
Exactly. Which is why creating a seat of power ready to be abused called the "state" is a dumb idea.
Unfortunately someone snuck the whole nation state thing on me when I was a baby, what should I do now?
PS. Isn't being an anarchist living in Japan like a dreadlock livin in a tenement yard. Too much su,su,su to much watchy, watch, wu? I like Japan but nihonjin got their noses in everyones beeswax!