A month-long search for Mpumalanga boy Mpendulo Ngcukani concluded on Friday when police found his body, 5km from his home.
Ngcukani, four-years-old, was reported missing on 30 July, leading police to launch a joint search for him with the help of his community.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the search yielded no result until other law enforcement units were roped in.
Mohlala said the boy's body was found on the N11 road near Middelburg.
"With the assistance of police mounted unit, police divers and family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit, the lifeless body of Mpendulo was sadly located not far from his home," said Mohlala.
The cause of his death is unclear. Police have launched an inquest docket to establish the cause of his death.
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant Semakaleng Daphney Manamela conveyed condolences to Ngcukani's family and urged parents to be cautious about their children's whereabouts.