Studies were conducted at the Grain Crops Institute, South Africa, to assess the potential role of the ‘push-pull’ strategy in stemborer resistance management in Bt-maize through its impact on the pests’ oviposition and predator activity. Treatments comprised of a maize monocrop and an intercrop of maize and desmodium with Napier grass as a trap crop around the field (‘push-pull’ system). Oviposition preference and predation rates on naturally infested stemborer eggs were assessed. Screen house-reared plants were also artificially infested with eggs, early-instar larvae, late-instar larvae and pupae of Busseola fusca and Chilo partellus in natural enemy exclusion studies under field conditions. There was significantly reduced oviposition on maize by both stemborer species in ‘push-pull’ than maize monocrop systems for both Bt- and non-Bt- maize. Disappearance of both naturally and artificially infested C. partellus eggs was significantly higher on control (those exposed to predators) than exclusion plants and in ‘push-pull’ than monocrop plots under Bt- and non-Bt-maize. Recovery of early-instar larvae of both species was similar between control and exclusion plants but significantly lower in the ‘push-pull’ than in maize monocrop plots in Bt- and non-Bt maize. Recovery of late-instar larvae and pupae of both species in control plants was similar between the two cropping systems. Stemborer predator populations were significantly higher in ‘push-pull’ than maize monocrop systems. Results therefore indicate the potential value of this system in Bt resistance management through reduction of the pest population getting exposed to the Bt-toxin.