Understanding South Africa's Crime Statistics

What SAPS actually publishes

Each September, the South African Police Service releases crime statistics covering the April-to-March financial year. The data covers crimes reported to police — which is not the same as crimes committed.

Under-reporting is a persistent issue. Surveys suggest that many crimes, particularly sexual offences, domestic violence, and theft, are significantly under-reported. Fear of police, social stigma, lack of transport to a police station, and low faith in the criminal justice system all reduce reporting rates.

With that caveat in mind, the SAPS data is the most comprehensive official record available and remains the essential reference point for tracking trends over time.

"Crime statistics count crimes reported to police — not crimes committed."

Murder: the most reliable indicator

Murder is considered the most reliable crime statistic internationally because bodies are difficult to conceal and the police almost always record them. The 2023/24 figure of 26,232 murders — a 4.6% decline from the 27,494 in 2022/23 — is therefore meaningful.

This equates to approximately 72 murders per day, or a rate of 41.9 per 100,000 population. For context, the global average is around 6 per 100,000. South Africa's rate is more than six times higher.

Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape account for the majority of murders. The Cape Flats area of Cape Town — plagued by gang violence — has been a persistent hotspot. The SAPS has deployed the military in several Western Cape communities in recent years as part of anti-gang operations.

Contact crime and what drives it

Contact crimes — those involving physical contact between perpetrator and victim, including assault, robbery, and murder — totalled 561,947 in 2023/24. This was a 4% decline from 2022/23 and the first reduction in several years.

Robbers with aggravating circumstances — carjackings, house robberies, bank robberies — declined 3.1% to 162,618 cases. This is a category that particularly affects middle-class and business communities and tends to receive significant media attention.

Research consistently links crime levels to unemployment, inequality, poverty, and weak state capacity. South Africa scores highly on all these risk factors, which is why its crime rates remain elevated even during periods of improving economic conditions.