South Africa: crime and justice

How many murders are there in South Africa?

South Africa recorded 5,427 murders between April and June 2026, 5.9% fewer than the 5,770 in the same quarter of 2025, according to South African Police Service crime statistics released on 28 August 2026 and reported by SAnews. That is an average of about 60 murders a day.

The police statistics count crimes reported to or detected by the police. Murder is considered the most reliable indicator because most killings come to police attention. Figures are compared with the same quarter a year earlier because crime varies by season. The police service's own website could not be reached on 14 October 2026.

Official sources: SAnews: Notable decreases recorded in some contact crime categories (28 August 2026)

How many carjackings are there in South Africa?

3,811 carjackings were reported in South Africa between April and June 2026, down 18.2% from 4,657 in the same quarter of 2025, according to police crime statistics reported by SAnews. Robbery at residential premises fell from 5,360 to 4,416.

Carjacking, house robbery and business robbery together are called "trio crimes", which fell 16.4% to 10,960, according to the acting National Police Commissioner. Contact crime as a whole fell 2.3% to 142,112 cases. These are crimes recorded by the police, so they depend on victims reporting them.

Official sources: SAnews: Notable decreases recorded in some contact crime categories · SAnews: Crime stats show areas of progress, but criminal threats remain

How many sexual offences are reported in South Africa?

11,532 sexual offences were reported to the police in South Africa between April and June 2026, down from 11,630 in the same quarter of 2025, a fall of 0.8%, according to police crime statistics reported by SAnews.

Sexual offences include rape, sexual assault and related crimes. Many go unreported, so police figures understate the true number, and changes can reflect changes in reporting as well as in offending. Police said they arrested 1,935 suspects for rape during the quarter.

Official sources: SAnews: Notable decreases recorded in some contact crime categories

How common is housebreaking in South Africa?

1.08 million South African households, or 5.3% of all households, experienced housebreaking in 2025/26, with more than 1.5 million incidents, according to Stats SA's Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey 2025/26, released on 1 September 2026. 48.2% of affected households reported some or all incidents to the police.

The survey asks households about crimes they experienced in the previous 12 months, so it captures crimes not reported to the police. 179,000 households (0.9%) experienced a home robbery, in which the occupants are present and threatened.

Official sources: Stats SA: Victims of Crime, GPSJS 2025/26 (PDF)

Do South Africans feel safe?

80.7% of South Africans aged 16 and over felt safe walking alone in their neighbourhood during the day in 2025/26, but 37.9% felt safe doing so after dark, according to Stats SA's Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey 2025/26. 46.6% said they had done something to protect themselves against crime, up from 43.3% in 2024/25.

The most common step was walking only during safer hours. The survey also found that theft of personal property was the crime most often experienced by individuals, affecting 1.2 million people aged 16 and over.

Official sources: Stats SA: Victims of Crime, GPSJS 2025/26 (PDF)

How many people are in prison in South Africa?

South Africa's correctional centres held 169,519 inmates on 5 May 2026, an overcrowding rate of 58%, according to the Minister of Correctional Services' budget vote speech of 13 May 2026. 63,194 of them were remand detainees who had not yet been sentenced.

Overcrowding measures inmates above the number of approved beds. The minister told Parliament later in May that about 3,300 remand detainees were held because they could not afford bail of less than R1,000, as reported by SAnews. Inmate numbers change daily as people are admitted and released.

Official sources: Department of Correctional Services: Budget vote speech, 13 May 2026 (PDF) · SAnews: Correctional Services Minister advocates for alternative sentencing

How many murders are there in South Africa?

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime puts the intentional homicide rate in South Africa at 43.7 per 100,000 in 2022. No year since 2005 has been higher. Across Sub-Saharan Africa the middle value was 6.8 per 100,000, and South Africa placed 1st highest of 8. Of 99 countries with 2022 data, 2nd highest.

How many women are murdered in South Africa?

12.2 per 100,000: that is the homicide rate for women in South Africa for 2022, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. No year since 2006 has been higher. It is 1st highest of 6 in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the median is 2.5 per 100,000. Of 94 countries with 2022 data, 1st highest.

What is the male homicide rate in South Africa?

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the homicide rate for men in South Africa was 73.4 per 100,000 in 2022. That is the highest since at least 2006. It is 1st highest of 6 in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the median is 9.4 per 100,000. World rank, highest first: 2nd of 93.