In 2025, Pietermaritzburg in South Africa ranked as the world's most dangerous city with a crime rate of 82 per 100,000 inhabitants. Five of the 10 cities with the highest crime rates worldwide are found in South Africa. The list does not include countries where war and conflict exist. South Africa dominates crime statistics When looking at crime rates, among the 10 most dangerous cities in the world, half of them are found in South Africa. The country is struggling with extremely high levels of inequality, and is struggling with high levels of crime and power outages, harming the country's economy and driving more people into unemployment and poverty. Crime in Latin America On the other hand, when looking at murder rates, Latin America dominates the list of the world's most dangerous countries. Violence in Latin America is caused in great part by drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and gang wars.

South Africa crime rate per 100K population for 2021 was 41.87, a 23.26% increase from 2020.

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<li>South Africa crime rate per 100K population for 2020 was <strong>33.96</strong>, a <strong>7.48% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>South Africa crime rate per 100K population for 2019 was <strong>36.71</strong>, a <strong>0.14% increase</strong> from 2018.</li>
<li>South Africa crime rate per 100K population for 2018 was <strong>36.66</strong>, a <strong>2.11% increase</strong> from 2017.</li>
</ul>Intentional homicides are estimates of unlawful homicides purposely inflicted as a result of domestic disputes, interpersonal violence, violent conflicts over land resources, intergang violence over turf or control, and predatory violence and killing by armed groups. Intentional homicide does not include all intentional killing; the difference is usually in the organization of the killing. Individuals or small groups usually commit homicide, whereas killing in armed conflict is usually committed by fairly cohesive groups of up to several hundred members and is thus usually excluded.

In 2024, Pietermaritzburg (South Africa) ranked first in the crime index among African cities, with a rating of roughly ** index points. The six most dangerous areas on the continent were South African cities. The index estimates the overall level of crime in a specific territory. According to the score, crime levels are classified as very high (over 80), high (60-80), moderate (40-60), low (20-40), and very low (below 20). South Africa’s crime situation According to the crime index ranking, ************ was the most dangerous country in Africa in 2023, followed by ***************** and ******. Murder and organized crime are particularly widespread in South Africa. In 2023, the country had one of the highest murder rates globally, registering around ** homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. Moreover, South Africa’s crime scene is also characterized by the presence of organized criminal activities, for which the country ranked third in Africa. Reflecting these high levels of crime, a survey conducted in 2023 showed that around ** percent of South Africans were worried about crime and violence in the country. Crime risks in Africa The African continent hosts some of the most dangerous places worldwide. In 2023, *********** and the ******************************** were the least peaceful countries in Africa, according to the Global Peace Index. Worldwide, they ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, behind Afghanistan, Yemen, and Syria. Terrorism is a leading type of crime perpetrated in Africa. Home to Boko Aram, Nigeria is among the countries with the highest number of terrorism-related deaths globally. Furthermore, Burkina Faso had the highest number of fatalities in the world. Human trafficking is also widespread, predominantly in West Africa. The most common forms of exploitation of victims of trafficking in persons are forced labor and sexual exploitation.

In FY 2024, Harare in the Western Cape province of South Africa had the highest number of carjackings, with 385 recorded incidences. This accounts for around two percent of the total number of carjackings in the observed period. Nyanga (Western Cape) followed with 338 reports.

As of the 2022/2023 fiscal year, close to 53,500 South Africans reported being a victim of a sexual crime. Of those, around 80 percent registered being raped, while close to 7,500 South Africans disclosed being sexually assaulted. In the last decade, the total number of sexual offenses peaked in the FY 2012/2013 at about 60,900 cases.

In FY 2022/2023, the township of Inanda in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa had the highest number of recorded sexual offenses, with *** reports. This accounts for less than *** percent of all sexual offense cases reported in South Africa during the observed period. The town of Lusikisiki followed, with *** cases recorded in the Eastern Cape province.

Kidnapping cases in South Africa have reached alarming levels, with a total of ****** incidents reported in 2023/2024. This represents an ** percent increase from the previous year, highlighting a growing concern for public safety across the nation. Gauteng province, home to major cities like Johannesburg and Pretoria, recorded the highest number of kidnappings at ***** cases, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with ***** cases.
Ransom and extortion drive kidnapping surge The rise in kidnappings appears to be driven by organized crime, with ransom-related abductions being the most common motive. In a select sample from the second quarter, *** kidnappings were linked to ransom demands, while ** cases were associated with extortion. This trend suggests a quarterly increase in kidnapping incidents, pointing to a persistent and evolving threat to public safety. The Moroka area in Gauteng province reported the highest number of kidnapping offenses, with nearly *** cases, followed by Orange Farms with over *** cases. The South African Police Services (SAPS) have reported that most cases were carried out during aggravated robberies such as hijackings and armed robberies at homes, businesses and public areas.
Regional context and broader implications South Africa's kidnapping rate of **** per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023 was the highest among countries in Africa, surpassing Benin, which held the second-highest rate. This underscores the severity of the issue within the broader African context. The kidnapping crisis in South Africa occurs against a backdrop of wider regional instability, with countries in the Sahel like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso experiencing significant conflict exposure, affecting between ***** and ** percent of their populations. In this semi-arid region of west and north-central Africa, kidnappings are used as a strategic warfare tool and perpetrated for financial gain, which proved to be a lucrative method to help fund some of al-Qaeda affiliates located on the continent.

As of the 2022/2023 fiscal year, a total of 43,037 reported rape offenses were committed in South Africa. Gauteng recorded the highest number with 8,811 cases, which accounted for approximately 20 percent of the total reported in the country. KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape placed second and third, with 8,468 and 6,883 cases of rape, respectively.