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, South Africa had a crime index of 75.4, which is to be considered high. However, this was one of the lowest indexes recorded in the country since 2017. Over the observed period, the value continuously fluctuated between 75 and 77. South Africa has the highest crime index in Africa and ranks as the fifth most dangerous country globally according to the same index.

In 2024, South Africa ranked first in the crime index among African countries, with a score of 74.8 index points. Nigeria was the second most dangerous country on the continent, obtaining 66.7 points. The index evaluates the overall crime levels in a specific country. Several African countries scored between 60 and 80 points, indicating high crime levels. Escalating concerns: South Africans worry about crime and violence In 2024, South Africa had one of the highest proportions of respondents expressing concerns about crime and violence compared to other countries participating in an online study. Throughout the period examined, the percentage of participants worried about violence peaked at 67 percent in March 2023. The escalating levels of violent crime currently witnessed in the country has caused this significant rise in concerned respondents. South Africa's organized crime landscape In 2023, South Africa ranked the third highest in organized crime compared to its African counterparts. The continent's most prevalent organized criminal activity was human trafficking and financial crimes. Moreover, from a regional perspective, Southern African countries had the lowest organized crime rate.

In 2024, Pietermaritzburg (South Africa) ranked first in the crime index among African cities, with a rating of roughly 83 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, South Africa was the most dangerous country in Africa in 2023, followed by Somalia, Nigeria, and Angola. Murder and organized crime are particularly widespread in South Africa. In 2023, the country had one of the highest murder rates globally, registering around 36 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 56 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, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo 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.

Abstract

The victims of crime survey 1998 was commissioned by the South African Department of Safety and Security (DSS), and undertaken by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). The first national survey of its kind in South Africa, this countrywide, household-based survey examines crime from the point of view of the victim. While surveys of crime victims cannot replace police statistics, they can provide a rich source of information which will assist in the planning of crime prevention. A victim survey can also examine the extent of reporting of crime, explore the perceptions that different people have about the police and police services, and act as a benchmark against which future surveys of the same nature can be compared.

Geographic coverage

The survey has national coverage

Analysis unit

Households and individuals

Universe

The survey covered all households in South Africa

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

The sample consisted of 4 000 people aged 16 years or more. It was drawn in three stages. Firstly, a probability sample of 800 enumerator areas (EAs) was drawn from the sampling frame of 86 000 EAs, as demarcated for the 1996 population census. This sample was stratified explicitly by province, and implicitly by the 42 police districts of the country. Secondly, within each of the 800 EAs, five households were selected for interviewing, using systematic sampling. Thirdly, one respondent aged 16 years or more was selected to be interviewed in each of the five households in each sampled EA. This person was chosen using a table of random numbers. Once a respondent had been selected, fieldworkers were instructed to make sure that they interviewed only that specific person and nobody else. In case of non-contacts with that person, repeated callbacks (at least three) had to be made. There were no substitutions for refusals or non-contacts.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The survey questionnaire was based on a standard international questionnaire, but with certain modifications for use in South Africa. The international questionnaire covered eleven main crimes, including theft of a car or other motor vehicle, theft from a car or other vehicle, car vandalism, theft of a motor cycle or scooter, theft of a bicycle, burglary or housebreaking, attempted burglary, robbery with force, personal theft, sexual incidents and assault and two supplementary crimes (consumer fraud and corruption). In the South African questionnaire, the following crimes were added on the recommendation of the advisory committee to meet specific South African needs: theft of livestock, poultry and other animals, hijacking or attempted hijacking of vehicles, deliberate damage, burning or destruction of dwellings and deliberate killing or murder.

A control questionnaire was administered by the fieldwork supervisor in one of the five households selected for participation in each enumerator area. This served as a check on the accuracy of the random selection process of the individual in the household, and of the quality of information collected. The survey was favourably received, and 97% of the sample was realised.

Cleaning operations

The processes of computer programming, data capture and data analysis involved several steps: A tabulation plan was drawn up beforehand to assist with writing the computer programme for data capture. The data-input programme, containing both range and consistency checks, was written by a programmer working in Stats SA's Directorate of Household Surveys. Coding of the questionnaires and data capture were handled by temporary staff. Once the capturing was completed, additional editing programmes were written, and then the data-cleaning process was completed. Tables from the dataset, based on the tabulation plan, and the data set itself were then made available for analysis and report-writing.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has accepted a new and challeging objective of ensuring that its crime statistics are in line with international best practice. This will be achieved through a Memorandum of Understanding with Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), aimed at further enhancing the quality and integrity of the South African crime statistics.

The crime statistics generated by SAPS are an important link in the value chain of the statistics system informs policy development and planning in the criminl justice system. The collaboration with StatsSA will go a long way in enhancing the integrity of the SAPS crime statistics and ensuring that policy-makers have quality data to assist them with making policy decisions.

In the third quarter of 2023/2024, contact crime in South Africa continues to increase except for reports relating to sexual offenses, which recorded 15,284 cases. This is a slight decrease from 15,545 recorded in the previous year. Assault with the intent to inflict grievous bodily harm accounted for the majority of contact crime reports in the third quarter of 2023/2024, whereas assault was the most commonly reported contact crime in the same quarter in 2022/2023.

Abstract

In 2003, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in South Africa conducted a national victims of crime survey with the aim of measuring crime trends in the country, public perceptions about crime and safety, as well as confidence in the criminal justice system. The study was planned and carried out to allow direct comparisons with a victim of crime survey conducted in 1998 by Statistics SA for the Department of Safety and Security and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI). The survey was conducted between September and October 2003. Households were randomly selected across the country based on the 2001 Census, and a national sample of 4,860 people, over the age of 16 years, was realised. The sample was stratified by province and urban/rural areas, and the data was weighted to reflect the actual composition of the population.

Geographic coverage

The survey had national coverage

Analysis unit

The units of analysis in the study were individuals and households

Universe

The survey covered all households in South Africa

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Multi-stage cluster sampling was utilised, with Enumerator Areas (EAs) from the 2001 Census selected at the first stage of the sampling, households within the EAs at the second stage, and individuals within the household at the third stage. Based on the total number of households in South Africa (identified by the 2001 Census as 11,205,705), a total of 80,787 EAs were allocated. The total sample size was determined to be 4,050 households. The sample was calculated at a 95% confidence interval, and with a design effect of two. Ten interviews were collected from each EA. The distribution of the sample through the provinces is reflected in the table below. In total, a sample of 4,860 was realised.

Households were selected randomly in the following manner: Maps of the EAs were obtained prior to entry of the EA, and random starting points selected. The household nearest to the starting point was selected, and a household interval randomly selected by the supervisor using the day, week and month of the interview. Every nth household was then completed until the target number of interviews was obtained. Respondents over the age of 16 years were then randomly selected for interview using a KISH grid.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

In order to ensure comparability with the 1998 national Victims of Crime survey, as well as ISS surveys in other African countries that were being conducted at the same time as the national survey, specific aspects of the survey design were predetermined. These included certain components of the questionnaire as well as the sample design. A basic questionnaire, based on those used in the ICVS, previous ISS studies, concurrent regional studies, and the 1998 Victims of Crime survey was used as a starting point. To enable comparison of the 1998 and 2003 data sets, the definitions used in the study were kept identical to those used in the 1998 survey, with the exception of attempted car hijackings and attempted housebreakings. In this study, car hijacks specifically only included successful incidents, rather than including attempts as was the case in the 1998 study, while attempted housebreakings were excluded from this study. For methodological purposes, the types of crimes were divided into those that affect the household, and those that affect individuals.

In order to minimise fieldworker error, and coding and capturing error, as well as any ambiguities in responses, the instrument was largely pre-coded. A number of drafts were prepared and presented internally to the ISS, and then to a stakeholder committee for input, before finalisation. The questionnaire was not translated into any vernacular languages. However, the introduction and definitions of crimes used by enumerators were translated and back-translated from English into Afrikaans, Zulu, and Sotho. Although every precaution was taken during fieldworker training to ensure that interpretations were correct, it is not inconceivable that errors may have occurred. Cross-checks were carried out on 20% of the questionnaires to ensure that the responses given were an accurate reflection of respondents’ opinions. These cross-checks did not reveal any consistent error from the latitude ordinarily accorded interviewers in translating the original questionnaire.

Cleaning operations

Capture was undertaken on Epi-Info. A process of double capture was undertaken in order to eliminate capture error.

Replication of crime statistics published in pdf format by the South African Police Service in 2010. Data reflects, by police station, the number of serious offences reported at each police station for each financial year between 2003/4 and 2008/9.

Abstract

The VCS series is a countrywide household-based survey that has three main objectives: • Provide information about the dynamics of crime from the perspective of households and the victims of crime • Explore public perceptions of the activities of the police, prosecutors, courts and correctional services in the prevention of crime and victimization • Provide complimentary data on the level of crime within South Africa in addition to the statistics published annually by the South African Police Service.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

Households and individuals

Universe

The target population of the survey consists of all private households in all nine provinces of South Africa and residents in workers' hostels. The survey does not cover other collective living quarters such as students' hostels, old-age homes, hospitals, prisons and military barracks, and is therefore only representative of non-institutionalized and non-military persons or households in South Africa.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

VCS 2015/2016 uses a Master Sample frame which has been developed as a general-purpose household survey frame that can be used by other Stats SA household-based surveys. VCS 2015/2016 collection was based on the Stats SA 2013 Master Sample. This Master Sample is based on information collected during the 2011 Census conducted by Stats SA. In preparation for Census 2011, the country was divided into 103 576 enumeration areas (EAs). The census EAs, together with the auxiliary information for the EAs, were used as the frame units or building blocks for the formation of primary sampling units (PSUs) for the Master Sample. There are 3 324 primary sampling units (PSUs) in the Master Sample with an expected sample of approximately 33 000 dwelling units (DUs). The updating of the Master Sample as compared to previous VCSs is expected to improve the precision of statistical estimates.

The Master Sample is designed to be representative at provincial level and within provinces at metro/non-metro levels. Within the metros, the sample is further distributed by geographical type. The three geography types are Urban, Tribal and Farms. This implies, for example, that within a metropolitan area, the sample is representative of the different geography types that may exist within that metro.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The VCS 2015/2016 questionnaire was developed based on the questions used in the International Crime Victim Survey (ICVS), previous VOCSs (both conducted by ISS and Stats SA) with modifications in some instances. The Stats SA questionnaire design standard for household surveys was also used as a normative reference. In order to minimize fieldworker and capturing errors, the questionnaire was largely pre-coded. Some minor changes and additions were made to the questionnaire for VOCS 2015/2016. Sections 10 to 20 of the questionnaire represent household crimes for which a proxy respondent (preferably head of the household or acting head of household) answered on behalf of the household. All analysis done in this report that included demographic variables was done using the demographic characteristics of the household head or proxy. Section 21 to 28 of this questionnaire required that an individual be selected using the birthday section method to respond to questions classified as individual crimes. This methodology selects an individual who is 16 years or older, whose birthday was first to follow the survey date.

Data appraisal

Comparability:

Prior to 2014/2015, VOCS respondents were asked about their crime-related experiences in the previous calendar year, but since 2014/15 VCS changed to a Continuous Data Collection (CDC) method. In this data collection method, respondents were interviewed on a rolling basis over the course of a year and asked about crime experienced in the 12 months prior to the interview. As a result of this, the victimization experiences reported by respondents interviewed in a period of 12 months relate to a broader span of 23 months.

Abstract

The concept of victimisation surveys (also known as International Crime Victim Survey (ICVS)) is well established in South Africa (SA) and internationally. Until recently the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) coordinated and sometimes conducted the ICVS in developing countries. During the past two decades a number of surveys related to crime, crime victims and users of services provided by the safety and security cluster departments have been conducted by various service providers in South Africa. Besides these surveys, three national VOCS have been conducted. The first of these was the Victims of Crime Survey conducted in 1998 by Statistics South Africa. This survey was based on the ICVS questionnaire developed by UNICRI, with adjustments made for local conditions. The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) was responsible for conducting subsequent versions of the VOCS, the National Victimes of Crime Survey 2003 and the Victim Survey 2007.

Starting with the Victims of Crime Survey 2011, Statistics SA plans to conduct the VOCS annually. The ‘new’ Victims of Crime Survey (VOCS) series is a countrywide household-based survey and examines three aspects of crime:

• The nature, extent and patterns of crime in South Africa, from the victim’s perspective; • Victim risk and victim proneness, so as to inform the development of crime prevention and public education programmes; • People’s perceptions of services provided by the police and the courts as components of the criminal justice system.

The VOCS 2011 is comparable to the VOCS 1998, VOCS 2003 and VOCS 2007 in cases where the questions remained largely unchanged. However, it is important to note that the sample size for the VOCS 2011 is much bigger than any of the preceding surveys, and the data should be considered more reliable than the earlier surveys especially at lower levels of disaggregation.

Geographic coverage

The survey had national coverage

Analysis unit

The units of analysis in the study were individuals and households

Universe

The target population of the survey consisted of all private households in all nine provinces of South Africa and residents in workers' hostels. The survey did not cover other collective living quarters such as students' hostels, old-age homes, hospitals, prisons and military barracks.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The sample design for the VOCS 2011 was based on a master sample (MS) originally designed as the sampling frame for the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS). The MS is based on information collected during the 2001 Population Census conducted by Stats SA. The MS has been developed as a general-purpose household survey frame that can be used by all household-based surveys, irrespective of the sample size requirement of the survey. The VOCS 2011, like all other household-based surveys, uses a MS of primary sampling units (PSUs) which comprises census enumeration areas (EAs) that are drawn from across the country.

The sample for the VOCS 2011 used a stratified two-stage design with probability proportional to size (PPS) sampling of PSUs in the first stage, and sampling of dwelling units (DUs) with systematic sampling in the second stage. The sample was designed to be representative at provincial level. A self-weighting design at provincial level was used and MS stratification was divided into two levels. Primary stratification was defined by metropolitan and non-metropolitan geographic area type. During secondary stratification, the Census 2001 data were summarised at PSU level. The following variables were used for secondary stratification: household size, education, occupancy status, gender, industry and income. A randomised probability proportional to size (RPPS) systematic sample of PSUs was drawn in each stratum, with the measure of size being the number of households in the PSU. The sample size of 3 080 PSUs was selected. In each selected PSU a systematic sample of dwelling units was drawn. The number of DUs selected per PSU varies from PSU to PSU and depends on the inverse sampling ratios (ISR) of each PSU. The sample size for the VOCS 2011 is 29 754 dwelling units.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The VOCS 2011 questionnaire was based on the questionnaires used in the International Crime Victim Survey (ICVS) and previous VOCSs conducted by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and Statistics SA. The questions are covered in 27 sections and deal with the following topics:

Flap Demographic information (name, sex, age, population group, etc.) Section 1 Household-specific characteristics (education, economic activities and household income sources Section 2 Beliefs about crime Section 3 Individual and community response to crime Section 4 Victim support and other interventions Section 5 Citizen interaction or community cohesion Section 6 Perception of the police service Section 7 Perception of the courts Section 8 Perception of correctional services Section 9 Corruption experienced by the respondent Section 10 Experience of household crime (screening table) Section 11 Theft of car experienced by a household member(s) in the previous 12 months Section 12 Housebreaking or burglary when no one was at home in the previous 12 months Section 13 Theft of livestock, poultry and other animals in the previous 12 months Section 14 Theft of crops planted by the household in the previous 12 months Section 15 Murder experienced by a household member(s) in the past 12 months Section 16 Theft out of a motor vehicle experienced by a household member(s) in the previous 12 months Section 17 Deliberate damaging/burning or destruction of dwelling experienced by a household member(s) in the previous 12 months Section 18 Motor vehicle vandalism or deliberate damage of a motor vehicle experienced by a household member(s) in the previous 12 months Section 19 Home robbery (including robbery often around or inside the household’s dwelling) experienced by a household member(s) in the previous 12 months

Sections 20–27 of this questionnaire required that an individual be randomly selected from the household to respond to questions classified as individual crimes. The methodology used was to select a person 16 years or older, whose birthday was the first to follow the survey date. These sections collected data on:

Section 20 Experiences of individual crimes (screening table) in the past 5 years and in the previous 12 months Section 21 Theft of bicycle experienced in the previous 12 months Section 22 Theft of motorbike or scooter experienced in the past 12 months Section 23 Car hijacking (including attempted hijacking) experienced in the previous 12 months Section 24 Robbery (including street robberies and other non-residential robberies, excluding car or truck hijackings, and home robberies) experienced in the previous 12 months Section 25 Assault experienced in the previous 12 months Section 26 Sexual offences (including rape) experienced in the previous 12 months Section 27 Consumer fraud experienced by the individual experienced in the previous 12 months All sections Comprehensive coverage of all aspects of domestic tourism and expenditure

The final data files correspond to sections of the questionnaireas follows:

Person: Data from Flap and Section 1 (excluding Section 1.6 and 1.7) Household: Data from Section 1.7 and Section 10-19 Section 20-27: Data from Section 20-27

The VOCS 2011 is comparable to the previous VOCSs in that several questions have remained unchanged over time. Where possible, it was generally indicated in the report. However, it must be noted that the VOCS 2011 sample size was more than double of the previous surveys. The current survey can thus provide more accurate estimates than the previous surveys, for example at provincial level and for domain variables, such as gender and race. Caution should be exercised when running cross tabulation of different crimes by province and other variables as in most cases the reported cases were too few for this type of analysis.

Cleaning operations

Capture was undertaken on Epi-Info. A process of double capture was undertaken in order to eliminate capture error.

Abstract

The Victims of Crime Survey (VCS) is a countrywide household-based survey which collects data on the prevalence of particular kinds of crime within South Africa. The survey includes information on victimisation experienced by individuals and households and their perspectives on community responses to crime. Therefore, VCS data can be used for research in the development of policies and strategies for crime prevention and public safety and education programmes. Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) conducted its first VCS in 1998. Following the VCS 1998, victims surveys were conducted by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS). Since 2011, StatsSA began conducting an annual collection of the VCS as a source of information on crime in South Africa. The main objectives of the survey are to:

• Provide information about the dynamics of crime from the perspective of households and the victims of crime.

• Explore public perceptions of the activities of the police, prosecutors, courts and correctional services in the prevention of crime and victimisation.

• Provide complimentary data on the level of crime within South Africa in addition to the statistics published annually by the South African Police Service.

The VCS 2016/17 is the seventh release in the collection and is comparable to the new Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey (GPSJS). StatsSA launched the GPSJS in April 2018 in response to the need for standardised international reporting standards on governance and access to justice that are recommended by the SDGs, ShaSA and Agenda 2063. Therefore, the VCS 2016/17 (and all subsequent releases) can be used as a complementary dataset to the GPSJS releases.

Geographic coverage

The survey has national coverage.

Analysis unit

Households and individuals

Universe

The target population of the survey consists of all private households in all nine provinces of South Africa and residents in workers' hostels. The survey does not cover other collective living quarters such as students' hostels, old-age homes, hospitals, prisons and military barracks, and is therefore only representative of non-institutionalised and non-military persons or households in South Africa.

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

VCS 201/2017 uses a Master Sample frame which has been developed as a general-purpose household survey frame that can be used by other Stats SA household-based surveys. VCS 2016/2017 collection was based on the Stats SA 2013 Master Sample.This Master Sample is based on information collected during the 2011 Census conducted by Stats SA. In preparation for Census 2011, the country was divided into 103 576 enumeration areas (EAs). The census EAs, together with the auxiliary information for the EAs, were used as the frame units or building blocks for the formation of primary sampling units (PSUs) for the Master Sample. There are 3 324 primary sampling units (PSUs) in the Master Sample with an expected sample of approximately 33 000 dwelling units (DUs). The updating of the Master Sample as compared to previous VCSs is expected to improve the precision of statistical estimates.

The Master Sample is designed to be representative at provincial level and within provinces at metro/non-metro levels. Within the metros, the sample is further distributed by geographical type. The three geography types are Urban, Tribal and Farms. This implies, for example, that within a metropolitan area, the sample is representative of the different geography types that may exist within that metro.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The VOCS 2016/17 questionnaire was based on the questionnaires used in the International Crime Victim Survey (ICVS) and previous VOCSs conducted by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and Statistics SA.

Sections 10 to 20 of the questionnaire relate to household crimes. A proxy respondent (preferably head of the household or acting head of household) answered on behalf of the household. Section 21 to 28 of the questionnaire about crimes on individuals were asked of a household member who was selected using the birthday section method. This methodology selects an individual who is 16 years or older, whose birthday is soonest after the survey date.

Data appraisal

Comparability:

Prior to 2014/2015, VOCS respondents were asked about their crime-related experiences in the previous calendar year, but since 2014/15 VCS changed to a Continuous Data Collection (CDC) method. In this data collection method, respondents were interviewed on a rolling basis over the course of a year and asked about crime experienced in the 12 months prior to the interview. As a result of this, the victimisation experiences reported by respondents interviewed in a period of 12 months relate to a broader span of 23 months.

The VCS 2016/17 is comparable to previous and subsequent VCSs in that several questions have remained unchanged over time. Where possible, it was generally indicated in the report.

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

• South Africa murder/homicide rate per 100K population for 2020 was 33.96, a 7.48% decline from 2019.
• South Africa murder/homicide rate per 100K population for 2019 was 36.71, a 0.14% increase from 2018.
• South Africa murder/homicide rate per 100K population for 2018 was 36.66, a 2.11% increase from 2017.

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.

Abstract

The Victims of Crime Survey (VCS) is a countrywide household-based survey which collects data on the prevalence of particular kinds of crime within South Africa. The survey includes information on victimisation experienced by individuals and households and their perspectives on community responses to crime. Therefore, VCS data can be used for research in the development of policies and strategies for crime prevention and public safety and education programmes. Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) conducted its first VCS in 1998. Following the VCS 1998, victims surveys were conducted by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS). Since 2011, StatsSA began conducting an annual collection of the VCS as a source of information on crime in South Africa. The main objectives of the survey are to:

• Provide information about the dynamics of crime from the perspective of households and the victims of crime.

• Explore public perceptions of the activities of the police, prosecutors, courts and correctional services in the prevention of crime and victimisation.

• Provide complimentary data on the level of crime within South Africa in addition to the statistics published annually by the South African Police Service.

NOTE: The VCS 2017/18 is the eighth and final release in the collection and is comparable to the new Governance Public Safety and Justice Survey (GPSJS). In April 2018, StatsSA launched the GPSJS in response to the need for standardised international reporting standards on governance and access to justice that are recommended by the SDGs, ShaSA and Agenda 2063. In compliance with these standards, Stats SA has discontinued separate publication of the VCS and rather incorporated it within the new GPSJS series. Therefore, VCS 2017/18 represents the final separate release of the series and all subsequent VCS series can be extracted from the GPSJS series (i.e. VCS 2018/19 is contained within GPSJS 2018/19).

Geographic coverage

The survey has national coverage.

Analysis unit

Households and individuals

Universe

The target population of the survey consists of all private households in all nine provinces of South Africa and residents in workers' hostels. The survey does not cover other collective living quarters such as students' hostels, old-age homes, hospitals, prisons and military barracks, and is therefore only representative of non-institutionalised and non-military persons or households in South Africa.

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

VCS 2017/2018 uses a Master Sample frame which has been developed as a general-purpose household survey frame that can be used by other Stats SA household-based surveys. VCS 2017/2018 collection was based on the Stats SA 2013 Master Sample. This Master Sample is based on information collected during the 2011 Census conducted by Stats SA. In preparation for Census 2011, the country was divided into 103 576 enumeration areas (EAs). The census EAs, together with the auxiliary information for the EAs, were used as the frame units or building blocks for the formation of primary sampling units (PSUs) for the Master Sample. There are 3 324 primary sampling units (PSUs) in the Master Sample with an expected sample of approximately 33 000 dwelling units (DUs).The number of PSUs in the current Master Sample (3 324) reflects an 8,0% increase in the size of the Master Sample compared to the previous Master Sample (based on the 2001 Census which had 3 080 PSUs). The updating of the Master Sample as compared to previous VCSs is expected to improve the precision of statistical estimates.

The Master Sample is designed to be representative at provincial level and within provinces at metro/non-metro levels. Within the metros, the sample is further distributed by geographical type. The three geography types are Urban, Tribal and Farms. This implies, for example, that within a metropolitan area, the sample is representative of the different geography types that may exist within that metro.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The VCS 2017/18 questionnaire was based on the questionnaires used in the International Crime Victim Survey (ICVS) and previous VOCSs conducted by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and Statistics SA.

Sections 10 to 20 of the questionnaire relate to household crimes. A proxy respondent (preferably head of the household or acting head of household) answered on behalf of the household. Section 21 to 28 of the questionnaire about crimes on individuals were asked of a household member who was selected using the birthday section method. This methodology selects an individual who is 16 years or older, whose birthday is soonest after the survey date.

Data appraisal

Comparability:

Prior to 2014/2015, VOCS respondents were asked about their crime-related experiences in the previous calendar year, but since 2014/15 VCS changed to a Continuous Data Collection (CDC) method. In this data collection method, respondents were interviewed on a rolling basis over the course of a year and asked about crime experienced in the 12 months prior to the interview. As a result of this, the victimisation experiences reported by respondents interviewed in a period of 12 months relate to a broader span of 23 months.

The VCS 2017/18 is comparable to all previous VCSs iin that several questions have remained unchanged over time. Where possible, it was generally indicated in the report. Additionally, the VCS 2017/18 is the last before VCS became incorproated into a broader survey called the GPSJS. The change to the surveys will likely cause some comparability issues going forward beyond 2018.

Metadata: There is an error in the SSA published metadata, which incorrectly states that the survey was designed with 3080 PSUs. The survey was designed with 3324 PSUs.

As of the fiscal year 2023/2024, the total number of contact crimes in South Africa amounted to 678,701 cases. This represents an increase of around 3.8 percent from the previous year. The category with the highest number of criminal incidences was common assault, with 190,399 reported cases. Moreover, attempted murder saw the largest percentage increase at 13.2 percent.

Abstract

In April 2018, StatsSA launched the Governance Public Safety and Justice Survey (GPSJS) in response to the need for standardised international reporting standards on governance and access to justice that are recommended by the SDGs, ShaSA and Agenda 2063. In compliance with these standards, Stats SA discontinued the separate publication of the Victims of Crime Survey (VCS) and incorporated it within the new GPSJS series. Therefore, the GPSJS represents the new source of microdata on the experience and prevalence of particular kinds of crime within South Africa. The GPSJS data can be used for research in the development of policies and strategies for governance, crime prevention, public safety and justice programmes with the main objectives of the survey being to:

• Provide information about the dynamics of crime from the perspective of households and the victims of crime. • Explore public perceptions of the activities of the police, prosecutors, courts and correctional services in the prevention of crime and victimisation; and • Provide complimentary data on the level of crime within South Africa in addition to the statistics published annually by the South African Police Service.

NOTE: The GPSJS is a continuation of the VCS series, which ended with VCS 2017/18. Therefore, the VCS 2018/19 can be exctracted from GPSJS 2018/19 and is comparable to previous VCS's only where questions remained the same. Please see Data Quality Notes for more infomation on comparability.

Geographic coverage

The survey has national coverage.

Analysis unit

Households and individuals

Universe

The target population of the survey consists of all private households in all nine provinces of South Africa, as well as residents in workers' hostels. The survey does not cover other collective living quarters such as students' hostels, old-age homes, hospitals, prisons and military barracks. It is only representative of non-institutionalised and non-military persons or households in South Africa.

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

The GPSJS 2022/23 uses the Master Sample (MS) sampling frame that has been developed as a general-purpose household survey frame that can be used by all other Stats SA household-based surveys that have design requirements that are reasonably compatible with GPSJS. The GPSJS 2022/23 collection was drawn from the 2013 Master Sample. This master sample is based on information collected during Census 2011. In preparation for Census 2011, the country was divided into 103 576 enumeration areas (EAs). The Census EAs, together with the auxiliary information for the EAs, were used as the frame units or building blocks for the formation of primary sampling units (PSUs) for the master sample, since they covered the entire country and had other information that is crucial for stratification and creation of PSUs.

There are 3 324 primary sampling units (PSUs) in the master sample with an expected sample of approximately 33 000 dwelling units (DUs). The number of PSUs in the current master sample (3 324) reflect an 8,0% increase in the size of the master sample compared to the previous (2008) master sample (which had 3 080 PSUs). The larger master sample of PSUs was selected to improve the precision (smaller coefficients of variation, known as CVs) of the GPSJS estimates.

Mode of data collection

Computer Assisted Telephone Interview

Research instrument

The GPSJS questionnaire is based on international reporting standards of governance, public safety and justice defined by the SDGs.

Sections 1 to 3 of the questionnaire relate to household crimes. A proxy respondent (preferably head of the household or acting head of household) answered on behalf of the household. Section 4 to 9 of the questionnaire relate to crimes experienced by individuals and were asked of a household member who was selected using the birthday section method. This methodology selects an individual who is 16 years or older, whose birthday is soonest after the survey date.

Data appraisal

Comparability to VCS series:

While redesigning the VCS into the GPSJS, some questions were modified in order to align the series with international reporting demands (e.g. SDGs) and to improve the accuracy of victim reporting. This caused a break of series for affected questions, in particular questions on 12-month experience of crime. The question on 5-year experience of crime was not changed and hence there is no break of series. The 5-year trends can therefore be used as a proxy for the 12-month series as the two follow similar patterns. Similarity of shapes of the two series makes it possible to predict increase or decrease of crime during the past 12 months using the 5-year series.

Comparability to previous GPSJS series: To facilitate CATI data collection, the GPSJS 2019/20 sample was re-used and households that provided operational telephone numbers in 2019/20 were contacted and interviewed. The data is adjusted during the weighting process due to non-response from some households. The details of how the adjustment was done is contained in the metadata technical report. Given the change in the data survey mode of collection from CAPI to CATI, and the fact that the GPSJS 2020/21 estimates are not based on a full sample, comparisons with previous years should be made with caution.

The primary aim of the Victims of Crime Survey is to establish the prevalence of particular kinds of crime within a certain population. This may be victimisation experienced by individuals or households. Data from victimisation surveys can be used to supplement official crime statistics. The objectives of the survey are to: • Provide information about the dynamics of crime from the perspective of households and the victims of crime. • Explore public perceptions of the activities of the police, prosecutors, courts and correctional services in the prevention of crime and victimisation. • Provide complimentary data on the level of crime within South Africa in addition to the statistics published annually by the South African Police Service.

According to monthly surveys conducted from January 2023 to December 2024, the share of the respondents in South Africa worried about crime and violence in the country was one of the highest among the countries taking part in the online study. During the period under review, the share of participants concerned about violence and crime in South Africa fluctuated between 50 percent, observed in January 2023, and a peak of 67 percent, registered in March 2023. This notable increase in concerned respondents is likely due to the escalating levels of violent crime the country is experiencing.

Data presented as a spreadsheet; Provides an overview of the number of sexual offence crimes reported across all provinces in South Africa since 2014.Linage: The data presented is extracted from the South African Police Service (SAPS) Crime Statistics trends as published on https://www.saps.gov.za/services/crimestats.phpContact person: Elize van der Berg, Department of the Premier, Elize.VanDerBerg@westerncape.gov.za

Number, percentage and rate (per 100,000 population) of homicide victims, by racialized identity group (total, by racialized identity group; racialized identity group; South Asian; Chinese; Black; Filipino; Arab; Latin American; Southeast Asian; West Asian; Korean; Japanese; other racialized identity group; multiple racialized identity; racialized identity, but racialized identity group is unknown; rest of the population; unknown racialized identity group), gender (all genders; male; female; gender unknown) and region (Canada; Atlantic region; Quebec; Ontario; Prairies region; British Columbia; territories), 2019 to 2023.